GeoHeroes - Steve Wendland

GeoHeroes - Steve Wendland

About This Episode
In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Steve Wendland, PE, PG, BC.GE of Bedrock GeoConsult about his journey from dirt-eating toddler to geotechnical expert perfectly embodies the phrase "you are what you eat." Raised in a blue-collar Kansas City family, Steve transformed childhood fascination with soil into a 40-year engineering career spanning international power projects across the world. After navigating corporate management roles at Black & Veatch and Kleinfelder—and discovering they weren't his calling—Steve found success as a self-employed consultant specializing in legal claims and contractor services. He shares candid insights about industry commoditization, the critical importance of communication skills, and why the technical career path offers a rewarding alternative to traditional management tracks for geoprofessionals.

About Our Guest
Steve Wendland, PE, PG, BC.GE, started Bedrock GeoConsult in 2022 to provide expert geotechnical engineering and engineering geology consulting services in the central USA. He helps contractors, owners, legal counsel, and design teams overcome concerns with geotechnical aspects of their projects by providing third-party peer reviews, independent guidance, construction engineering support services, and expert evaluations. He also conducts geotechnical forensic analyses of structures that have been impacted by expansive clay, soft foundation bearing materials, groundwater, or poor construction. These forensic analyses include a variety of failed retaining walls, cut slopes, embankments, foundations, and floor slabs. Previously, he was the national Director of Geotechnical Engineering for Kleinfelder.

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

• Steve Wendland, geotechnical engineer and owner of Bedrock GeoConsult
• Self-employed for 3 years, providing geotechnical services to general contractors
• Expert geotechnical work for legal claims
• Lives in Kansas City with wife Molly (married 35 years), two daughters, grandchildren

Early Life and Education

• Grew up in blue-collar Kansas City suburb, youngest of four children
• Parents were Depression-era children who emphasized hard work and self-reliance
• Father: factory worker whose education ended at age 10 due to Depression
• Mother: school lunch lady at public schools Steve attended
• Early interests: Lego building, creating cities in backyard "dirt pile" (later learned it was loess soil)
• First job: Age 14 in school cafeteria, working before school started daily
• High school: Worked 3 years at Dairy Queen, played baseball and basketball
• College guidance: Math teacher told him "you're going to be an engineer" and attend University of Missouri at Rolla
• Bachelor's degree: Geological engineering, University of Missouri at Rolla (1986)
• Master's degree: Civil/geotechnical engineering, University of Texas at Austin
• Key college decision: Joined Sigma Chi fraternity (calls it "one of the best decisions I ever made")

Career Path

• Black & Veatch (11 years): Power division, geotechnical work for power plants and transmission lines
  • Extensive international travel (Thailand, Guatemala, Argentina, Turkey, Pakistan, Taiwan)
  • Promoted to management in 1996 (found it stressful and unsuitable)
• Geosystems Engineering (1999-2002): Engineering manager, became partner
  • First exposure to ASFE/GBA
  • Sold firm to Kleinfelder in 2002
• Kleinfelder (2002-2006): Area manager for Kansas City operations (60 employees)
  • Left due to management stress and dislike of operational responsibilities
• Small local firm (2006-2011): Opened Kansas City office, worked through Great Recession
• Kleinfelder return (2011-2021): Technical roles only
  • Retaining wall practice leader (nationwide position)
  • National geotechnical director (overseeing 220 engineers)
• Self-employed (2021-present): Bedrock GeoConsult

Leadership

• Management philosophy: Discovered management roles didn't suit his temperament
• Key insight: Technical career path is viable alternative to management track
• Relationship building: Defended general contractor at meeting, leading to 20-year client relationship with JE Dunn Construction
• Golden rule approach: Treat everyone well regardless of hierarchy position
• Expertise development: Made himself indispensable by becoming technical expert in areas firms needed

The Geoprofessional Landscape

Changes Over Career:

• Computerized drafting and word processing eliminated many drafters and typists
• Internet, email, and global telecommunications revolutionized field communication
• Firm consolidation - many great geotechnical firms from 30 years ago no longer exist

Constants That Remain:

• Shear strength and effective stress fundamentals
• Importance of treating people well (Golden Rule)
• Critical need for strong communication skills

Future Opportunities:

• Ground improvement technologies to reduce expensive deep foundation needs
• General contractors hiring more engineers in-house
• Transition from paper drawings to augmented/virtual reality for project visualization

Industry Concerns:

• Continued commoditization and poor quality work damaging profession
• Contractors don't trust geotechnical information (especially groundwater predictions)
• Geotechnical engineers often not considered part of design team after report completion

Life Advice

Communication Skills (Highest priority):

• Take formal training (Dale Carnegie courses)
• Practice through presentations to professional societies
• Both oral and written communication require deliberate development

Career Development:

• Make yourself a technical expert in areas your firm needs
• Don't assume management is the only path to success
• Consider self-employment earlier if you have technical expertise

Professional Growth:

• Learn from mistakes rather than avoiding them
• Seek mentoring opportunities and provide mentoring to others
• Stay engaged with design teams throughout project lifecycle

Speed Round

• Favorite Book: Hyperion by Dan Simmons; Bible
• Optimism index: 3 out of 5
• Proudest accomplishments:
  • Mentoring younger engineers who still use lessons years later
  • Technical guidance that continues to benefit former colleagues
• What he'd change:
  • Become self-employed sooner (considered it in 2010, should have done it by 2016)
  • Lesson learned: Good technical work creates opportunities even without aggressive business development
• Advice for young professionals:
  • Focus on communication skills development
  • Build technical expertise proactively
  • Trust that opportunities will emerge for prepared professionals

Final Thoughts

• Learning from mistakes: Essential in risky geotechnical work
• Importance of quality: Poor work continues to damage entire industry reputation
• Value of persistence: Bosses who chose to teach rather than fire after mistakes
• GBA connection: Became involved through Joel Carson when Kleinfelder needed representation after Carson became GBA executive director

Key Takeaway:

Technical excellence combined with strong communication skills provides foundation for successful geotechnical career, whether in management or technical track.

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

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• 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