Bob Gansauer – Project Manager in the Denver Service Center Transportation Division

Bob Gansauer at the Western Wall in Jerusalem

Name/Title: (Retired) Bob Gansauer – Project Manager in the Denver Service Center Transportation Division

What does your job involve? My job primarily involves production of plans, specifications, and estimates for construction projects. Most of these projects are for the resurfacing of Park roads in the Northeast Region of the National Park Service (NPS). I also produce task orders for the architect and engineering project designs as well as the inspectors who monitor projects during construction. I visit project sites for the scoping stage as well as during design and construction in order to ensure that the project requirements are met and that the final product is of high quality. As a project manager, I am responsible for the scope, schedule, and budget of projects, and am involved with the project from inception to final inspection. I also assist the Northeast Region office in the development of their five-year program of projects.

How did you get into the engineering industry? I’ve always done well in math and the sciences and I was interested in their practical applications. I received a civil engineering degree from the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, VA. After graduation, I worked 10 years in the private sector, doing topographic, boundary, and construction site surveying, and site designs for commercial and residential projects. I then began work with the Federal Lands Highway (FLH) branch of the Federal Highway Administration as a highway design engineer. At FLH, I worked on numerous road projects for the National Park Service, the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I worked there for more than 20 years, and then moved to NPS where I have been for more than 10 years.

What do you think is the best thing about a career in engineering? Two things – problem solving and collaboration. Engineering means realizing efficiencies in size, materials, costs, etc. Projects in National Parks must limit or eliminate disturbances to Park resources. Collaborating with Park personnel – those responsible for resource protection - to find efficient solutions to the issues that may be created by a construction project is a rewarding experience.

What are you most proud of? When I was with FLH, I was the lead highway designer for four reconstruction projects on Generals Highway in Sequoia National Park, CA. Each project took about two years to design and two years to construct and costs were about $10 million each. The projects provided drainage and safety improvements (widening of the road) while maintaining the character of Generals Highway. Widening was achieved by the construction of retaining walls, which limited the disturbance to Park resources. Collaboration of the professional disciplines of Park and FLH personnel involved in the projects was outstanding and made the projects a success. Trust between the members of the team was developed and design and construction progressed without conflicts.

What are the career benefits of working for the National Park Service? Of course being able to work on park projects is interesting from the perspectives of engineering and problem solving, but it is also very rewarding to be able to make improvements to the public places that many Americans and people from other countries choose to visit. A project in a National Park improves the appearance and enhances the fabric of that Park. The entire system of National Parks enhances the fabric and the stories of the whole United States.

What would your advice be to someone interested in an engineering role at the National Park Service? I would tell interested parties that they will have the opportunity to work with numerous professionals in other disciplines on highly visible public projects that protect and improve the sites that tell our nation’s story.