RLG has amazing employees in its ranks: from industry influencers, travelers, marathon runners, animal lovers, and community leaders. The Employee Spotlight highlights the talented individuals who work here. Each week, we will be featuring an interview here on the blog and on our social accounts.
For this week’s Employee Spotlight, we spoke with Clayton Nolan. Here at RLG, Clayton is a Project Manager on the Civil Team.
My name is Clayton Nolan, and I was born in Northeast Ohio. I grew up boating on Lake Erie where my parents took the family on trips around the lake, to the islands, and over to Canada a few times. We moved to South Florida for a couple of years, and then came to Texas when I was about 12 years old. I grew up spending much of my time playing sports or being on the lake.
Before moving to Texas, I wasn’t really big on football, but there must have been something in the water of the city I lived in because not long after arriving I was hooked on the sport. I met my wife in college, and she’s the person who got me hooked on a new hobby, traveling abroad. We’ve made a ton of memories traveling and made even more friends from around the globe.
This past summer we were blessed to have a little baby boy, who has become the center of our world, and we wouldn’t trade the extra happiness he has brought to us since his arrival. So, I guess to summarize myself, I’m a guy who loves to watch sports, travel with his family, make new friends, and see as much of what the world has to offer firsthand.
How long have you been at RLG? I will be coming up on 3 years here in January.
How did you hear about RLG? Why did you want to work here? Google Search. I wanted to get more exposure to the commercial development side of the industry, and RLG has a long history doing commercial land development projects around DFW, so it was a win-win.
What is the most challenging project you have worked on during your time here so far? I would say the most challenging project I have worked on while at RLG has been an industrial project in Roanoke. The site involved fitting a (approx.) 560,000 square-feet warehouse onto a site with about 102 feet of fall from one side of the property to the other. It involved coordination with multiple utility providers who had easements we were impacting onsite, the realignment of an existing power line, and having to balance a site that moved hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of dirt.
What is the most important thing you have learned at RLG? Understanding the importance of having a good team within your department, and that I can ask my coworkers anything about their own experiences in order.
What is your favorite thing about working in your Department here? I would say the people, since I can ask anyone a question and they are always willing to help. If one team has a slow day, we are always asking if anyone else needs help.
What is the first thing that you do when you start working every day? Say good morning, and ask how Casey, my EIT is doing.
What is your workspace like? Minimalist? Homey? Neat? After 3 years I still have not hung up any pictures or degrees, so I would say my workspace is basic and neat.
Do you have a go-to sound or song that you listen to when you need to just start working? I would not say a particular song, but when I need to focus, I will start playing Yo-Yo Ma.
If RLG announced a last-minute day off for tomorrow, what would you do with your suddenly free day? Since tomorrow is Friday, I would call my wife and ask her where she wanted to go for a long weekend away from the city.
What would you do if you were not working at RLG? I would probably be working in construction, since I enjoy seeing a project get built, and seeing a set of plans go from being an “idea” on paper to being something you can see and touch.
About RLG Consulting Engineers
Founded in 1953 by Raymond L. Goodson, Jr., RLG Consulting Engineers specializes in civil, structural, surveying and forensic engineering. For more than 65 years, RLG has been recognized as one of the top engineering firms in Texas for their ability to attract and retain a talented, experienced team. Known for thorough and meticulous work, RLG has designed major projects in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and throughout the country. The staff of more than 80 employees, includes professional engineers holding licenses in 47 states, graduate engineers and registered professional land surveyors.