For over six years, Garrett has been a key part of the Intercity Transit project team. We sat down with him to reflect on his journey so far, the lessons learned, and what it’s meant to help reshape a regional transit hub.
You’ve been involved with the Intercity Transit project for six years. Can you walk us through your journey and how your role has evolved?
When I joined the project, I was fresh out of college and honestly didn’t know what I was doing yet.
I jumped right in at the early design stages and worked on a lot of the steel framing design and slowly grew into the role. One of the most important parts of that experience was the mentorship I received—especially from Jeremiah Bowles (now Principal). He didn’t just do things for me. He gave me space to learn and figure things out. About three years ago, I stepped into more of a project management role, and it’s been really rewarding to grow alongside the project.
Being there from the start helped me build really strong relationships with the design team. That continuity means that we now work from a place of mutual trust and collaboration, which makes everything smoother—especially in the field. The Administration and Operations building required even more coordination due to the extensive operational and equipment needs. I had the opportunity to work closely with the equipment team, and the owner’s input played a significant role in shaping the final design.
What have been some of the most rewarding or challenging aspects of Construction Administration on this project?
The most rewarding part was definitely being on-site for the first time, which was the first time seeing something I had helped design actually being built. As a younger engineer, that was huge. It made all the work feel real.
On the other hand, one of the challenges early on was understanding how to handle RFIs. I used to think every RFI was a big deal, like something must’ve gone wrong. I would treat it like a crisis when a lot of times, it was just a clarification. I’ve learned to ask the right questions and lean on the support around me.
What advice would you give to younger engineers about field coordination and follow-through?
Ask more questions, even the ones that feel dumb. I used to hold back from asking things like, “what does this piece of equipment actually do?”, because I didn’t want to seem inexperienced. But nine times out of ten, asking that question saves time and leads to better decisions. Just ask. It’s how you learn.
It was really rewarding to explain the structural choices to the people who would actually use the building—and to see them get excited about it. That moment really stuck with me.
Looking back, what are you most proud of in your contribution to the Intercity Transit project?
During the ribbon cutting for the administration and operations building, I got to give tours of the space to people from Olympia City Council, Intercity Transit staff, and future users. They were asking questions like, “Why is that brace so big?” and “What does this do?” It was really rewarding to explain the structural choices to the people who would actually use the building—and to see them get excited about it. That moment really stuck with me.
What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m working on a renovation of the existing maintenance building, including future-proofing it for hydrogen fueling. We’re nearly done with the concrete work—equipment pits are poured, and we’re finishing up the slab-on-grade pours this week and next. The hydrogen systems aren’t being installed just yet, but we’re making sure the building is ready for them when the time comes.
