Young Professional of the Year

Stamborski makes strong first impression

Chris Stamborski Project engineer for R.A. Smith & Associates Inc., Brookfield

Engineering a municipal project isn’t like the typical private-sector job.

There are committees and councils with a range of personalities, ideas and goals as diverse as the people sitting on the panels. And there are the taxpayers, who are the project owners.

“Not only are you dealing with the merits of the project, you are working with personalities, and those are always changing because of elections,” said John Bjelajac, the village of Caledonia’s attorney who works for Racine-based Hankel, Bjelajac, Kallenbach & Koenen. “It’s an environment that does not suffer fools lightly.”

Developing the skills to navigate the tumultuous world of municipal construction can take a lifetime. So, when a 30-year-old engineer comes along with a natural knack for the work, people take notice.

Chris Stamborski, project engineer in municipal services for R.A. Smith & Associates, is just such a young professional. He has seven years of experience in road and utility design, storm-water management, surveying and construction services, and he can maintain his professional integrity while working cooperatively with a range of people.

He moves beyond engineering know-how to true leadership, said Bjelajac, who worked with Stamborski on several Caledonia projects.

Stamborski is The Daily Reporter’s and Wisconsin Builder’s Young Professional of the Year.

It isn’t his first honor. In spring, he was named Young Engineer of the Year by both the Waukesha chapter and state society of the Wisconsin Society of Professional Engineers for outstanding performance in engineering and a willingness to serve the profession as a leader.

“When you first meet [Stamborski], he comes across as fairly reserved,” Bjelajac said. “But that’s because he knows not to rush in where eagles fear to tread. He’s smart enough to study and sit and watch the personalities before he makes any comments that might seem unwise in 20/20 hindsight.”

That measured reaction to those around him should not be interpreted as spin. It’s simply knowing how best to communicate.

“He understands his job is to give straightforward, unvarnished advice,” Bjelajac said. “He doesn’t waver in the quality of advice or tailor the advice to who he’s speaking to.”

Being young doesn’t make the work any easier, said Tom Ludwig, Stamborski’s supervisor at R.A. Smith.

“He has to prove his mettle, and he’s doing that,” he said.

Thus far, Stamborski has worked some hefty projects, including Caledonia’s tax incremental financing feasibility plan for the Interstate 94 corridor. He’s been involved in sewer projects, utility estimates and public meetings explaining costly projects to municipal staff members, elected officials and residents.

“It can be a lot of pressure,” Ludwig said. “You’re serving a civic role even though you are a private consultant.”

Stamborski uses his sense of humor as a tool for bridging those difficult moments, he said.

“He’s a future leader,” Ludwig said. “He wants to learn and keep going forward.”

And he’s networking within the industry and taking part in programs to help engineering move forward. He is a past president of the Waukesha Chapter of WSPE and the current secretary of the WSPE state board.

“As the population continues to ex-pand, engineering challenges multiply exponentially,” said Jim Buggs, president of the state WSPE. “It’s always important to have someone who can come up with new ideas.”

Stamborski does that and also helps ensure the future of engineering by helping attract the area’s best and brightest to the profession, Buggs said. He works on scholarship fund raising and visits schools to explain engineering.

“I’m looking forward to getting him to even more schools this year,” Buggs said. “The kids like him.”

By Jennifer Pfaff