GeoHeroes - Matt Moler

GeoHeroes - Matt Moler

About This Episode
In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Matt Moler, PE, Vice President and a Region Director for S&ME and former GBA president. Matt shares his unexpected journey from golf course superintendent aspirations to geotechnical leadership, revealing how early construction work with his father shaped his approach to efficiency and strategic thinking. Discover his philosophy on team dynamics, the irreplaceable value of client relationships, and why he hand-delivered reports to build trust. Matt offers candid insights on industry evolution, the role of technology, and his optimistic vision for geoprofessionals. This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking authentic leadership wisdom and career guidance rooted in genuine passion and human connection.

About Our Guest
Matt Moler, PE, is a husband, father of three, a Professional Engineer, and a Regional Director for S&ME. He currently lives in Greensboro, NC. With engineering licenses in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia, it has allowed Matt to work on projects all over the place, and he loves the variety. Specifically, Matt's experience has been in geotechnical site investigations, construction materials testing services, Special Inspections, and forensic engineering. When he has time, he loves to mountain bike and other outdoor activities with family and friends (fishing, hiking, and camping).

Our Host
Guy Marcozzi, PE, D.GE, LEED AP BD+C, is a GBA past-president and an experienced CEO, President and Board Member with a demonstrated history of working in the engineering, science and data technology industries and in leadership for various boards of ESOP, non-profit, professional and business organizations.

Show Notes

Introduction

• Matt Moler, Regional Director of Operations at S&ME
• Covers offices in North Carolina and Florida
• Former GBA President (just completed past-president term)
• Based in Greensboro, North Carolina

Early Life and Education

• Grew up in Charlestown, West Virginia (Jefferson County) Moved there at age 2
• Above-average student; math and science came easier
• High school class of ~350-400 students
• Worked various jobs: father's construction business, CVS, golf course maintenance
• Father was residential contractor - taught efficiency and thinking ahead
• Originally planned to study agronomy/horticulture to become golf course superintendent
• Changed to engineering after realizing golf course work meant weekends with little time off

College Experience

• Attended West Virginia University for undergraduate civil engineering
• Went to Virginia Tech for master's in geotechnical engineering
• Worked with industry legends: Mike Duncan, Dr. Brandon, Dr. Phils, Jim Mitchell
• Thesis on water-filled tubes for flood mitigation with large-scale testing
• Completed oral defense (described as "one of the more stressful events")

Career Path

• Met wife Jamie in grad school, married within a year
• Started at S&ME same day Jamie started her master's program in Greensboro
• Been with S&ME for 23 years
• Early "positive derailment": placed on construction materials testing project for 3 years
• Learned from coworkers, design teams, and contractors
• Gained insight into consulting relationships and field implementation challenges
• Progressed incrementally: individual contributor → small group manager → regional roles → service line leader → current position

Key Early Lesson

• Initially excited about delivering reports as the main value
• Started hand-delivering reports and explaining findings to clients
• Realized relationships and personal connections were the real value

Leadership

• Philosophy: Don't give quick answers - encourage inquisitiveness
• Ask team members to bring problems AND potential solutions
• Believes in breaking out of "status quo" thinking
• Emphasizes clearly articulating vision and goals for teams
• Focus on finding the right people ("the who's") rather than trying to solve everything alone
• Values face-to-face client interactions and relationship building

Team Philosophy

• "The power of a team is so much stronger than anything I can bring to the table"
• Teams function best when aligned with clear understanding of roles
• Synergy creates efficiency that surpasses individual capabilities

The Geoprofessional Landscape

What Hasn't Changed (23 years in industry)

• Core interpersonal skills remain essential
• Human-to-human client interaction irreplaceable
• Trust and relationship building still fundamental

What Has Changed

• Better use of technology (CPT, geophysical tools)
• Improved data handling and management
• Evolution from paper reports → scanned PDFs → digital data systems
• Better subsurface condition understanding through data

Future Vision

• Data sharing between firms (like other countries)
• Leveraging AI and big data to make professionals better, not replace them
• Enhanced role in data interpretation vs. just collection
• Maintaining human connections while using better tools
• Focus on providing value: time savings, cost reduction, resilience

Life Advice

For New Professionals

• Align passion with career - don't just chase money
• Find work that energizes you and makes you excited to start each day
• Get involved in professional associations (especially GBA)
• Look for committee work and leadership opportunities

Professional Development

• Association involvement provides broader industry perspective
• Prevents "myopic" view from working at single firm
• Relationships and learning often outweigh what you contribute
• GBA experience: "get two, three, sometimes tenfold back"

Mentorship Approach

• Encourage fresh thinking over providing quick answers
• Be open to adapting yourself, not just expecting others to adapt
• Listen and be receptive to new ideas
• Help break people out of "this is how we've always done it" mindset

Speed Round

• Favorite Book: How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, Unbroken" by Laura Hildebrand
• Optimism index: 5/5, Natural optimist in life and work
• Biggest Impact: Recognizing team power over individual capability
• What he'd change: Be more present in the moment instead of always thinking ahead
• Advice for young professionals: Find your passion and align it with career, fulfillment comes from genuine interest, not just financial rewards

Final Thoughts

• Encourages association involvement for anyone not currently engaged
• Look for engagement outside normal day-to-day work

Calls-to-action:

• Visit the GBA Website at https://www.geoprofessional.org for other training resources and reference materials and/or to become a member.
• Visit https://www.gbapodcast.com for future podcast episodes
• Contact us at info@geoprofessional.org with any podcast-related questions or comments

Subscribe

• Subscribe to the GBA Podcast https://www.gbapodcast.com/subscribe

This episode was produced by the following GBA Members:

• Ryan White, PE, GE – Principal Geotechnical Engineer/Apex