Megan Muller
Abby Goodwin is a Project Engineer at Exclusive Paving, which is a part of Colaska, Inc., the Colas USA subsidiary that operates throughout Alaska.
Read more about Abby through the following spotlight.
Describe your role to someone who is not familiar with the construction industry or Colas USA.
As a Project Engineer, I manage a diverse range of construction projects, from small to large scale, under the guidance of a Project Manager. My responsibilities encompass subcontractor coordination, scheduling, procurement, document control, issue resolution, and client communication.
I excel in cost management, conflict resolution, safety compliance, and technical oversight. With a keen eye on budgets, quantities, and project performance, I contribute to seamless project execution, maintaining quality, and client satisfaction.
What has been your favorite project so far?
I don’t think I have a favorite project as of right now because every project I have been involved with so far has taught me something different and has helped me evolve as a Project Engineer.
Small jobs have helped me learn quickly, as there were over 80 small jobs in 2022 and in 2023, we have almost 60 small jobs to date. Those all took place while I was also managing large jobs!
I am grateful for the experience and challenges small jobs have afforded me because they have pushed me to grow and learn at a very accelerated pace. I’m sure that will be valuable skill that I will use the rest of my life.
What drew you to working within the construction industry?
I grew up around construction and the satisfaction of seeing the physical product at the end of a project was very appealing to me. Another aspect of construction I was drawn to was getting to be part of something bigger than myself and part of a team.
What motivates you to wake up and go to work every day?
I look forward to the diversity of challenges that arise day-to-day and finding creative solutions. I also love being part of a team and getting to contribute to the success of the work.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I grew up dog mushing! During my childhood my dad was a competitive long-distance musher, and both my grandma and great grandpa were competitive sprint mushers. I also raced competitively until I was the age of 18 years.
From her nomination:
“Abby is one of the first employees in the office every day and one of the last to leave. She does this while she has 3 kids at home and one of them is under the age of 2 years! Abby is always working on ways to make the processes better, while accounting for the worker in the field. She is one of the best up and coming engineers that I have seen.”