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Working in Clark County: Laura Standridge, civil engineer

By Kay Richardson, Columbian staff writer
Published: August 15, 2016, 6:03am
3 Photos
Planner and engineer Laura Standridge enjoys how a well-done land-use project adds to the community.
Planner and engineer Laura Standridge enjoys how a well-done land-use project adds to the community. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian) Photo Gallery

When Laura Standridge, principal and owner of a planning and civil engineering firm, is out and about in her travels, she can’t help herself — she’s pretty much always in engineer mode. “I look at the big picture: How places are laid out; how people and buildings and green spaces are situated in the environment,” said the owner of Standridge Design. “I look at how they engage and interact in situations and how it all creates a place. I enjoy it. If I must, I have to kind of force myself to turn it off.”

Name: Laura Standridge.

Residence city/neighborhood: Minnehaha.

Business name: Standridge Design Inc., 113 W. Seventh St., Suite 200, Vancouver. 360-597-9240; www.standridgeinc.com

Age: 44.

Educational/professional background: I grew up in Houston and moved around a bit and ended up in Alaska, where I obtained my bachelor’s of science in civil engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. There is a wide variety of work that you can do with a civil engineering degree and my focus has been in land and site development. Over the last 20 years I have worked on projects that start with doing studies to see if a neighborhood subdivision or commercial building would work well in an area, and then if the answer is “yes,” moving it through planning, engineering, and construction administration. I also work on projects with architects and landscape architects in both Oregon and Washington that include large buildings and regional parks.

How — and when — you got started in your business: I have always been interested in figuring out how things work, how to put things together, and streamlining processes. Growing up I would be the one who my family would go to in order to fix or build things, and they would say “You’re such an engineer.” Over time I found that I really enjoyed managing projects.

Personal/business philosophy: I believe that clear communication and over-delivering leads to happy clients, which is very rewarding.

Most rewarding part of job: I love seeing a completed project that adds to the quality of our community. I work with my clients to produce the best possible result, and they come back with new projects.

Most challenging part of job: The permitting process can be challenging sometimes, especially if there are multiple jurisdictions involved. I enjoy the process of finding creative solutions that result in a quality place.

Something surprising about your work: Sometimes it’s more about negotiations and navigating requirements and processes than it is about engineering.

Best feature of my Clark County community: Lots of gathering spaces and fun events for our community.

What would make your community a better place: Improvements to the transportation system between Portland and Vancouver — the traffic is only going to get worse.

Your favorite travel destination and type (cruise, car trip, train?) I like car trips so that we can enjoy the experience along the way.

Favorite restaurant/pub/coffee shop/store: Oishi Sushi near Vancouver Mall.

Hobbies: I love spending time with my kids. Lately we have taken up exploring Clark County and hunting for Pok?mon.

Most enjoyable book/play/movie/arts event in past 12 months: My sons were in the Seton Catholic High School theater production of “The Addams Family,” which was lots of fun.

Something you’d like to do this year/within five years: I would like to go on vacation with my family.

One word to describe yourself: Collaborative or tenacious.

Person you’d most like to meet: Elon Musk (the entrepreneur/engineer who is CEO of both SpaceX and Tesla Motors).

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Columbian staff writer