Last updated: February 17, 2022
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Mike Will, Denver Service Center, Transportation Division
What is your name and job title?
J. Michael Will, PE; Project Manager, Transportation Division, Denver Service Center (DSC)
Why did you become an engineer?
A bit cliché, but I knew wanted to be an engineer from a very young age. As a child I enjoyed building things, typically pushing the limit to see how tall I could build Legos, playing cards, or lumber log structures before they fell to the ground. This curiosity combined with a love for problem solving and a desire to see solutions come to life, lead me to the engineering profession.
What is one of your favorite park projects that you've worked on and why?
One of my favorite projects was the Hawaii Volcanos Emergency Access project. In June 2015 lava began flowing from Kilauea Volcano’s Pu’u O’o vent towards the community of Pahoa, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Lava flows were expected to cover all existing evacuation routes and land-lock residents of Pahoa Town. In response to the impending evacuation needs, I provided project and construction management support to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to construct an emergency evacuation route along the Chain of Craters Road, previously closed in the 1980s due to prior lava flow. The reestablished route connected to the southern section of State Route 130 to ensure a viable emergency evacuation access for the residents. This project was one of my favorites because it was non-traditional, required a highly collaborative multi-agency partnership, and a get-it-done approach.
Ultimately the existing evacuation routes were never over-taken by lava and the newly reconstructed route was never used for evaluation purposes. Several months after the lava flow subsided, it changed direction and covered a portion of the reconstructed route. Pele, the goddess of fire and creator of the Hawaiian Islands works in mysterious ways.
How does curiosity and ingenuity play a role in your work?
Curiosity drives my desire to understand how and why things don’t work or fail, while ingenuity describes my desire to create or innovate. As a National Park Service employee and public servant, both characteristics are utilized on every project with the goal of providing long lasting sustainable solutions to the benefit of the park, the visitor, and ultimately the taxpayer.
What would your advice be to someone interested in an engineering role at the National Park Service?
My advice would be to practice the art of diplomacy and balanced decision making. Listen more and learn what you can from those around you before making decisions. Diplomacy is the art of making a point, without making an enemy. Standard engineering design guidelines won’t always work within the context of all project locations. To be a true engineer you will need to understand the context of how your solution harmonizes with the larger picture which will require greater reliance on engineering judgment, not standards, to ensure the “right solution” is identified.
