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’ll be featuring an interview here on the blog and on our social accounts.
For this week’s Employee Spotlight, we spoke with Courtney Overton. Here at RLG, Courtney is an Engineer on the Structural Team.
Hi! I’m Courtney, in my spare time I like to plan get-togethers with our friends and family, bake and cook multi-course meals, ride my bike, and go to the pool. I love desserts, my favorite is ice cream and I could honestly eat it forever meal. I enjoy traveling and my three favorite places in the whole world are the Cayman Islands, Boulder, Colorado and Amsterdam, Netherlands.
My husband and I have been married for 4 years and we have a wonderful puppy named Kit who turns 4 years old on Halloween, my favorite holiday ever!
I am a Colorado native that moved to Texas 16 years ago, so I guess I’m Texan now? I went to college at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts where I got my bachelor’s in civil engineering, with a focus on structural and a minor in business.
How long have you been at RLG?
I have been with RLG for six years in October.
How did you hear about RLG? Why did you want to work here?
I found RLG online when I was looking for structural engineering firms in the North Dallas area. I had just graduated from college and wanted to work for a medium-small engineering firm that would see me as a person and provide professional and personal growth for me and my colleagues.
What is the most challenging project you've worked on during your time here so far?
I would say for the most part none of my projects stand out as particularly challenging. It’s mostly juggling dozens of timelines and ensuring all of the projects I work on get out on time. There are a few though that seem to have had a ton of surprises once construction started and those are always a bit more difficult because then you’re working around existing conditions that may be a little odd.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned at RLG?
I would say the two most important skills I’ve learned so far at RLG are confidence and to ask for what I want. I spend quite a bit of time on conference calls and really did not have the confidence to share my opinion, answer or ask questions, or ask if something was a feasible option for our clients when I first started. Now I like to make sure I ask questions and brainstorm options so we can implement the best solution possible.
What’s your favorite thing about working in your Department here?
My favorite thing about our team are the people. Both my coworkers and my clients are genuinely amazing people and I love to learn more about them and their lives.
What's the first thing that you do when you start working every day?
I have a lot of clients across the country, in different time zones, so the first thing I do when I get to work is check my email to determine what, if any, items need immediate action. Then I go through my to do list and number my priorities for the day and star items that need to be sent out that day.
What’s your workspace like? Minimalist? Homey? Neat?
At home I’m set up at our dining room table surrounded by photos of my family so it’s pretty homey. At work my area is pure functional chaos.
Do you have a go-to sound or song that you listen to when you need to just start working?
It varies so widely. I’m talking Darius Rucker to Elton John to Britney Spears and Eminem. I rotate through them all throughout the day depending on what I am doing and feeling.
If RLG announced a last-minute day off for tomorrow, what would you do with your suddenly free day?
Assuming my husband doesn’t have the same day off I would garden, binge watch a criminal or medical drama, and then cook a big meal and dessert for dinner.
What would you do if you weren’t working at RLG?
Maybe a baker, a chef, a lawyer, a nurse-midwife, an event planner, or entrepreneur?
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.