Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - John Gorder named Eagan City Engineer - 8/17/20126A August 17, 2012 SUN THISWEEK - Burnsville -Eagan
Longtime
employee engineer
John Gorder ° served Eagan • years
by Jessjca Harper
SUN THISWEEK
While John
Gorder isn't a
household name,
his name is on ev-
ery bridge, road and
sewer system in the
city.
Now he will be stepping
from behind the scenes to
the forefront as Eagan's city
engineer.
Gorder will replace 'Russ
Matthys, who was promot-
ed to the position of public
works director upon Tom
Colbert's retirement last
May.
"I'm every excited about
the increased role," Gorder
said, "The city of Eagan
has always been looked at
as a leader, and I'd like to
continue to work as such."
The Ragan resident was
fascinated by city infra-
structure from a young
age and was inspired by a
family friend, who was a
civil engineer, to pursue the
same career path.
"I was interested in ho
things work and how t o
provide basic needs for peo
ple," he said.
After graduating fron
North Dakota State Uni
versity with a bachelor'
degree in civil engineerin g
Gorder took a job in 198
at a private engineerin
firm.
About seven years late
Gorder yearned to work
the public sector and to
a job with the city or e
of Eagan as an en- to the test again a few years
gineer, By 2000, he later when he was working
was promoted to on the Cedar Grove rede-
assistant city engi- velopment district.
neer. "Working with the exist -
Since then, G ing aging infrastructure and
has been instrumen- making sure it was a good
tar in various infra- piece of property for the
structure projects through- deal was a challenge," he
out the city, said.
"John has been great When he's not upgrad-
- r the city," Matthys said, ing Eagan' irlfrastruc-
"John's very well respected Lure, Gorder mentors area
in the region and has good youths and college students.
relationships with the coun- He and Matthys have as-
t state and his peers at listed Black Hawk Middle
other cities." School students for years
Of all the projects he's with the Future Cities pro -
done in.the past 17 years,
Gorder said he is most
proud of the 140 miles of
street improvements he's
been a part of in Eagan.
Gorder also served as an
expert on the city's round-
about projects, .and encour-
aged city officials to con-
sider the "best value" when
accepting bids instead of
the lowest cost alone,
"It allows cities to -look
w at the best interest of the
city, not just the lowest
- price," Matthys said.
The ,greatest challenges
1 in Gorder's career came in
- 2000, when city officials
S were faced with a record -
, breaking flood.
8 Gorder and others in
g the department were hand-
ed the task of revamping
r, Eagan's storm water sys-
rn tem to remediate flooding
too
throughout the city.
E
rain.
"We really encourage
that," Matthys said. "It's
good for students to find
out what engineering is all
about."
Gorder has also men -
tored local high school Stu-
dents and overseen college
interns.
"I enjoy seeing young
people who are interested
in 'the profession. and being
able to steer them toward
the profession if possible,"
he said.
Gorder said his own
mentors include Colbert
and Matthys, who taught
him the ins and outs of Ea-
gan's Public Works Depart-
ment and infrastructure.
Jessica Harper is at jessica.
harper @ectn- inc,coin or fete-
hook. coin1sunthisuaeek.
John Gorder