Name: Melissa Vickery
Company and position: Degenkolb Engineers, Associate
Melissa is an Associate with Degenkolb Engineers’. She is a Structural Engineer who has been with the firm for 12 years focusing on OSHPD healthcare design. When Melissa is not busy designing or overseeing one of her local Bay Area projects, you may find her at a meeting of the local Bay Bridge chapter of ACEC where she is the Secretary or attending a meeting for SEAOC, ASCE, or WiOPS. Melissa is a passionate industry member who believes that being involved in industry organizations can lead to meaningful relationships and has introduced her to some of her best professional friends. They also provide a gateway to developing mentor – mentee opportunities. “Mentoring is really an organic relationship however a formal kickstart is very helpful to start the conversation.” She loves that WiOPS offers one of these gateways.
Melissa was inspired to enter the AEC industry by her mom who is a calculus teacher. Her mother has always been a big influence in her life, and she has had a love for buildings and architecture since she was a child. Growing up in a family where math was a cornerstone helped guide her to Cal Poly where she graduated with a degree in Architectural Engineering in 2007.
Outside of work Melissa enjoys cycling, hiking, and cooking. She is an avid backpacker who will be hiking the High Sierra Trail this summer to Mt. Whitney. She also loves exploring new types and flavors of whiskey and sharing jigsaw puzzles with friends to connect during these times of COVID. Recently Melissa returned to her hometown of Ojai, CA above the hills of Santa Barbara to marry her longtime beau Ryan. We want to extend an enthusiastic congratulations to Melissa on her recent nuptials and on being the WiOPS NorCal chapter’s June Member of the Month!