David Castaneda

Job Title: Project Manager

Company: Alterman

Location: Austin, Texas

Age: 25

Years on the Job: 5

Interests: Going to the gym and staying active

Tyler Brennen became interested in the electrical industry while working part-time for a local electrician during the summers and listening to his grandfather’s stories about working as an engineer at Sanders.

Born and raised in New Hampshire, he moved to Boston in 2017 and studied electromechanical engineering at Wentworth Institute of Technology. While in college, he completed two co-ops in the electrical field and was exposed to the National Electrical Code and to the installation of electrical components in the field. His education, prior experience, and training uniquely prepared him for his role as an electrical engineer at CDM Smith.

“Since my co-ops included a hands-on, installation role, I have made constructability a key part of the design process,” he said. “This ensures that the project has not only been thought about on paper, but also how it will be in the real world.”

He has continued his education by taking courses through his company’s internal education portal and training to become a project manager at his company. Today, as an electrical engineer IV and a project manager, he leads the electrical design for projects. As part of his company’s mentorship program, he also helps train two junior team members and continues to learn from two senior engineers.

Beyond the mentorship program, he enjoys working on cutting-edge, environmentally sensitive designs that require complex solutions. Case in point: He led the electrical design on the first-of-its-kind Utility Thermal Energy Network, a geothermal HVAC system. He also served as the lead electrical engineer on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) transportation system.

“Both of these projects required innovation and creative problem solving,” he said. “Working on challenging and innovative projects motivates me to continue learning and developing my skill set as an engineer.”

He is currently pursuing his professional engineer’s license and his Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. Five years from now, he sees himself as a project manager and a professional engineer at CDM Smith.

“Having a career that mixes project management with technical design is critical to me,” he said. “Obtaining my P.E. and PMP will allow me to progress my career and continue to be a leader at the firm and in the industry.”

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