Three Questions With: Project Manager Joe Mastrangelo
Q: As a project manager in the Environment business line, what are your favorite aspects of what you do?
My favorite part of my role is that it’s focused on building relationships. I love being able to engage with clients in the field and figure out ways to help them. The actual work that we do – the compliance plans, stormwater manuals, operations maintenance plans – is made more successful by building these trusted relationships with our clients.
Q: How do you collaborate with other professionals, such as clients, other design professionals, contractors, or government officials, to achieve your goals?
I treat everyone as if they were my client; internally, externally – it doesn’t matter. My job is to make whomever I’m working with feel comfortable. When I get an email from somebody asking a question, either internally or externally, I try to get back to them instantaneously.
At the same time, I want to be flexible to other people’s styles of communication. Sometimes that means just getting something to somebody quickly because they need a quick answer. Other times, the person you’re working with is very technical-minded and they want to see all the gadgets behind the scenes. The actual product is the same, but it changes but how you deliver and explain it to them.
Q: How do you ensure that your work is sustainable and environmentally responsible?
Within our firm, we have a data asset management group that is doing unbelievable things. I have been working with the team, and they’ve demonstrated some incredible tech, especially with what they call “digital twins.” These digital models serve as a virtual replica of a physical asset, enabling real-time monitoring, analysis, and management throughout its lifecycle.
This tech allows our partners to streamline their practices by eliminating redundant physical models, adding the ability to monitor systems remotely, and aggregating historical and real-time data. Not only is it great from a data management perspective, but it really helps our partners in cutting down on waste by bringing their records onto a centralized platform.