Jeff was the son of a general contractor, working for his dad from the age of eight through leaving for college.
Jeff loved science, learning about orderliness of the universe, astronomy and the space program (he grew up west of Kennedy Space Center). When he realized that he had the grades and a resume that could potentially get him to the Air Force Academy - and potentially an Astronaut he was all in.
After two years he transferred to the University of Florida and earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering - a logical extension of his construction upbringing. He initially did engineering aligned with what he was familiar: supporting residential and commercial construction. After a couple of years he was lured into the software side of the industry. His career as a Professional Civil Engineer has been split into engineering design and civil engineering software support. Influenced by his father's life, he ran his own civil engineering software consulting business, publish training manuals, training engineers and leading software engineering implementations at corporate and municipal and state agency levels. After spending over a decade developing training with software vendor, his is currently works on infrastructure megaprojects for Parsons Corporation.
When growing up with entrepreneurial parents, you are constantly exposed to their mindset:
- what's the value proposition?
- how do you present it?
- how do you differentiate your extra value?
- how do you anticipate and get around obstacles?
Driving around Orlando, he's always pointing out homes, office parks, and subdivisions his dad built, and when he passes some highway bridge or ramp he designed he can't help but point that out. Grandpa built things, Dad designed things. It's inevitable that I will be things as well. So far a trebuchet and a pedestrian bridge. But it's a solid start.
He also harps on me that a career is about two things: subject matter expertise and the ability to communicate it. He likes to set up websites and have me help manage them. See mine: DashMartin.me
He's also very funny. Not nearly as funny as he thinks he is. Quick-witted, but not as quick as he thinks. I have taken his sense of humor and bettered it.
He's always talking about the inherent value of kindness.