Darrell Smith, PE is one of hundreds of skilled GAI professionals who help clients create better communities, transportation infrastructure, energy generation and delivery, and more from our office locations throughout the United States. Today we will find out a little about what makes Darrell tick—the background, motivation, and methods that he brings to the table every day for GAI and GAI’s clients.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your area of specialization and what drew you to it?
Darrell Smith: I have specialized in transportation design and planning for 20 years. I believe my interest in road building in general goes back to when I was a boy and would dig in my parents’ backyard, constructing roads and bridges for my toy cars and G.I. Joes. Later, my grandfather’s store was impacted by a proposed project to build an interstate highway exit ramp—a project that still has not been built. I was drawn to a career that would enable me to help provide safe infrastructure while striving to minimize property impacts.
Q: What role do you play at GAI and what sorts of projects do you typically contribute to?
Darrell: As a Senior Engineering Manager, I have the opportunity to take part in a range of transportation infrastructure projects, including rural and urban roadway design, bridge projects, and planning studies. In my role as Kentucky Transportation Lead, I’m responsible for expanding GAI’s business to new markets and managing the projects that we win.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
Darrell: I enjoy helping people. I take satisfaction from the way my work connects with the public by helping make their commutes safer, saving them time, providing opportunities, and making people wonder, “Wow, how did they do that?”
This past fall, there was devastating flooding in eastern KY, and I was on a team working to replace bridges that were demolished by the roaring waters. A property owner told me he was so thankful for us being there, working to replace a nearby bridge that provided an essential lifeline for his ill wife. The big projects are cool, but when you feel the heartfelt gratitude of someone who has benefited from your work, it means even more.
I believe success is a combination of hitting our deadlines, growing our team, learning from our experiences, sharing our knowledge, having a good work culture, having good health and life balance, and earning the respect of colleagues and clients.
Q: How do you measure your success?
Darrell: I believe success is a combination of hitting our deadlines, growing our team, learning from our experiences, sharing our knowledge, having a good work culture, having good health and life balance, and earning the respect of colleagues and clients. All of these factors benefit us as individuals and as a team. Having a well-rounded team and life helps foster an environment that promotes the sort of successes that encourage clients to hire us again—and the real measure of success, for me, comes from being part of a team that brings many contributors together to deliver quality projects to our clients.
Q: Why do you feel GAI is a good place to put your skills to work?
Darrell: The culture of GAI supports what I hope to build upon in the firm’s Kentucky service area: the ability to field a diverse team that can build a great relationship with clients and translate their vision onto constructable plans. I work with people that I can trust and who share my values at GAI, and I appreciate being able to connect with clients on a personal level while having the resources to deliver the solutions they require.
Q: How do you feel that the job you do at GAI benefits the community and the world?
Darrell: The projects that I work on help communities connect, improve access, and enhance the traveling experience for roadway users. A small intersection project may reduce crash rates and help relieve congestion; a bridge project to replace an outdated structure can reduce maintenance costs and improve safety; a pedestrian path can enhance recreation options for area residents and accommodate diverse modes of transportation. Transportation systems need to be built, re-built, and maintained in order to expand communities and help people travel safely—in these and many other ways, the transportation infrastructure solutions we provide at GAI work to establish safe, sustainable, and reliable ways to bring people and communities together to the benefit of all.
Contact Darrell Smith, 502.213.9621, for more information about GAI’s transportation engineering services—message GAI and start the conversation about how our multidiscipline professionals can meet your unique project needs.
Darrell Smith, PE
is a professional civil engineer with more than 20 years of experience working as a consultant for state, local, and private organizations. In his role as GAI Kentucky Transportation Leader, Darrell takes part in a range of transportation infrastructure projects, including rural and urban roadway design, bridge design and replacement, planning studies, and more. He is responsible for managing GAI projects in the region as well as expanding GAI’s business to new markets.
