Emerging Leader Series: Ashlee Adams

Ashlee Adams, Principal Project Manager - Project Services at Toowoomba Regional Council.

We’re pleased to introduce our latest Emerging Leader, Ashlee Adams. Ashlee is Principal Project Manager - Project Services at Toowoomba Regional Council, YIPWEAQ Deputy Chair and CQ branch representative for the Membership portfolio. Ashlee spoke with Engineering for Public Works (EPW) recently, taking the time to answer a few questions and we’re pleased to share the interview with our readers.

EPW: Please tell us about yourself, where you’re from, your interests and what makes you tick.

Ashlee: I guess I would say I’m a pretty happy go lucky type of person, but also a perfectionist and highly self-critical. I love to travel, exploring new places and cultures. There’s nothing like waking up in a foreign place knowing that everything you do and see that day will be completely new. My other interests include collecting vinyl records, listening to music, hiking, riding my motorbike and spending quality time with my family and friends. Professionally, what makes me tick is doing things in a new and different way that pushes boundaries or challenges mindsets. It is the best way for us as professionals to develop along with the organizations we work for.

EPW: Please summarise your career to date.

Ashlee: I’m not your typical engineer, I’m one that loves old buildings, architecture and taking something old and giving it new life. I very nearly chose to do an architecture degree instead of Civil Engineering. But I’m very glad I chose this path.

My career started at GHD as an undergraduate. Upon finishing my degree I stayed on full time and worked as a project engineer on the Oakey Army Aviation MRH upgrade project. It was very much a case of sink or swim. The project was in construction phase delivering four new buildings and four new hangars in preparation for the arrival of the MRH Helicopter. The design had been undertaken across several offices so my role was to coordinate RFI responses between all of them, attend the site meetings and on occasion undertake an inspection role. It was the best start to my career I could’ve asked for, although it certainly didn’t feel that way at the time.

Also whilst at GHD I worked on the Toowoomba Aerodrome runway extension, BHP Cannington Mine Tailings Dam Wall Lift and Lake Vermont Mine new workshop projects. But my last role there was a secondment to the Queensland Reconstruction Authority as a Value for Money Assessor. I enjoyed this role and it gave direct contact with numerous Councils across the state so I began to understand how local governments operate. I was in that role for 18 months before taking up a position at Toowoomba Regional Council as an Engineer in the Project Services Branch.

Since joining Council I have advanced from Engineer, to Project Manager and now to Principal Project Manager within the same branch I originally joined. That equated to a step up in roles roughly every 12-18 months. I am very grateful for the opportunities those advancements have given me. I now get to work on the cool old buildings I love so much.

EPW: What are you looking to achieve in your role?

Ashlee: As a Principal Project Manager I look after a portfolio of building projects ranging from $20,000 to $10 million and have a team of two delivering them with me. In my role, I’d like to improve the way we deliver building projects within council through process improvements, learning from and implementing changes from lessons learned and by engaging with those in the industry that already do this work well.

Ashlee's passion project: Toowoomba City Hall Auditorium and Annex.

EPW: What’s been your most significant career highlight to date?

Ashlee: For me it’s the City Hall Project. I guess the most memorable moment, was when we first turned the external lights on.

It was the Thursday evening before Carnival of Flowers and we met on site as the sun was setting to light up the new arbour and facade. It was one of those magical moments when the lights went on. Even though we were a few months away from full completion, it felt like we were building something truly special.

EPW: Can you tell us a bit about your work on the Toowoomba City Hall Auditorium and Annex Project?

Ashlee: The City Hall project was really a career making one for me in terms of showing my capability in the buildings space and also in project management. Toowoomba’s City Hall had a theatre in the western section that was closed in 2001 as it didn’t meet access requirements and council unfortunately didn’t have the funds to be able to upgrade the compliance level.

It sat dormant for quite some time. An initial concept for a redevelopment was drafted in 2010 but again the budget was not available. The concept was revisited in 2015, refined, recosted and we were very lucky to be given the budget. So then it was pretty much, all hands on deck, let’s get this thing delivered.

The project involved refurbishing the theatre which was configured with raked theatre seating, a canteen under the seating area accessed via the foyer and fire escape stair out to the west onto the car park. The refurbishment works involved removing the theatre seating and returning the space back to a flat floor auditorium with a stage and a mezzanine level. When the hall was originally built in 1900 it was a hall rather than a theatre and so we were returning a historical element but in a modern way. We chose however to return the finishes to the 1930s era of redevelopment as there was a good portion of heritage fabric from that era still tucked away behind the 1970s finishes.

As with any renovation project, the construction phase threw up a few surprises and we had to be adaptive and agile in our response to those. The internal TRC team did a great job and the contractor was very collaborative in their approach to the work. Although we ran over time we did come in under budget which was a great achievement for undertaking work on a heritage building of that age.

EPW: What do you find most satisfying about working as an engineer in public works?

Ashlee: I really like knowing that the projects we work on and the infrastructure we deliver gives a benefit to our community. The community we live in. With my project in particular, it is really fantastic to be able to see the community use those assets and enjoy them. It makes it feel as though all the hard work has paid off.

EPW: Are there any specific challenges for young people working in public works engineering and what do you think could be done to address those?

Ashlee: I have found that public works engineering has stereotypically been an area in which a bit of grey hair earns you a lot of respect. I find that the younger you are the more you have to make an effort to prove your abilities, which can be difficult without guidance. So I think mentoring within the industry and within each council would go a long way to helping improve this.

EPW: What would be the one piece of advice you would give to other young people considering careers in engineering and public works?

Ashlee: I would definitely say give it a go. It is a rewarding sector to work in and the opportunities are varied and diverse. Also, the more opportunities you put your hand up for, the more you will learn and grow and that is the best thing you can do for yourself to build a solid foundation for your career.

EPW: Can you tell us a little bit about your role as an IPWEAQ SWQ Branch committee member?

Ashlee: I have only been involved on the Branch Committee for a short time now but I look after the Young IPWEAQ and Membership portfolios. So I talk to potential new members about the benefits of joining IPWEAQ and I also look at opportunities to help our young members to get involved.

EPW: What do you appreciate most about your involvement with IPWEAQ?

Ashlee: I really appreciate the network I’ve been able to develop through attending conferences. I have made such valuable connections and am able to call upon them when I find myself in need of some advice or mentoring. That is truly priceless to any professional and to find that in an organisation that is so inviting and inclusive has been wonderful.

Ashlee in the field.