Jeff Klein, Senior Principal at PCS, retires after 28 years.
Valerie Hendel | While the shortest path between two points is often a straight one, it isn’t always the case, nor is it even the most interesting. Jeff Klein’s trajectory to his structural engineering career used … other geometries.
More of a curve and not so much a straight line
The son of schoolteachers, Jeff graduated from Fort Vancouver High School in Vancouver, Washington. The path to university made sense for the kid who did well in math, and Jeff made the ritual trek to Central Washington University for pre-engineering. Chasing his lifelong fascination with planes, he pointed his nose east to Daytona Beach, Florida, to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. But while engineering classes continued to fascinate, thermodynamics got the better of him, although which law in particular, we can’t be sure. I suspect it was the first law what done him in.
Onward. Klein decided to transfer to Washington State University to finish his engineering degree. His best friend’s mom, Sandy McCloud, suggested that he contact a one Dollie Lynch. Not knowing nor appreciating who Dollie Lynch was, Klein reached out. As it happened, Dollie and her husband, Ed were people deeply invested in the Vancouver community. Ed was the number two at Kiewit Pacific Construction Company in Vancouver. At 22 years old Klein went to work for Kiewit as a project engineer.
Opportunities to learn
Klein worked three summers with Kiewit, which served as fertile training ground for client service and people skills. “I learned how to work with people who were older and more experienced than I was and how to get recognized as a peer,” says Klein. He learned what it took to solve problems for clients and make their lives easier.
The first summer he did work at McChord Air Force Base building a taxiway. He did a summer in Spokane building a section of I-90 going out of downtown and past the airport, and then one summer in Neah Bay building a breakwater. Through Kiewit’s scholarship program, Klein completed his studies at Washington State University. It was in his structures class that his career ambitions took shape. “Structural engineering was tangible. It just made sense,” reflects Klein.
The gauntlet is thrown
Toward the end of his WSU work, Brian Phair, who was working at then Chalker Putnam Collins & Scott (now PCS Structural Solutions), was looking to hire another engineer. He contacted Dr. Sorenson, one of his professors from Washington State University, for recommendations. Jeff Klein’s name came up. “PCS didn’t hire me at that time because they told me I needed a master’s degree. That kind of pissed me off,” Klein laughs.
After earning his undergraduate degree in civil engineering in 1996, Jeff set his sights on structural engineering and began working for Miller Consulting Engineers in Portland, Oregon. But there were still a couple of bends in the road to explore.
Klein married in September of that year, and the couple moved to Colorado to pursue that master’s degree in structural engineering at the University of Colorado. Klein worked part-time with JVA Consulting Engineers through graduate school.
Chalker Putnam Collins & Scott had the vibe
Klein’s homing instincts directed him back to Washington, master’s degree in hand. “I called back Chalker Putnam Collins & Scott, and Dan Putnam interviewed me.”
On June 18th, 1998, having entertained three job offers, Klein chose PCS in Tacoma because “it had the right vibe.” At age 26, Jeff stepped in to his new role as design engineer.
Now why the scenic route of Jeff Klein’s career? Many engineers navigate in a straight line to the structural engineering field: high school, university, job. And that is the efficient route. But something about the curves and turns in Jeff’s experience shaped him as a human being and as an engineer. He stepped into his position as a structural engineer with a keenly developed sense of people and of himself. In an industry where soft skills are fundamental to collaboration, these people skills were highly valuable.
Phair served as Klein’s mentor in those early years at PCS. “Brian was the best mentor choice for me. He was incredibly supportive and helped raise the bar on my quality of work. There was blood on his notes, but he brought out the best in me. I never had a person in my career that believed in me more while at the same time pushing me to be better. Brian’s mentorship deserves a lot of credit for helping me develop.”
It’s the people
Klein’s people skills did not go unnoticed. Klein quickly invested in employee development, HR, and philanthropic work, finding fulfillment in service to others and watching staff grow. He had that knack and brought his skills managing people to the task of growing a company and a culture.
Phair recalls Klein’s unique entry into PCS. “The biggest gift to PCS was his people-first ethic and loyalty. He is the most empathetic person I know and has been a sounding board for everything from clients, engineering … life.”
Klein innovated his career, allowing the turns and bends to add depth and breadth to his professional life. He appreciated the opportunities Kiewit provided, proving himself and earning respect. He shaped his career by the forces of succeeding and struggling, refining his focus and ambitions. He dug in at PCS building relationships, people, and culture.
What has resulted is an engineer who is deeply appreciative of the people who supported him and the people he has served. Klein has worked on every project type, delivering over three thousand projects in his career with PCS. You can appreciate Klein’s work in communities throughout the region, notably the Tacoma Art Museum and Providence St. Peter Hospital. He has particularly appreciated the opportunities he has had to contribute to the Olympia and Vancouver areas, giving back to the communities that gave so much to him.
Any advice for new engineers? Klein doesn’t hesitate. “Relationships matter. And they require intentionality. Any success I’ve had is due to my making relationships the important part of the equation. It’s given me joy.”