Career Path Spotlight: Amanda Foote
At AECOM, employees are encouraged and supported to pursue career paths that best fit their unique capabilities, interests, and aspirations. Our Career Path Spotlight series takes you through the rewarding career journeys of our employees who have stepped out of their comfort zone and taken on new challenges to chart their own successful careers and growth.
This time, we caught up with Amanda Foote, project engineer from our Water business in U.S. West region, to learn how she chose the path she’s on today.
Hi Amanda. What do you do for AECOM?
I am a project engineer and project manager on several projects and have been with AECOM for 13 years. I have been happily married for 12 years and have two kids, ages eight and three.
Tell us about your journey and how you got here.
After graduating college, I started working at AECOM in Akron, Ohio on the City of Akron’s combined sewer overflow (CSO) program. After about a year, Dave Mast, a vice president in the Water business line, pulled me onto his team to prepare the preliminary engineering report for the City of Akron’s first tunnel – the Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel – which was an amazing experience and my introduction to tunneling.
Prior to that experience, I did not have a lot of exposure to trenchless construction, so Dave took the time to explain every aspect of what goes into alignment selection, tunnel boring machine selection, and other factors that drive a tunneling project. I used this opportunity to absorb as much information as I could and really enjoyed learning about the tunneling world.
Following completion of the Akron tunnel project, I was promoted to project engineer and worked on more projects on Dave’s team for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District. I did design for large tunnel and smaller trenchless design work, including the Dugway South Relief and Consolidation Sewer project, the Doan Valley Relief and Consolidation Sewer project and the Kingsbury Run Culvert Repair projects.
With each project, I learn more and more about the industry. As my mentor, Dave includes me on meetings with technical staff, not just because I can add to the discussion, but so I can listen and learn. I’m grateful for all the guidance he has provided in the last 12 years.
While my official title is currently project engineer, I’ve performed a range of roles on various projects. I was the project manager for the O’Hare TP-36 Stormwater Tunnel project, providing an alternate design to the contractor per their means and methods. Most recently, I was the design engineer and deputy project manager for the City of Akron Northside Interceptor Tunnel (NSIT) project. Although the NSIT project was a fast-paced and sometimes stressful design, my previous project experience enabled me to make a true impact.
I have come to truly love tunneling work and am eager to continue to learn from all the experts here at AECOM.
What was a career defining moment that stands out for you?
My involvement on the NSIT project, which was completed in 14 months. In addition to my project contributions, I had a great relationship with the client and was able to add value and develop that relationship even more.
What advice do you have for women who want to get into tunneling or another traditionally male-dominated industry?
Don’t be afraid to get dirty. Ask questions. Ask for what you want. It’s ok to not know everything. If you are not sure, ask! Chances are someone else has the same question. If there is something you want to get involved in or see, ask.
What’s the best part of your job?
Seeing the full evolution of the projects I am working on. I have seen several projects through from design to bidding to construction, and even walked inside a tunnel I helped design to perform the final inspection.
If not this path, then what would have been your Career plan B?
I would probably be doing smaller stormwater or water projects for the Cleveland office.
