February 2022 ASCE-NH Newsletter | Page 8

Board Member of the Month – Owen Friend-Gray , P . E .

My name is Owen Friend-Gray and I am the Board ’ s current President-Elect . I have only been a member of ASCE for a few years and I am looking forward to continue learning more about how I can give back to the organization and the engineering community at large .

I was born , grew up , and currently live in Nottingham , NH . Obviously , I really like to branch out and live in new places . I went to high school in Dover , NH where I was first exposed to the concept of Civil and Environmental Engineering by my guidance counselor . I knew I liked math and science and was fortunate enough to have her point me in the right direction .

I then attended the University of New Hampshire and received my undergraduate degree in Environmental Engineering and my master ’ s degree in Civil Engineering . For my graduate studies I worked at the research facility of a public water supply company known as PWN in The Netherlands . The drinking water supply for the region is Lake Ijssel which is fed by the River Rhine . Due to the heavy levels of agriculture and industry along this river , the treatment required advanced and innovative technologies making for a fascinating study location . Because of my environmental undergraduate studies and water treatment experience , I was certain I would get into drinking water treatment , but that was not meant to be .

After college my first job was with Weston Solutions where I worked primarily on hazardous waste treatment sites . I then moved to Tighe & Bond where I worked on industrial wastewater treatment and general civil projects . After several years in the consulting world , I switched to public service by becoming the Assistant City Engineer for Rochester NH . I quickly learned that I liked the variety of projects , the interactions with consultants and the public , and the general atmosphere of the public sector . When an opportunity presented itself to work in the largest City in NH , I jumped at the chance and joined the engineering team in Manchester where I currently work . I currently manage the engineering division and oversee approximately 30 staff members that manage $ 70M in projects in addition to daily roadway maintenance that varies from pothole patching , traffic signals , street lights , line striping , and much more . Paving thickness discussions is not exactly the same as discussing UV disinfection versus chloramines , but I have found that it is working in good environments with good people that make coming to work every day worthwhile .

I was fortunate enough to marry my wife while we were both still in college and we have had two wonderful children ( well , most days they are ), built our new house , and now raise pigs and chickens in addition to having the requisite dogs , cats , and guinea pig . The wife and kids are always looking to expand our little menagerie , so I would imagine there will be more animals in my near future . I enjoy spending my free time exploring the forest , working up cord wood , and generally enjoying the outdoors .

I look forward to becoming more involved with ASCE-NH and helping the section in any way I can . Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any ideas for the section or would like to get more involved !

8