Connecting with… Ann Germain

Name:  Ann Germain
Title: Group Leader, Principal
Current Town:  McLean
Alma Mater:  UVA – Go Hoos!
Favorite DC tourist destination:  The walk from Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol
Favorite app: Venmo
If I had three wishes: 1. Warm, sunny weather; 2. Continued good health; 3. Grandchildren
If I had to eat one meal for the rest of my life:  A mixed green salad with chicken.  McDonald’s works for weekday lunches but not for the rest of my life!
On Saturday you can find me:  On the soccer field! Both as a player and as a coach with the Virginia Olympic Development Program

Ann’s life at christopher

Ann coaching girls’ youth soccer at the Kickers State Cup

Name a project you have enjoyed working on and why?
AG:  George Mason University Housing VIIIA. It was my first design-build project, and it was a fun project for many reasons. The scope of the project included a 200,000 SF residential building with a small retail component and an 1100’ extension of HTHW tunnel that had to be designed to accommodate the future re-alignment of Patriot Circle. It was designed to LEED gold standards, the first of its kind in Virginia for student housing.

What does a typical day of work look like for you?
AG: Lots of variety within the typical day. I start the day with a look ahead of the day’s schedule, review emails from overnight, and prioritize goals for the day/week. The typical day may include client and jurisdictional correspondence and meetings, project design, plan reviews, team collaboration, preparation of proposals, site inspections, project and construction administration, billing, scheduling or project/client opportunity pursuits.

What keeps you at christopher?
AG:  I enjoy the people and the culture, sort of a work hard-play hard and do what it takes team mentality.

What is your favorite company event, and why?
AG: Playing on the softball team was a great opportunity to get to know some of the people at christopher, and really helped when I transitioned from the Leesburg to the Fairfax office. I also like being active and enjoy sports.

What is the best piece of advice you could offer someone considering a career in civil engineering/surveying/land planning?
AG: Keep your eyes opened to your surroundings and the infrastructure around you.  While there is some theory and technical knowledge required, the things that you will see could spark the solutions to your next design problem or provide examples of what can be done better.