ENVIRONMENTAL , ENGINEERING
AECOM ’ s Kim Vierheilig : Building Better for Future Generations
An NJIT graduate , she has deep roots in New Jersey .
By Diane Walsh Contributing Editor
When Kim Vierheilig was young , her family moved a lot because of her dad ’ s work in the aviation industry .
“ It seemed like we were always looking at houses , and I thought ‘ wouldn ’ t it be amazing to design a house with exactly what you want ,’” she says .
These experiences drew her to a career in design . By eighth grade , she knew she wanted to be an architect .
“ Architecture has a profound impact on our lives because we spend most of our day indoors ,” explains Vierheilig , who is an executive at AECOM , a premier engineering firm that employs more than 56,000 people around the globe .
Vierheilig leads a team of 220 as vice president , business line leader for buildings and places in the New York metropolitan area . Her team ’ s skills are immersed in a wide range of practice areas , including urbanism and planning , architecture , interiors , building engineering , asset advisory and strategy +, and the projects they handle span many markets — transportation , education , justice , healthcare , sports , technology and logistics , corporate / commercial and federal .
In her role at AECOM , Vierheilig married her fascination with architecture to the business acumen she developed as a dual major at NJIT . With more than 20 years in the industry , Vierheilig says success demands a “ well-rounded individual ” who has the technical knowledge plus the ability to interact with the client and manage the project from design through implementation .
AECOM nimbly adapted to the challenges of the pandemic . As a multinational company , the firm already had remote working capabilities . The technology allowed the firm to ensure business continuity for employees and projects .
It also repurposed its groundbreaking transportation scenario-planning tool to help transit agencies and departments of transportation across the nation as they grapple with the effects of the pandemic .
The tool is called “ AECOM Mobilitics for Pandemic Response ,” and Vierheilig explains that it assesses how pandemic infection rates , stay-at-home orders , availability and deployment of the vaccines , economic recovery and reopening , and other factors are expected to impact transportation patterns , in order to help clients better recover and strengthen resiliency .
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Teams also worked round the clock at the SUNY Old Westbury campus in Long Island , N . Y ., to build a 104-bed facility inside the Clark Athletic Center gym to care for non-COVID patients , Vierheilig says . At the same site , the firm was also charged with building four free-standing temporary structures to accommodate 920 COVID‐19 patients .
Closer to home , Vierheilig said AECOM ’ s New Jersey team partnered with the Bergen County Utilities Authority and Columbia University to test wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID‐19 . Wastewater testing can provide early indications of increases in infection rates and the effectiveness of vaccine deployment in specific areas . “ It ’ s very exciting to be part of ,” says Vierheilig , who lives in Bergen County with her husband , Kurt , and their 12-year-old son .
Vierheilig has deep roots in New Jersey . She serves as president of the state Board of Architects and is also a board member of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey ( CIANJ ). The association is a statewide business advocacy organization and in addition to the board seat , Vierheilig was appointed to the executive committee , which oversees the day-to-day operations .
At CIANJ , she has an opportunity to meet other executives and together they try to make certain that business ’ voice is heard by officials in Trenton when they enact laws and implement policies and regulations . The association is also responsible for “ one of the best mentors ” Vierheilig ever met — Kathleen Alexander , a partner at the accounting firm , Sax , LLP .
“ She has given me clarity to see things for what they are , but through a different lens ,” says Vierheilig , adding that Alexander is “ an amazing woman — and fun to be around .” A mutual friend on the board suggested the two work together .
Vierheilig is the epitome of a trailblazer in Alexander ’ s estimation . “ The state is lucky to have her . She ’ s smart as can be . She ’ s a mother . She ’ s doing it all and she ’ s grooming other young architects .” The two women meet regularly . They discuss goals and how to achieve them . Alexander was wowed by Vierheilig ’ s design concepts for the schools of the future .
The design of K-12 grade schools is Vierheilig ’ s professional focus . She has researched the correlation between design , building environment and study achievements . Her goal is to balance design form and curriculum to create the best schools for the next generation .
Kim Vierheilig
“ Nothing is more rewarding than to see your clients ’ face when they first enter a building ,” she says .
In her role at AECOM , Vierheilig is also well-positioned to identify trends in the industry . One of the most prevalent is investment in infrastructure and transportation . There are multiple benefits , she adds , because it “ not only addresses the need to update and invest in older infrastructure assets , but also has the potential to stimulate the economy .”
AECOM ’ s latest project in this realm is the Moynihan Train Hall at New York ’ s Penn Station . The firm was part of the team that designed the recently opened East End Gateway on W . 33rd St . close to 7th Avenue . The entrance is marked by a dramatic glass canopy designed to increase passenger flow , light and air in this transportation hub , considered the busiest in the Western Hemisphere .
In New Jersey , Vierheilig says “ transit-oriented developments ” continue to grow . They focus on developing and optimizing land around transport hubs , maximizing space and promoting well-connected communities where people want to live , work and visit , triggering wider urban regeneration .
While some urban areas have witnessed an exodus in the pandemic as people seek more space , Vierheilig says she expects New Jersey ’ s transit villages will continue to thrive because of their access to Manhattan . People will still want quick access to the city , even if the new work-life balance makes the trips less frequent than before , she says . Vierheilig also expects that public-private partnerships , commonly known as P3s , will continue to offer innovative funding solutions for infrastructure projects .
Her profession is very fulfilling . “ It ’ s an exciting thing to be part of the research , education and thought leadership to drive innovation and provide real-time solutions ,” she says .