5 Questions With An Expert:  John Bilyeu

Beyond an individual task, our team takes pride in considering the big picture to achieve the desired outcome. In our latest interview, Project Manager and 25-year transportation engineering veteran John Bilyeu shares what inspires him in his work and how he ensures a project’s success starting at the very beginning.

1.    Starting with some background about yourself, can you share how you got started in this field and what inspires you most in your work?
I specialized in environmental engineering as an undergrad but started working in the transportation sector by chance when I applied for a job at TxDOT that sounded interesting. It turned out to be a stroke of luck because I ended up spending 25 years working in transportation engineering. Transportation is an ever-evolving challenge and inspiration; we bring happiness and positive influence to countless people. Almost everything we need and want depends on safe, reliable transportation. 

2.    What is your role at HVJ, and what is your favorite type of project/work, and why?  
I started as a Project Engineer focused on technical work, and my role has evolved to focus about half of my time on project management. My favorite part of a project (or workday, for that matter) is when all the pieces of a plan come together. Efficiently handling jobs takes the right people, tools, knowledge, and experience, and we ensure it all comes together as it should.

Adding project management responsibilities to my role has been a new challenge and learning opportunity. One of my pet peeves is inefficient processes, so I’m always trying to make improvements (even tiny changes) to make things better and more efficient. However, this tendency comes with the challenge of knowing when to leave it alone and move on. 

3.    What are the common types of problems that your customers are trying to solve? What do you think draws them specifically to HVJ?  
The most common problem I work with is a road that must be rehabilitated (requiring various tests, sampling, etc.) or a new alignment that needs pavement design. We also get unique projects, like research/development of a flowable fill mix suitable to encase fiber optic lines, inspection, condition forecasting, and design work for our border crossing facilities. HVJ has a reputation for flexibility and reliability beyond our typical core specialties, so clients come to us for a wide variety of needs.

4.    Can you briefly describe one of your recent projects and what you found most interesting or rewarding about it? What was the most significant achievement that came out of the project? 
One almost completed project I’ve found quite rewarding involves fiber optic/flowable fill. It solves a critical need in this age of telecommuting; people need and enjoy their internet connection. Akin to reliable transportation as a vital need, helping communities stay connected has become essential in their everyday lives. 

5.    What would you say is most important in a successful project? What are the common risks and barriers that you need to overcome? 
High pressure and unpredictability are inherent to our line of work, so we must develop precise requirements early in the project. Successful projects begin with thorough upfront planning and foresight. We must have highly detailed communication with the client and fully understand the problem at hand. A common risk we must avoid is framing a project and neglecting to anticipate a challenge or requirement. Another risk is a lack of communication among the many project stakeholders, resulting in missed things or mistakes. It’s helpful that the HVJ team collectively has decades of experience and diverse expertise to draw on; part of the culture is that we take ownership of results throughout the full scope of the project, starting at the very beginning.