Travis Isaacson, P.E. has been with The Rios Group for 4 years. He started in the SUE/UC (Subsurface Utility Engineering/Utility Coordination) field as a Utility Coordinator on the State Highway 130 toll road project in Austin in 2002, and today, he serves as our Central Texas Area Manager, managing our Austin & San Antonio teams. Not only is he a valuable leader at The Rios Group, but he is also the current President of the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) Austin Branch and has an avid presence in the community. We sat down with Travis and asked him some questions about himself and his experience working for The Rios Group.
We started by asking Mr. Isaacson what he enjoys most about leading our Central Texas team. He said, “The challenge of putting our resources (field crews, project managers, CAD staff) in the right places to get the work done and meet the needs of our clients.” His favorite projects to work on are TxDOT highway projects. Travis mentioned, “Identifying utilities and mitigating utility impacts is such an important component to TxDOT roadway jobs, that it makes it challenging and exciting to be a part of them from start to finish.”
What excites him most about being an engineer is building the civil infrastructure that makes the world work, like our roads, transit systems, water systems, and buildings. When he is not at the office, he enjoys being with his three young kids, running, playing soccer, reading and home improvement projects.
We asked Travis if he could describe The Rios Group in one word and he replied, “Excellence”. He enjoys working for a small company that is successful, growing, and constantly providing great opportunities. Mr. Isaacson told us that The Rios Group is unique because of the family atmosphere and because of our great owner, Rosa Navejar. He mentioned that the office culture, in his main office in Austin, is hard working and goal driven but they also like to have fun and joke around.
Since Travis is involved in several organizations including being the current President of the ASCE Austin Branch, we asked him about the value he gains from his involvement in these organizations. He stated, “ASCE has had a very positive impact on my career. Professional organizations like ASCE are a great place to network with fellow engineers, build leadership skills, and they provide a way for engineers to volunteer in the community and teach others about our profession.” We also asked Mr. Isaacson if he had any advice for someone just starting in the SUE/UC field. He said, “Make sure you get out in the field and see how SUE work is done (designating & vacuum excavation) and see how utility systems are built.”
At The Rios Group we offer expert Subsurface Utility Engineering and Utility Coordination services. We identify potential issues and bring awareness to them so that there are no delays or hefty unplanned costs added to our client’s projects. If you are interested in learning more about working for The Rios Group or would like to join our team, contact careers@rios-group.com. Check our LinkedIn page for open positions.
