In this episode, I talk with Sarah Beckman, PE, SMIEEE, Chief Strategy Officer at Ulteig, about valuability in civil engineering and how it transforms project delivery, talent engagement, and community impact. We explore how valuability helps engineering professionals balance client satisfaction, employee well-being, and community outcomes while navigating today’s rapid technological changes and evolving infrastructure demands. If you want to lead engineering projects that matter, spark innovation under pressure, and unlock long-term infrastructure resilience, this conversation will expand your strategic approach and empower your leadership mindset.
Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Sarah Beckman, PE, SMIEEE:
- What inspired an interest in civil engineering and led to a focus on infrastructure strategy?
- What is valuability in civil engineering and how does it differ from traditional KPIs?
- How is valuability measured and tracked across projects?
- How can valuability guide strategic engineering decisions in the face of workforce, policy, and technology challenges?
- Can you share an example of a project where valuability balanced clients, employees, and communities amid tight budgets and deadlines?
- What does success look like when all three components of valuability align?
- How can valuability in civil engineering drive innovation during pressured project conditions?
- How do you balance long-term vision with delivering short-term engineering results?
- What are some ways engineering leaders can use valuability thinking to retain and engage talent?
- When is the best time during a project to talk about why a project matters and connect it to valuability?
- What are the key steps engineers can take to emerge as strategic leaders in infrastructure planning?
- What final piece of advice can help civil engineers stay adaptable and resilient as the industry evolves?
Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Valuability in Civil Engineering for Long-Term Project Success
- A lifelong love of building and solving real-world problems inspired the journey into civil engineering. The opportunity to design for the future while meeting today’s needs shaped a focus on infrastructure strategy.
- Valuability in civil engineering is a holistic approach that measures value through impact on clients, employees, and communities. It expands beyond traditional KPIs like budgets or schedules by emphasizing long-term benefits, resilience, and human-centered outcomes.
- Valuability is tracked by assessing long-term client savings, employee engagement metrics, and community benefits like service hours and infrastructure quality. This data creates visibility into how each project delivers real, measurable value.
- Valuability helps engineers think long-term and remain agile amid uncertainty. It encourages decisions that anticipate future community and client needs while using emerging technologies to innovate responsibly.
- A utility project involving wildfire mitigation and renewable integration exemplified valuability in civil engineering. The team used innovation and prioritization tools to balance risk mitigation, affordability, and employee collaboration.
- Success means delivering a technically sound and financially responsible infrastructure plan that protects the community while empowering engineers to contribute creative, purpose-driven solutions. The resulting client satisfaction, team pride, and public benefit show the power of a valuability framework.
- Clear goals paired with flexibility allow creative teams to rethink project approaches and test new technology. Innovation thrives when engineers feel supported to propose better ways that improve speed, quality, and outcomes.
- Valuability balances today’s progress with tomorrow’s impact by using real-time project work to test new ideas. Engineers are empowered to innovate on live client challenges, delivering results while building smarter systems.
- Leaders can start by highlighting the human impact of engineering and consistently connecting projects to purpose. Communicating why work matters increases pride, ownership, and retention among engineers.
- Valuability discussions should happen before a project starts and at every milestone. Beginning with why sets intention and maintaining it throughout deepens team motivation and community alignment.
- Strategic leaders focus beyond the technical KPIs and ask how engineering work creates broader value. They lead with empathy, listen deeply, and build trust so their teams innovate confidently and sustainably.
- Resilience and adaptability come from building strong relationships and support systems. Surrounding yourself with diverse thinkers creates a network where ideas grow and challenges become opportunities.
More Details in This Episode…
About Sarah Beckman, PE, SMIEEE
Sarah Beckman, PE, SMIEEE, is the Chief Strategy Officer at Ulteig, where she leads the company’s long-term strategic growth and transformation initiatives. With more than a decade of experience in consulting engineering focused on infrastructure, Sarah is passionate about creating a sustainable future and empowering women in STEM. She brings deep expertise in strategic planning, stakeholder management, and cross-functional leadership, helping utilities and infrastructure clients deliver safe, reliable, and clean power while driving innovation across renewable energy, transportation, and water sectors.
About the Host: K. James Taylor, Jr., P.E.
K. James Taylor, Jr., P.E., is a licensed professional engineer and an associate vice president at Verdantas, an emerging environmental, engineering, and technical consulting company with a green, sustainable, and people-first approach in the foreground. James has over 19 years of experience in civil engineering in the land development and municipal fields. James has served as a project manager since 2018. In 2021, James was recognized with the Outstanding Project Manager Award at Duffield Associates (now Verdantas) for outstanding performance as a project manager and his consistent display of leadership traits valued by the company, including scheduling, management, proactive communication, collaboration, responsiveness, and client-focused service.
James was selected as the 2021 Young Engineer of the Year by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Delaware Section and is a Delaware Business Times 40 Under 40 2024 honoree. He also serves as the president of the Delaware Engineering Society and on the National Society of Professional Engineers Board of Directors as the New Professionals Director from 2021 to 2023 and currently as the Northeast Region Director. James recently joined the Board of Directors for ACE Mentor Delaware, a no-cost after-school program designed to connect high school students with professionals in the Architecture, Construction, and Engineering (ACE) industry.
Sources/References:
Ulteig
University of Missouri
Connect with Sarah Beckman, PE, SMIEEE, on LinkedIn
AEC PM Certification
AEC PM Connect
Project Management Accelerator™
Engineering Leadership Accelerator™
Please leave your comments, feedback, or questions in the section below.
