Earlier this month, we announced the formation of a company ownership program designed to expand company ownership opportunities to three key levels: associate, principal, and senior principal. With the new program, Sain added three new associates – Nathan Currie, P.E., Paul Gilliam, P.E., PTOE, and Jeff Stephenson, P.E., PTOE. Over the next couple of months, we will do a deep dive into each new owner.
We’d like to introduce you to Traffic Team Leader and Sales Leader Jeff Stephenson for our first spotlight. If you are a Sain blog follower, you know Jeff as one of our go-to authors for traffic engineering-related topics. Jeff joined Sain in 1998. He has over 22 years of experience managing several types of traffic engineering projects, including transportation planning studies, traffic forecasting, roadway safety audits, at-grade railroad crossing safety audits, traffic impact studies, traffic operation studies, traffic signal/signal system design, traffic signal system retiming, and traffic simulation modeling.
Jeff makes a difference in the community through his leadership and volunteer work. He is a member of the Pelham High School Engineering Advisory Board, an active member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers at the Section and District levels, and a 2019 graduate of Leadership Shelby County. Jeff also serves in a leadership and team development role in media and broadcast production for his church, Christian Life Church.
Jeff and his wife Jamie live in Pelham with their two children. When Jeff is not working, he enjoys spending time with his family and watching University of Alabama sports.
Jeff and his wife Jamie with their children – Sydney and Blake.
As a fun way to get to know the newest shareholders, we sat down with each of the owners and asked several rapid-fire questions:
Q: If you weren’t an engineer, what would you be doing? It is hard to imagine doing anything else when I have been in this profession for so long. For something not related to the engineering and construction industry, I have always thought I’d enjoy being a chef.
Q: What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given? Do I have to give just one? Jim Meads has always said, “look upward and inward before looking outward.” My pastor, Jeremy Saylor, shares, “if it’s dependent on your hands, it’s also limited by your hands.” Both of my parents have given me numerous pieces of advice. I didn’t always want to hear it when I was younger, but as usual, they were right!
Q: What’s your favorite place in the world? This is a good question as my wife and I haven’t exactly been world travelers. We enjoyed our recent trip to Niagara Falls and several other destinations around Lake Ontario. We are already planning our next trip to the west side of Canada for 2022.
Q: If we looked at your Spotify account right now, what would be at the top of your “most played” list? The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” is currently at the top of my “most played” list. I love just about any type of music except for country.