CIVIL-LINK'S SPOTLIGHT STORIES
March '23 Dual Licensee Spotlight
Dan Cordell, P.E., P.S.
Read this article on the Mississippi Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors website.
The Mississippi Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors would like to shine a spotlight on dual licensee Danny "Dan" Wallace Cordell, P.E, P.S. Dan is a graduate of both Mississippi Delta Community College and Mississippi State University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. As you will see in an article that he penned for our Spring newsletter (set to debut early March 2023), Dan is a huge proponent of utilizing and supporting local resources, community and junior colleges, among them. We were impressed by this and equally so by his commitment to recruiting and growing local talent.
Learn more about Dan and why professional licensure is important to him below.
Q1. Why did you choose engineering or surveying?
"My interest in engineering and surveying was sparked by my strong mathematical aptitude and a natural inclination for disassembling and fixing things. Naturally, many people suggested engineering as a potential career for me. When I started college, I knew I was going into engineering, but I was uncertain which discipline suited me best. It wasn't until I was offered the opportunity to intern for a local civil engineering and surveying company that I realized it was the perfect fit for me. I witnessed the essential interconnection between civil engineers and surveyors and the importance of obtaining both licenses to provide a complete package of services. The individual who offered me that internship, G. Wayne Gardner, PE, PLS, became a vital mentor to me and others. I have always cherished the fact that he signed my P.E. license when he was serving as the President of the Board of Registration. This experience solidified my commitment to pursuing a career in civil engineering and surveying."
Q2. How long have you been licensed in the State of Mississippi, and do you also hold other state licenses?
"I have been a licensed professional engineer in Mississippi since 2000 and a Professional Land Surveyor in Mississippi since 2001. I have also held a Professional Engineering license in Arkansas since 2002."
Q3. What advice would you give to your younger self (HS grad, college grad, etc.)?
"If I could go back and speak to my younger self at various stages of my academic journey, I would offer the following advice: As a high school student, I found the coursework relatively easy, but I failed to develop the time management and discipline skills that I would need later for college-level courses. Therefore, I would urge my high school self to learn and develop these skills, as they are crucial for success in college and beyond. In college, I was so focused on completing the degree and moving on to the next phase of life that I neglected to appreciate the larger picture. Looking back, I realize that college is merely the beginning of a lifelong journey that is your career. Therefore, I would advise my college self to get more involved with the engineering department activities and participate in activities with other engineering students to enhance my understanding of coursework and establish the relationships and networks that would prove invaluable throughout my career."
Q4. What would you say to young people, who might be interested in STEM careers such as engineering or surveying?
"As someone who often engages in conversations with young people interested in STEM careers like engineering or surveying, I share the things that I love about what I do and then I describe the variety of roles that engineers and surveyors play in the construction, consulting, and government sectors. However, the only way to know for sure is to gain firsthand experience, so I suggest finding a company in the sector that interests them and discussing opportunities to shadow or intern. This will allow them to gain valuable insight into the work of engineers and surveyors and determine if it is the right career path for them."
Q5. Tell us about a recent project you worked on that exemplifies why you love being an engineer and / surveyor?
"I recently had the opportunity to work on a project that exemplifies why I love being an engineer and surveyor. It was a new 25-acre Soccer Complex that required planning, surveying, designing, and construction administration across several different sub-disciplines of civil engineering and surveying. What I particularly enjoyed about this project was that it included a little bit of everything, but also the satisfaction of seeing it all come together and the excitement around its completion and use. The project started with a preliminary planning and conceptual phase to determine the best location for the complex while minimizing the environmental impact. We also had to perform a boundary survey and property acquisition services for an additional four acres. A topographic survey was then used to design the site grading and drainage plan for seven soccer fields, a perimeter roadway, a two-acre lake, a raw water supply and irrigation system, site lighting plan, potable water supply, a sanitary sewer main, a 130’ long concrete retaining wall, and two separate parking lots. To estimate undercut areas and construction requirements, geotechnical work was performed. We also installed a hybrid Bermuda grass playing surface with a sand bed layer, irrigated with a grid of raw water supply lines ranging in size from 6” to 12”. A lake was formed as an aesthetic feature for an on-site restaurant dining area and also served as a storage reservoir for the irrigation raw water system. A raw water pump station was designed to draw water out of the lake to supply the spray heads, and a groundwater supply well was installed to replenish the lake level during irrigation. The project was not without challenges, such as watching over multiple trades at the same time, but it was a success, and the Soccer Complex is now in its second year of use. This project was a perfect example of how engineering and surveying can bring together several different sub-disciplines to create a complete package that can benefit the community and be enjoyed by many."
Q6. Why is professional licensure important to you?
"With a primary obligation to protect the safety, health, and welfare of the public, our licensure sets the bar (the standard) and it requires us to continue to learn and improve our knowledge and experience in our specific trade as technology and techniques around us improve so that we stay competent in our work. While college gave us the foundation for us as engineers and surveyors to build upon, it was the practical experience and growth in knowledge of our specific trade that allowed us to become licensed. The licensure requirements push us to continue to grow in experience and knowledge of our specific expertise to stay competent in our work."