CAREER STORY
Gwen
Sanders, P.E.,
Eustis Engineering
First woman to serve as
company president
Engineering
Eustis Sanders,Gwen of courtesy Photo By Jess Campbell
When we talk about equality in the workplace,
Sanders was part of a very active chapter of the American
conversations are often laden with stories
Society of Civil Engineers while in college, and her participation
of challenges overcome and ceilings broken
would prove life changing.
through. Hardly ever do we hear stories where women are
“Every year at the District Conference, there’s usually a
supported and nurtured throughout their careers without bias or
technical event where you can present a research paper,” she
backlash for being a woman in the first place.
said. “I participated in this as a graduate student. Though I didn’t
Those stories are just as important to tell. Women who work
win anything, the chief engineer at Eustis was one of the judges.
in an inclusive environment have the kind of story other women
He was impressed with my presentation and told me to talk to
need to hear in order to keep progressing in their own careers,
him when I graduated. I interviewed with them right before I
knowing that equality is possible.
graduated and decided Eustis was the best fit.”
Gwen Sanders, P.E., the first woman to be president of Eustis
Engineering, a regional Gulf Coast firm headquartered in New
On the presidential track
Orleans, has that kind of story.
Sanders was the only woman engineer when she started in 1993.
But she has never thought about how that could have held her
Engineering her career
back in her career.
Sanders was always drawn to math and science in school; they
“I was just ready to learn things. Bill Gwyn was chief engineer
came easily to her and she enjoyed the meticulousness of the
at the time and my primary mentor. Being a woman was never an
work. In college, Sanders pursued engineering because it seemed
issue as far as advancing within the company. I give him credit for
to be the best fit for what she liked to learn, not yet knowing her
encouraging me to take a leadership role.”
classes would be more meaningful once she was in the workforce.
Other people Sanders credits for her advancement and
“Even when I was in school, civil engineering was so diverse.
eventual presidency are her husband and late parents.
There are a lot of specialties,” she said. “Back then, you took
“I was at Eustis for eight years before I had my son,” she said.
classes in everything for variety and experience. Now, as a
“Working remotely wasn’t common but we managed to figure
geotechnical engineer, it’s good for me to know what a structural
out how I could do some work from home while he was an infant.
engineer needs so that I don’t just give them a pile capacity
Having family help after I went back to work was certainly the
without knowing how they’re going to use that capacity in
other thing that made that doable. You give up a few things, as a
the structure.”
working mom.” www.piledrivers.org PILEDRIVER | 37
/www.piledrivers.org
