Articles by Sam Boeck

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).

Driven to optimize water quality across rural Minnesota, ISG Civil Engineer Mark Origer, PE, recently received the 2019 Rising Star Award from Civil + Structural Engineering magazine. Working closely with public agencies and private landowners alike, Mark has developed countless solutions for water quality improvement projects throughout the region. Despite being relatively young in his career, Mark has already established himself as an equally talented designer, project coordinator, and committed mentor to his fellow employee owners.

Most people deal with their fear of heights by staying on the ground or their claustrophobia by taking the stairs. Not ISG Architect, Alyssa Campbell, AIA, LEED AP. She conquered her fear of heights by taking a rock climbing course. As for her claustrophobia, a spelunking course did the trick. Similarly, in her 12+ years at ISG, she has continued to embrace changes in the A/E industry and isn’t afraid to get out of her comfort zone to explore cutting-edge solutions for the firm. Read more about how Alyssa conquers fears and moves mountains in an ever-changing industry.

Although he originally studied education in college, Aaron Chisholm found his love for geography and ended up getting his degrees in both—in fact, he’s even licensed to teach secondary education in the state of Pennsylvania—quite the departure from the work he did after graduation as a GIS coordinator in the oil fields of North Dakota. Now at ISG, the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Manager enjoys teaching others about the latest and greatest GIS technologies, and going on “field trips” to ensure team alignment and gather updated data for clients. In today’s class, Mr. Chisholm will tell us more about both his unique work history, his literary and television fame, and the future of GIS.

Steve Watson’s passions are diverse—you’ll often find him motorcycling, curling, or even taking in a European soccer match—but perhaps his greatest passion is growing the Midwest. Formerly the Director of Business Development for the South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), Steve brings years of experience and relationships to his role as Development Strategist at ISG. Now Steve puts that experience to work for the entire region by pairing his development mindset with ISG’s solutions, helping public and private partners across the entire Midwest position themselves for growth.

Although he’s a Jimmy Buffet fan, that doesn’t mean ISG Project Manager Kent Hays spends his working hours in Mankatoville looking for his lost shaker and salt—however, you might find him at the courthouse looking through 100-year-old historical records, or looking to pass the puck up the ice while playing with his hockey team. Outside of work and his hockey league, you can find Kent coaching at Mankato West, golfing, or reading. To learn more about Kent’s 14+ year career at ISG, his even longer career in hockey, or the challenges that come with working with surveying information from the mid-1800s, read on!

Whether designing interiors that increase employee retention, selecting furniture and accessories that optimize branding, or just planning her next move in a competitive board game with friends, ISG Senior Interior Designer Andrea Kucera, IIDA, leans on her Strengthsfinder 2.0 strengths of Empathy and Strategic. Let’s learn more about Andrea, her experience at ISG, and how interior design can kill or instill culture, values, and brand.

Although she loves to travel (especially to the Caribbean) ISG Administrative Assistant Meredith Luksetich will always call Des Moines home. In fact, when she’s not supporting teammates at ISG or building connections with the  Young Professionals Connection (YPC), (or bartending at Tonic Bar or the Iowa Events Center) she’s strengthening her roots by renovating her house with a little help from her dad and fellow ISG employee owners. Let’s learn more about Meredith and ISG’s 2018 Des Moines Young Professionals Organization of the Year award, and hear some expert travel tips.