Q+A with Jeff Brown

How do you describe your job to people outside of the industry?

I’ll say that I prepare electrical drawings and specifications for buildings. So anything that an electrician would touch – power, lighting, telecom, security, fire alarm, etc. – I probably know something about it.

Why did you decide to become an engineer?

I’m the first one to go to college in my family, so having me graduate was very important to my parents. We had Purdue University an hour and a half from where I grew up. And I was a kid that that would tear everything apart that had visible screws holding it together (which hasn’t changed, by the way). So my mom and dad pushed me towards engineering, and it was my job to graduate and be employable.

How would you describe life at Ghafari?

Really, really good. I like ProjectWise, and the network / server system. 128GB of RAM for running Revit is awesome – I feel like I can open anything. I really like our IT and Practice Technology group support. The remote offices work together well. But probably most important - we do things that are good for clients and good for Ghafari as the norm and not the exception.

What is the most exciting thing that has happened during your time here?

Getting a much deeper understanding of Revit and learning to use it daily (which probably doesn’t sound very exciting to anyone reading this answer). Being capable and fluent 28 years into my career is exciting to me.

What is a key idea or lesson you have learned while working at Ghafari?

Work more as a team, because resources are all around us. Submit the help ticket – things get solved fast. Talk to your project accountant on the phone. Ask a subject matter expert. Ghafari excels at solving owner problems, but also has plenty of resources to help our employees.

How do you like to spend your free time?

For many years, it has been watching my daughters play sports. My oldest just hung up her basketball shoes. She played from kindergarten through four years of starting varsity in high school, and then four years starting at Miami University. My youngest played basketball into high school, but then changed over to only cross country and track. She’s now a sophomore running distance for Indiana State University. So we’re traveling to her cross country and track meets. I also enjoy running and genealogy.