Meet ISG Graduate Engineer Dylan Musgjerd

For the last two years, ISG Graduate Engineer Dylan Musgjerd has been based out of the La Crosse Office fulfilling his 4^th grade dream of being a structural engineer. When Dylan is not working on “the skeleton” of buildings, he’s playing sports, hunting, fishing, acting in a play or musical. Let’s chat more with the 2012 Minnesota High School Mascot State Champion (yes, that’s a real thing).

I hear you and fellow employee owner Will Kratt have a unique connection beyond just working in the La Crosse office.

Yes, we actually both proposed to our wives in Seville, Spain, approximately a half mile from each other. Not at the same time, however. That would have been weird.

Tell me about a unique personal or professional experience you’ve had that caused you to grow.

When I was first hired and placed in La Crosse, Nick Ellenberger and I were the only two structural engineers in the office. Nick was very busy my first few weeks and was out of the office most days on site visits. This forced me to be self-reliant and utilize structural engineers in other offices as resources, which took me out of my comfort zone early. This really helped me gain the confidence needed to perform at my best.

What/Who inspires you? Why?

My biggest inspiration comes from my high school American Legion baseball coach, Mark Strandemo. He taught me that hard work and determination are needed to succeed. Because of him I assume that everyone I ever meet is expecting nothing but the best from me.

What is an interesting thing that people don’t know about you?

I have acted in over 20 plays and musicals.

What is your favorite part about working at ISG?

Not aside from the fact that I have wanted to be a structural engineer since the fourth grade, I honestly can’t say enough about the people and the culture of the company. The leadership is second to none with how they approach and handle things. Everyone is always more than willing to help if you run into a question.

How do you work to deliver solutions?

One of the most important values at ISG is responsiveness. I have learned very quickly why that is so critical in maintaining relationships and delivering solutions. The more responsive I am internally or externally to clients, the easier it is to figure out a solution to almost any problem that arises.

What is it about the A/E field that intrigues you?

The best part about the field of work that I’m involved in is getting to be a piece of a much larger puzzle. Being on the structural team, I primarily deal with buildings of some sort. A building is similar to the human body: Architecture is the exterior features, Structure is the bones and muscle, Mechanical is the veins, and Electrical is the nerves. Together they all create something bigger. I love the coordination and analytics that is takes to make sure everything cooperates smoothly.

What is it about the A/E field that you think has the largest impact on our future as a firm, the industry, or the world at large?

The world is constantly adapting and changing to keep up with the most current and efficient ways to achieve success. In order to keep up, there will always be a need to keep expanding or updating which ultimately falls on the assistance of the A/E field. I have seen ISG help small businesses hit the ground running from scratch, help small businesses become large businesses, and even help large businesses keep the communities they are in thriving and alive. I am glad to be a part of an industry that is capable of helping others achieve success.

What are your goals for the rest of 2019?

Professionally, I would like to get out of my comfort zone as often as I can. I would like to take risks and do things I have never done before to continue developing my skill set. Personally, I want to be the best supportive husband I can be while my wife is away from home for her last year of grad school clinical rotations.

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