![\"Mission](\"https:\/\/missionvalleynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Brady-Group-Photo-CMAA-2018-Award.jpg\")
<\/a>Engineers don\u2019t often get a lot of recognition, he said, which is why having his company be named as Firm of the Year at Construction Management Association of America\u2019s (CMAA) San Diego Chapter\u2019s Annual Awards Banquet on April 18 was such an honor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe award hit us out of the blue because there is a lot of competition; we\u2019re one of about a dozen local firms that could win on an annual basis. The award isn\u2019t related to any specific project, it\u2019s about doing things successfully, on time and on budget, because the city has defined money to spend on these things and no one likes their costs going up,\u201d he said. \u201c[The award is] also a nice validation to have for our clients when we submit proposals. Getting this award is like getting a gold medal sticker on your homework when you were a kid.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 19-year-old firm may not be well known to those outside of the field, but they have been involved with a myriad of well-known projects throughout the county, including the Padre Dam Project.<\/p>\n
One of the most intricate parts of that project, Brady said, involved the construction of a pipeline that needed to go underneath Interstate 8.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the construction manager, we needed to watch the contractor and make sure they\u2019re constructing the project as it\u2019s designed. They have to do it exactly the way they see it and they can\u2019t make changes in the field. They need to have qualified people there who know what they\u2019re looking at,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Yet that\u2019s not to say that managing these types of projects doesn\u2019t come with a certain amount of stress.<\/p>\n
When news of a partial I-8 freeway collapse hit the airways, Brady admits his stomach tightened quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe collapse happened down by Hotel Circle, but when I first heard about it I thought it was our job, Fortunately, it wasn\u2019t,\u201d he said. \u201cIt can be stressful, because this is the last type of thing you want to have happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
People often have a tendency to take the engineering profession for granted, he continued, adding that what they don\u2019t realize is that these men and women, who are lumped in with all the chaos that comes with construction, are the ones who are ensuring projects, including ones that involve reliable water being delivered to your home for the next 50 years, are executed properly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re all silently doing our jobs without a lot of recognition, which is why receiving this award is quite significant,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a validation that we\u2019ve done our job. Engineers don\u2019t often get a lot of credit but I would encourage more people to get into the profession. There is great satisfaction in what you do, even if people don\u2019t appreciate or understand it. Either way, you still know you\u2019ve done something that will last long after you\u2019re alive.\u201d<\/p>\n