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by Genevieve Tester, City of Cottage Grove Graduate Engineer and Recipient of the APWA-MN YP Stipend to PWX Houston

I am blessed to have received a stipend to attend the APWA National Public Works Expo (PWX) in Houston, Texas. The conference provided professional development, national industry perspective, and personal inspiration. I am grateful for the opportunity and for the chance to share my experience.

Among the case studies of ecosystem uplift and the flooding of Purgatory Creek in San Marcos, TX, I found the sessions focused on leadership and on the holistic engineer-as-human experience to be incredibly valuable.

Dr. Amber Selking’s keynote in the George R. Brown Convention Center (which we learned Mr. Brown was a civil engineer, fittingly) focused on the power of the way we think. Our thoughts shape our emotions, our physiological responses, and ultimately our performance. She encouraged us to see each moment as a “mental bicep curl,” intentionally replacing negative or unproductive thoughts with positive and productive ones, one rep at a time. This builds a robust mindset capable of carrying us through fog, dread, and the inevitable pressures of our work.

I was reminded to choose integrity over convenience and patience over ego. I was encouraged to RESET (identify the distraction), REFOCUS (ask “what’s important now?”), and RISE (give power to what you choose to focus on).

In the Public Works office in Cottage Grove, there is a wall of small name plaques showcasing past and current employees. Some plaques have both a start and end date; others show a start date followed by just a dash, meaning a career still in progress. The dash among all the plaques represents everything that person has invested in serving the community: the months spent designing complex projects to provide transportation options, utility services, and housing for families, and the hour spent adjusting a gate valve. The wall is a collection of dashes, each one a story of service. This reflection is inspired by Linda Ellis’ poem “The Dash”.

I am here for such a time as this.

That time is our dash. It is the start and end of our lives, our careers, and the roles we hold. I will embrace being the Graduate Engineer, a sister, a friend, a daughter, a neighbor—fully and with gratitude. I am here, in this role, in this office, faced with a resident, for such a time as this. This time to contribute, make a difference, and share my time and talents. From a morning spent reviewing sign requests to navigating new responsibilities in my early career, I am reminded that every moment is part of building a meaningful dash, for the common good.
 
Leadership is built on relationships. The fundamentals matter: listen, teach, be fair, and follow through with your word—Every. Single. Day. Mastering the basics of relationships is essential, and is a good reminder for all people, who are all leaders in their own personal and professional ways.

Another lesson that stood out to me while attending a session at PWX is that negativity in the workplace is a learned and often acceptable behavior. Undermining colleagues or departments causes disengagement across the organization. Each team member is responsible for their thinking, and collectively we shape the culture we walk into each day. I am challenged to answer: how can I be a role model of positivity even when stress, deadlines, or unexpected challenges arise? This perspective reinforced that creating a resilient, high-trust environment is shared work, and that a persistently negative environment affects everyone.

Engaging with public works professionals at PWX from across the country was energizing and affirming. Hearing others describe challenges and accomplishments similar to mine, as well as those vastly different from mine, was a reminder that my work is part of an interconnected network of community service.

Public works often becomes visible to the public only when it is inconvenient: construction delays, detours, or work in the right-of-way. Being surrounded by thousands of people who understand, appreciate, and celebrate this industry was a refreshing change of pace. As I boarded my flight home to MSP, I felt even more convinced of the value of our profession and proud to be part of it. I want to continue helping others understand the importance of what we do.

When I checked in at PWX and asked the woman assisting me how she was, she replied, “I am blessed.” Her sentiment captured exactly how I felt leaving Houston: blessed to work in this industry, blessed by the people I met, and blessed by the opportunity made possible through the Minnesota Chapter.

Thank you again for supporting my professional growth and for providing access to opportunities like PWX.

Very Respectfully, Genevieve