We would like to wish the following employees Happy Anniversary!  Thank you for your continued years of service!

Please join us in congratulating our newest Associates!

Wood Rodgers, Inc. is thrilled and proud to announce the promotion of Derek Kirkland to Partner and Principal Planner in our Reno Office. Derek has over 20 years of combined experience in land development and transportation planning. His unique set of qualifications have developed through his work on a broad range of projects including community master plan projects, residential and commercial site planning and design, land use analysis, parks master plans, city and region wide master plans, bike trail design, as well as leading multi-modal transportation corridor studies, and transportation grant writing and management. In his 11 years at Wood Rodgers, he has helped develop our Transportation Planning Services in Nevada and Northern California and leads the planning efforts for planning projects in Nevada’s rural counties.

Q&A with Derek Kirkland, AICP | Principal Planner

Who are your inspirations?

I’ve had a lot of great inspirations throughout my career. My parents inspired me to go to school, what work ethic looks like, and what values mean. My wife, Jessica, gave me inspiration to finish school and pursue my career in planning. She has always believed in me even when I was unsure. I have been fortunate to have worked with and learned from some of the best and have had a lot of mentors along the way. Many of these inspirations are still associates, partners, and clients here at Wood Rodgers today or were here in the past. Someone who was a part of the development community here in northern Nevada for a long time who had a notable impact on my career who recently passed away is Karl Matzoll. Karl gave me my first start as a civil engineering intern at Barker Homes when I was 17. He was a mentor, a friend, and someone who gave me a lot of inspiration throughout my career. He gave me a lot of great advice about life, and always taught me to believe in myself and work hard. A major inspiration for me who I have worked with from day one, gave me the foundation for my career and advice that guided me to where I am today is Todd Gammill.

How have you grown in your career since starting at Wood Rodgers?

I started my career at Wood Rodgers when they acquired Matrix Engineering in 2005. I quickly learned what planning was at Wood Rodgers (the fun group, although survey gave us a run for our money!) and learned from a few Planning legends while I finished my degree to become an official planner. The experience I got in my first 4 years at the Wood helped propel my planning career. After spending some time on the public side during the Great Recession, which my experience at Wood Rodgers helped me with tremendously (Wood Rodgers was still a client during this time), I knew it was time to return to the Wood. Back now for almost 8 years and learning again from the best I have expanded my experience to working on both Nevada and California projects and have grown from a staff planner, to senior planner/Associate, to now Principal Planner. I am grateful for the numerous opportunities Wood Rodgers has provided to me since 2005 having helped build my career along the way.

What have been your toughest challenges in your career?

The toughest challenge in my career was the Great Recession. Not knowing what was ahead after just one year out of college, and having to start all over. That challenge turned out to be a positive as it took me out of my comfort zone and forced me to learn new things, become a more well-rounded planner, and led to a lot of new relationships both personal and professional.

What are your future goals?

I want to continue the Wood Rodgers legacy of a great place to work. I have really enjoyed the 11+ years working here and hope to give others that same experience. I want to continue to work for great clients and be part of projects that help transform communities.

What kind of advice would you give to others following in your footsteps?

Be a good person, treat all people with kindness and respect. Listen, be a sponge and absorb as much information from those around you. Work hard and make a difference, you get out what you put in, and don’t be afraid to step up or make a mistake as both will improve your career. Most importantly, believe in yourself and drink lots of Bud Light!

Groundbreaking Ceremony for Post-acute Facility in Elk Grove, CA

Wood Rodgers Vice President, Matt Spokely and Project Engineer, Adam Fischlin, both attended the groundbreaking ceremony for this Elk Grove post-acute facility a few weeks ago.

Wood Rodgers, Inc. attended the groundbreaking ceremony on November 14^th for this exciting project! We provided the professional civil engineering, landscape architecture, and surveying services for this $28M, 15-acre property located east of Lotz Parkway, and north of Whitelock Parkway in Elk Grove. This 59,000-sf facility will serve as a 60-bed post-acute transitional care facility for patients who require continued, short-term, care for recovery. Scope of services included design development drawings, support of project entitlements, construction drawings, and mapping.

Topography surveys included boundary conditions and tie-ins to existing improvements and provided entitlement application preparation support as well as processing support through the City of Elk Grove Development Services Department. Mapping included the preparation and processing of the project final parcel map and required easement dedications concurrent with the civil construction drawings.

Landscape architectural services included the submittal of entitlements, creation of design development package, and coordination with other disciplines with regards to site design, landscape features, and overall project design goals. Our team also reviewed project schedules, programmatic design requirements, City of Elk Grove landscape and irrigation ordinances, and design recommendations by the client and architect. Wood Rodgers prepared plans that were used to define the character and essentials of the project including selection of materials to solicit Planning project conditions of approval. These plans were also used to facilitate landscape pricing and serve as a technical design guideline for working drawings and coordination between project design and planning team members. Minor landscape design modifications were provided as necessary for permit approvals. Also included, was the preparation and processing of landscape and irrigation plans.

