We welcome Ken Wurzelbacher as a project manager + the newest addition to our Cincinnati, Ohio team.

1. Favorite thing to do off the clock?

I enjoy walking in the park with my three-year-old German Shepherd named Wayne.

2. Favorite sports and teams?

I grew up a baseball fan first + a football fan second. I remember getting to stay up late to watch a 1990 World Series game. I am unabashedly a fair-weather fan of all Cincinnati, Ohio professional sports.

3. Most prized possession/what you couldn’t live without (outside of family and friends)?

I have a Honda Element I’ve been driving for about eight or nine years. I’ve taken it on road trips throughout the country every year, covering the entire lower 48 states and at least four Canadian provinces. At 235k miles, I should be looking for a new car, but with so many enjoyable memories, it’s tough to let it go.

4. What are your hobbies?

During my free time, I enjoy woodworking + metalworking. I have built a bed, shelves, tables + more. It’s the designing + creating that I enjoy the most.

5. What would you do with $1 million?

I’d probably buy a sailboat. Sailing the United States East Coast and areas of the Mediterranean would be amazing. I just need to learn how to sail first.

6. What is the most extreme thing you have ever done?

I’ve been skydiving, and I have been to Glacier National Park; I was closer to both a grizzly bear + moose than I ever want to be again.

7. If you weren’t a structural engineer, what would you be?

I’ve always told people, “That’s it. I’m buying a boat and becoming a tour guide of the Amalfi Coast.” I’ve never been to the Amalfi Coast, but it sounds like a neat place to give boat tours.

8. Why you chose to work/live in Cincinnati, Ohio?

Cincinnati, Ohio is very accessible in terms of what you can do. For example, I found a group to build Bockfest parade floats with. It’s super weird + fun, and there is a large group of kooky people that show up for Cincinnati’s celebration of beer, goats, sausage + monks. There is an accessible group for every interest. We also have access to major league sports, and when all the popular plays, concerts + events come here you’ll likely not have a hard time getting a ticket.

9. Fun fact about yourself.

I’ve been licensed as a volunteer firefighter + as a personal trainer. I don’t keep these licenses active today, but they were interesting + useful at one time.

10. What industry book have you read that has been most helpful to your career?

I’ve read Structural Analysis of Historic Buildings. It’s a fantastic repository of information people used to design structures decades to centuries ago. Whether it’s actual analysis or empirical data, tables and charts, it has everything.