For many people, the question of what to do with their life is one of the most difficult to answer.
Not for Rock Island District civil engineer Megan Phlamm.
“Both my parents worked for the federal government, and I knew I wanted to work somewhere with opportunities to grow and a place that worked on things I was interested in and passionate about.”
A 2020 graduate of Bradley University, Phlamm began with the District in May 2018 in the Cost and Specifications Division. In 2022, an opportunity opened to move into the Eastern Area Office, and she seized it.
According to Phlamm, this position provides her with a real, hands-on opportunity as the main on-site point of contact during construction. “I coordinate between our team and the contractor,” she said. “My job entails tracking the contractor’s progress in the field, ensuring quality and schedule are being met, and coordinating both technical and administrative requirements to keep the contracts running from start to finish.”
Performing specialized work as a construction project engineer, Phlamm said the most rewarding aspect of her role comes at its conclusion. “When a project is done and going back through the photos from preconstruction and seeing the changes. It’s kind of amazing to see a design go from drawings to real life.”
A native of Moline, Illinois, Phlamm now resides just outside Joliet, Illinois, with her husband and their two dogs. In her downtime, Phlamm enjoys golf, traveling, all things Disney, and baking — sourdoughs and macarons are her specialties! Enjoying these activities is made easier in part by her favorite thing about working for USACE: the “work-life balance.”
Getting life advice from Phlamm boils down to one simple statement: “Be the kind of person who learns fast, helps others, and keeps promises. The rest will follow.”