Meet Brian Vorva, the newest member of our Water / Wastewater Team!
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself…
Brian: My name is Brian Vorva. I grew up in Galesburg and the Quad City area. I went to Galesburg High School, then to Aledo High School, which is where I graduated from. Then I went to Black Hawk College in Moline, later transferring to the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign where I graduated with my Bachelor’s. After college, I moved to the St. Louis area and worked as a water / wastewater engineer. After getting married and having three children, my wife and I wanted to move closer to home. I worked for the City of Galesburg prior to joining Klingner’s team. My wife and I had our fourth child this spring to complete our family.
Q: Why did you want to become an Engineer?
Brian: I wanted to become an engineer because I like the challenges that this career brings. It’s not the same thing day after day; something is always different that gives unique challenges. Also, I’ve always been good at math, science, and problem solving. I’d like to think that our profession makes the world a better, more functional place.
Q: Is there a project you’ve worked on thus far in your career that you’re proudest of?
Brian: I haven’t had the opportunity to work on any project with Klingner yet, but earlier in my career I worked on the design of Spring Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Springfield, IL. The plant cost over $100 million and included a headworks capable of handling 148 million gallons a day.
Q: Why did you decide to join the Klingner team?
Brian: While I worked with the City of Galesburg, I had several interactions with Klingner staff and they were always professional, courteous, knowledgeable, and respectful. They are also respected in the community and with their clients. When I decided to leave the public side of engineering, Klingner was my first choice. I like the size of the firm, the diversity of departments, the location of offices, and the clients.
Q: What sports teams do you root for?
Brian: When it comes to professional football, Chicago Bears first and foremost. I follow the University of Illinois for all collegiate sports. For professional baseball, it’s the Red Sox and White Sox. I don’t follow professional basketball or hockey all that much, but if I do watch them, it would probably be Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks.
Q: What is your favorite family recipe?
Brian: One of my grandmas used to make a spinach dip that we would always enjoy at holiday gatherings. After she passed away, I became the recipe maker. Another grandma made her own barbeque sauce. Before she had passed away, my mom had to watch her make it and was able to write the recipe down. Only the women in our family are allowed to know the recipe, so one day my mom will hand it down to my daughters.
Q: What makes you laugh the most?
Brian: My kids make me laugh the most. There isn’t a day where one of my three older kids doesn’t ask a strange funny question or say something off the wall. For example, my 9-year-old was cooking a microwave pizza and said, “It says to cook for 3 minutes and let cool for 1 minute, so I’ll just cook it for 2 minutes.”