Trenton Marquette, PE

I have been in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry for a little more than five years. Prior to joining Gannett Fleming, I worked as a civil designer, and my work focused on roadway and drainage design on both design-build and design-bid-build projects. At Gannett Fleming, I focus on asset management projects, typically working with transportation agencies and departments.

I was looking for a career change, mainly to step away from the day-to-day design work and mindset of engineering design and was interested in data analytics and consulting. While networking with a Gannett Fleming recruiter, I expressed my interest in areas like advisory services management consulting services. These conversations led me to accept my current role.

I am a business analyst with the Management Consulting Business Line as a part of the Advisory Services Corporate Business Group. I currently focus on two areas: asset management and asset resilience. With asset management, I evaluate and analyze existing data and client goals to develop recommendations and long-term process improvements. With asset resilience, I work with asset, relevant climate, and hazard data and conduct research to develop frameworks for assessing risk.

Gannett Fleming supported me in taking the final step to obtain my PE license. Additionally, the company’s focus on evaluating professional goals and career interests through performance evaluations helps me think about how I want my career to progress. Lastly, Gannett Fleming’s learning network offers opportunities to explore new career skills and interests, allowing me to broaden my asset management expertise and asset management skills.

I am currently supporting a resilience project for Washington, D.C.’s metro system, WMATA, by working on a risk management and assessment framework. The framework will evaluate all types of assets across the organization and their ability to withstand natural and malicious threats, especially against short-term weather-related threats that will be exacerbated by climate change.

My experience with NYC DOT allows me to provide an owner perspective and the ability to understand how outcome-oriented public transportation agencies operate. I gained a diverse range of knowledge about the industry that I leverage to deliver pertinent and practical recommendations. I can talk with clients openly about my recommendations, understanding the implementation processes and the benefits to the organization.

My favorite aspect of asset management is data-driven decision-making – I can see the direct impacts of analytical skills during client discussions. Taking data, finding an answer, and discussing findings is a puzzle with multiple solutions, so there is always something to keep me thinking and developing my consulting and advisory skills.

My work on the resilience framework for WMATA is focused on identifying assets most at risk from natural threats. This project helps our client identify specific areas to focus efforts to maintain existing assets and helps them prevent severe issues in the future.

Be yourself, and you will do well. This advice has impacted my professional life when it comes to interviews and networking. I think it can be easy to project what potential employers want to hear, but I progressed much further by simply explaining who I am and nothing more.

I have experienced the most enrichment from diverse groups in my personal and professional lives. When I was in school, I was fortunate to collaborate with people from different cultures and backgrounds, which gave me new perspectives during conversations and gatherings. I think AEC firms can foster relationships across diverse groups through a variety of informal employee events, both inside and outside the office, so that these relationships can develop organically. I support Gannett Fleming’s drive to maintain diversity as it is the best way of engaging various perspectives to achieve our best results as a firm.

My hobbies include cooking, baking, growing my houseplant collection, and origami. I also enjoy exploring New York City and finding good restaurants. My favorite cuisines to cook include Chinese, Italian, Greek, Korean, and Mexican. My favorite type of origami is modular origami, which involves several pieces that interlock without glue or tape. In recent years, I have made dozens of types of cookies during the holidays to give to family and friends (and bring samples to colleagues!). I enjoy developing my own recipes and experimenting with modifications to my favorite dishes.

My family keeps things calm during the holidays with a meal and games. Since I enjoy cooking more than anyone else in my family, I generally cook a lot. It feels nice to share food since I do so much solo cooking living in New York. I have been fortunate to visit my family in the Seattle area during the holidays most years. It’s a great way to end a year!

I used to practice and teach Tae Kwon Do, and I have a black belt. While I don’t actively practice anymore, my black belt took four years to earn, and I subsequently taught classes for another couple of years until starting college. It was very rewarding passing on the knowledge I had gained and seeing students get excited about improving and learning new things.

I enjoy cooking delicious homemade meals and taking a refreshing walk. I find creating a meal to be a relaxing process, and I get to enjoy my creation at the end!