Corey Mislinski, 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’ll find out a little about what makes Corey tick—the background, motivation, and methods that he brings to the table every day for GAI and GAI’s clients.
Q: Tell us about your area of specialization, your role at GAI, and the sort of projects you typically contribute to.
Corey Mislinski: I’m a senior engineering manager, project manager, and client manager working in the Geotechnical Engineering Division of GAI’s Power Generation group. My technical specialty is geohazard investigation and mitigation. Geohazards include landslides, rockfalls, and ground subsidence. Essentially, if the ground is moving, I will find a way to ‘put the brakes’ on the earth movement. I couple these technical skills with soft skills like listening, asking questions, problem solving, and strategic thinking. Based on my background, I support GAI’s natural gas clients on geohazard projects mainly throughout the Appalachia region. With the strength of our team, the geographic region we serve is poised to expand as we grow as a company and continue to help clients throughout the U.S.
Prior to joining GAI earlier this year, I had been working in Philadelphia and was recruited to work in the Pittsburgh region in 2008 during the Marcellus Shale boom. Geotechnical engineers were in high demand at the time because pipelines, well pads, and access road assets were being constructed in landslide-prone terrain. These assets are critical to our energy infrastructure, and stabilizing the ground beneath these assets became just as critical. I am intrigued with how every landslide is different, and I am fascinated by how many ways there are to solve geohazard problems.
I have the opportunity to work with different groups of people, understand their challenges, and support them by helping to solve their problems.
Q: What do you like most about your job and why do you feel GAI is a good place to put your skills to work?
Corey: I like that my job at GAI does not feel like a job, it feels more like helping people—both internal clients and external clients. I have the opportunity to work with different groups of people, understand their challenges, and support them by helping to solve their problems. And while I’m a member of the company’s Geotechnical group, I enjoy that GAI is a multidiscipline company—so when a non-geotechnical problem arises, it’s likely that some group in the company can take part to help the client.
The company motto, “Transforming Ideas Into Reality,” really speaks to me because I often come up with outside-the-box ideas. GAI team members do a good job at listening to, vetting, and supporting ideas that can help clients save time and money. This is the sweet spot for consulting: when a client believes that you are truly listening to their story and helping them find creative ways to solve their problems within their budget. It is a fantastic reality to meet or exceed client expectations in this way.
Q: What does your typical day look like?
Corey: I am laser-focused on helping to grow GAI’s Geotechnical group. I do this by executing projects, helping support client satisfaction, and meeting with new clients to generate new work. So, at any point in the day, I put myself in the position to do these things. Last week, I was walking a transmission line right-of-way to detect geohazards in order to identify potential conditions that may lead to the client experiencing construction overruns. This week, I’m meeting with a client to discuss which landslide stabilization options may better protect their building and allow them to sell the property within the next 10 years. Next week, I’m going to provide a peer review of another company’s design as a form of quality control for the contractor that will be installing the design. And next month, I’m attending a conference to present about all of the good things we are doing here at GAI to help our existing clients. So, whether I’m wearing dress shoes or muddy boots, I am right where I am supposed to be.
Q: How do you measure your success?
Corey: This is a great question because success and positive energy tend to build more of the same. Since I came to GAI and began working with our great people, I’ve been seeing a lot of emails and texts from clients expressing their thanks and appreciation. When a client goes out of their way to say ‘thank you’, it’s a great indicator that you are doing the right thing. It’s positive feedback. It’s positive momentum. Success as a company is earning repeat, long-term customers—and by that measure, receiving this type of feedback on a regular basis is an indicator of success.
Q: Tell us something about yourself that people may not know or will be surprised to hear.
Corey: I was a high school football running back. During my senior year, I tore my ACL as I zigged when I should have zagged. I got all patched up, but I didn’t continue with football when I went to college. However, something even better came my way: I continued on with competitive sports as a Division 1 college cheerleader at Penn State University. As it turned out, the best part of the experience was how much time I was able to spend with my cheerleading partner—we spent so much time learning about each other and building a friendship that we eventually started dating, and now I call her my life partner as my wife!
Q: How do you feel that the job you do at GAI benefits the community and the world?
Corey: Geohazards can impact infrastructure and public safety. As a geotechnical engineer at GAI, I spend a lot of time dealing with gas pipelines, roadways, and other sorts of infrastructure that keep the world moving and energy flowing. For example, one past project I worked on involved stabilizing a landslide that was impacting a large-diameter gas pipeline that supplied gas to a population of more than 10 million people. That project required a combined team effort, and we successfully kept the gas flowing. For projects and situations like these, I’m thankful to be able to contribute by supporting construction, stability, and longevity of important assets.
Find out more about GAI’s Geotechnical Engineering services—message GAI online and start the conversation about how our multidiscipline professionals can meet your unique project needs.
Corey Mislinski, PE specializes in geotechnical engineering projects for GAI’s Power Engineering Group. Corey is experienced in the investigation, design, and construction of geostructures in the energy, transportation, industrial, commercial, and residential industries; his passion is helping clients develop pragmatic and innovative solutions toward achieving their goals. He is skilled in general civil engineering, deep foundations, slope stability, value engineering, and constructability assessments, and adept in geohazard investigation, mitigation design, construction, and project management.