In addition, Wood Rodgers also prepared a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan based on the requirements of the State Water Resources Control Board.

Construction is scheduled to begin in April 2023 to June 2024 and can’t wait to see this project fully constructed!

Wood Rodgers is excited for our 2023 ACEC Commendation Award for one of our exciting projects!

The Town of Paradise Storm Drainage Master Plan (SDMP) provides the Town with a valuable resource that is facilitating post-fire rebuilding efforts that will reduce future flood damages while improving resilience to other disasters. Our team completed the SDMP within tight schedule and budget constraints and the Town put the work products to immediate use while the SDMP was still being developed. Key work products include a detailed drainage system base map that required an extensive data collection effort, a drainage system model that provides flow rates and flood depths throughout the Town, a tool that quickly identifies potential flooding issues on parcels, recommendations for projects to address the most significant existing drainage issues, and information to support a detailed drainage system design for planned transportation projects.

The successful completion of the SDMP was the result of the creative application of advanced technologies and close collaboration between the Town and our team. Development of the SDMP required efficient coordination between our internal team, our subconsultant, and the Town. Town staff’s rapid responses to requests for information led to the quick resolutions of questions related to the drainage system configuration. The team quickly responded to requests from the Town which facilitated beneficial solutions to drainage issues associated with roadway improvements that other consultants were planning in parallel with the development of the Storm Drainage Master Plan. Our team also provided timely information that promoted rebuilding structures that would be less likely to flood. Creative applications of technology included direct integration of field data collection into the Plan’s Geographic Information System (GIS), efficient resolution of complex flood modeling issues, effective presentation of Plan results, and efficient development of capital improvement recommendations. The final work products met and exceeded the Town’s expectations for the Storm Drainage Master Plan.

Wood Rodgers is Excited to Announce our move from San Dimas to Orange County!

Our new office has many upgraded amenities and additional office space to better serve our clients and accommodate our growing staff. Centrally located in downtown Orange near local business establishments, our new office provides our staff the opportunity to support and enjoy the local community. With the additional of space, Wood Rodgers can further expand our professional service offerings throughout the southern California region.

Wood Rodgers first established an office in southern California in 2015. As staff grew and the demand for our hydrogeology, water resources, and water supply services grew, we expanded our presence into San Diego. With our steady and continued growth, Wood Rodgers required more space for our team members, and we are thrilled to have this new office in Orange to call home!

Come visit us at the new location at 606 E. Chapman Ave, Suite 200, Orange, CA 92866 or contact us!

We would love to give you a personal tour!

Teambuilding at its BEST!

There is never a dull moment at Wood Rodgers, Inc.!

On Friday, October 14^th, Wood Rodgers closed our offices down so that all employees could enjoy a day of fun, bonding, and laughter. Employees traveled from all our office regions in San Diego, San Dimas, Oakland, Pleasanton, Roseville, Reno, and Nevada to our corporate location in Sacramento, CA for a full day of team-building events and competition.

Teams were formed and a stipend provided to each team to purchase all the necessary items each team needed for their props for creative and unique introductions as each team marched onto the field to intimidate and rattle the opposing teams. Each team carefully planned their introductions and performances, along with designing custom t-shirt with logos that best represented the teams. Collaboration and planning began months before the event to plan the best introductions and approach in crushing the competition.

At the end of the day, a team was crowned winners as well as acknowledgements for teams that had the best introduction performances! This makes for great smack-talking and friendly chastising for the rest of the year!

Surprises!

In addition to a fun event, Wood Rodgers presented Co-founder and CEO, Mark Rodgers, with a custom golf cart in recognition of his past and continued service to our firm. He is truly one of the most admirable CEO’s that Wood Rodgers could ask for and so appreciative of everything he has created and work so hard to sustain.

“One of Mark Rodger’s most endearing qualities is his humility. While many other CEOs have experienced success and growth, Mark has done so while being the same humble, approachable individual working from a Sacramento home in 1997. This humility brings out the best in Wood Rodgers’ employees and inspires the work we do. Moreover, it sets a tone for the culture that permeates everything that is Wood Rodgers,” stated Bryan Gant, Principal.

Planning it all…

This could not have happened without the hard work of Amber Harmon, Kevin O’Hagan, and Derah Anderson our AMAZING Facilities Management Team in the planning and coordination of this great event!  This would not have happened without our awesome Facilities Management Crew that includes Kevin O’Hagan, Beau Katolin, Buck Mercer, Stephanie Taylor, Sara Valdez, and Trey Powell. Thank you and all employees in making this one of the most memorable events for our 25^th anniversary this year!

“I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate 25 years in business and our amazing Founder with a fun day at Mark-a-Palooza!  Seeing the talents and creativity of our people competing in a variety of events and crowning an overall winner was pretty cool. I’m already looking forward to the next time we can bring the entire company together for more fun and games,” as stated by Mark Rayback, President.

