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 Dustin Swart. Here at RLG, Dustin is an Associate on the Structural Team.
I grew up in Abilene, where I attended Abilene Christian University for three years. I then transferred and graduated with a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from Auburn University in 2007. I immediately went to work as a practicing engineer. I have been in the profession for more than 14 years
I am a husband to a tremendous wife and also a father of two terrific children, one girl, age 9, and one boy, age 6. I love hanging out with my family, attending my kids’ extra-curricular activities, and coaching youth sports. I am a huge Auburn Tigers fan, so Saturdays in the fall are a big time around my house. I also like to be outside, in particular, I enjoy being on a golf course.
How long have you been at RLG? I came to RLG in the Fall of 2017, so 3+ years.
How did you hear about RLG? Why did you want to work here? In a previous life, I worked with RLG on a number of occasions. Most often working with Stuart Markussen and others in the civil group on various projects for Texas Health Resources.
What is the most challenging project you've worked on during your time here so far? SMU Cox School of Business. The project is a large expansion and renovation to the business school at SMU, which already consisted of 3 existing buildings. The expansion project is set to completely renovate all three existing buildings while also adding 4 new buildings woven tightly between the existing buildings to give the feel that all of the buildings together form a single, unified, much larger building.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned at RLG? You never know where the next job is going to come from. Everyone you deal with could potentially be a client, given the right circumstances.
What’s your favorite thing about working in your Department here?. The people. I have a lot of great people in my group and I have a lot of fun people to work with throughout the structural department.
What's the first thing that you do when you start working every day? Coffee then emails. I try to keep my email inbox as empty as is humanly possible. First thing in the morning I’m trying to take care of everything that may have come up since work was over the day before.
What’s your workspace like? Minimalist? Homey? Neat? Well, my work from home space is the kitchen table. I have to keep that fairly minimal since dinner is held on my ‘desk’ only a short time after work ends.
Do you have a go-to sound or song that you listen to when you need to just start working? Not really. I do sometimes stream The Ticket while I work. If I’m not careful, that can become more of a distraction than a motivator.
If RLG announced a last-minute day off for tomorrow, what would you do with your suddenly free day? I’d be hitting the links.
What would you do if you weren’t working at RLG? I once applied and interviewed for a job designing golf clubs. I still sometimes wonder what my life might look like today if I’d have been offered that job.
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.