Cold Stream Roundabout Project Constructed

This project is located at the intersection of I-80/Donner Pass Road and Cold Stream Road. The existing stop-controlled intersection consisted of short on- and off- hook ramps intersecting with Donner Pass Road and Cold Stream Road that would no longer be able to accommodate traffic through the intersection for the planned housing development on Cold Stream Road.

A traffic analysis and Intersection Control Evaluation was performed, and it was determined that a roundabout would provide the best solution to accommodate the anticipated traffic demands.

During the planning and designing phases of the project, Wood Rodgers, Inc. took careful consideration for the challenges that came from the site terrain, including environmentally sensitive areas and Donner Creek immediately adjacent to the intersection. Additional considerations included the need for the roundabout design to allow for the ability to operate in snow conditions and allow for easy snow removal.

Wood Rodgers was able to provide professional engineering services that was necessary for the preparation of Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) this project. Wood Rodgers provided the design of underground utilities for existing overhead utilities, roadway drainage design and stormwater quality support, geotechnical field exploration and studies, PS&E design for the roundabout, development of a full standard roundabout meeting Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) design guide and standards, permitting, and bid and construction support. The project also included Caltrans coordination, Town of Truckee coordination, encroachment permitting, and Permit Engineering Evaluation Report (PEER) process.

Wood Rodgers STEAM Team organized the Gaining STEAM Event that included a week-long activity to raise money for local charities. Employees from all offices participated by logging the number of miles they walked, ran, and biked. Here are the results of the event!

Companywide Total = 1,491.31 miles

Companywide Donated = $13,000

Below are the individual stats by offices and amount raised for the local charities in their regions.

Sacramento Office | $5,000 Raised

Total Miles = 485.17 miles

Ave. Miles/Person = 18.0 miles

Top Ranking Participants | Caitlin McHugh (120.54 mi.) + Brian Geiszler (67.75 mi.) + Hanalei Pruter (27.85 mi.)

Reno Office | $2,500 Raised

Total Miles = 450.58 miles

Ave. Miles/Person = 25.0 miles

Top Ranking Participants | Steven Barrow (107.47 mi.) + Greg Sanders (60.15 mi.) + Dean Schultz (57.17 mi.) + Shawnee Dunagan (50.12 mi)

San Diego Office | $1,500 Raised

Total Miles = 299.77 miles

Ave. Miles/Person = 30.0 miles

Top Ranking Participants | Karl Meier (60.02 mi.) + Alia Meier (59.3 mi.) + Andrew Thies (47.81 mi.)

Oakland + Pleasanton (Bay Area) Offices | $700 Raised

Total Miles = 133.2 miles

Ave. Miles/Person = 8.9 miles

Top Ranking Participants | Kevin Qualiardi (22.0 mi.) + Jeremiah McMahon (15.0 mi.) + Miranda Young (12.6 mi.)

Las Vegas Office | $500 Raised

Total Miles = 95.72 miles

Ave. Miles/Person = 31.9 miles

Top Ranking Participants | Lorenzo Sanchez (65.9 mi.) + Scott Rickert (23.03 mi.) + Jesse Patchett (6.78 mi.)

Roseville Office | $2,300 Raised

Total Miles = 15.44 miles

Ave. Miles/Person = 15.4 miles

Top Ranking Participant | Jason Reed (15.4 mi.)

San Dimas Office | $500 Raised

Total Miles = 11.4 miles

Ave. Miles/Person = 5.7 miles

Top Ranking Participant | Josh Sobolew (10.93 mi.)

We want to thank all participants and further congratulate our overall winner that logged the most miles, Caitlin McHugh with 120.54 miles!

Wood Rodgers Donates $5,000 to Blessings in a Backpack

Wood Rodgers’ community action program, the STEAM Team, provides an opportunity for employees involvement in local organizations that encourage STEAM-related programs that support student education with a focus in the science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.

How EVERYONE Benefits!

Combining two events into one, Wood Rodgers is not only able to provide extra cash for employees, but the community as well!

Wood Rodgers hosts a monthly, cash wheel, spin for all employees who are celebrating their anniversaries. Depending on the number of years you have been with Wood Rodgers, there is also a multiplier. So, the longer you are at Wood Rodgers, the more opportunities to win more cash for the employee!

In addition, throughout the year, Wood Rodgers STEAM Team will select local organizations to match the amount an employee spins on the anniversary cash wheel. This past week, Wood Rodgers STEAM Team selected Blessings in a Backpack – Ranch Cordova.

This local organization was selected so that Wood Rodgers could be a part of an amazing program that helps children who are experiencing food insecurities in the Folsom Cordova Unified School District, San Juan Unified School District, and the Sacramento City Unified School District. The program provides food for the weekend to help supplement the days where they would not be receiving food during the school days.

With less for children to worry about, the better their outcomes can be.

Follow us @woodrodgersinc to learn more about our community action program and the organizations we support.