10 Questions with Nichole Leonard
Would you rather go hang gliding or whitewater rafting?
I’m not good with heights and I get vertigo, so rafting, hands down.
How did you get into engineering?
Before MBK, I was never exposed to engineering or the vast array of effort it requires. I am not an engineer, but I’ve fallen in love with the team that is MBK, the good work, and the important real-life projects that guide people through the myriad concerns over water and protect them from flood risk.
What TV channel doesn’t exist but really should?
A channel that plays all the cartoon shorts I remember from Nickelodeon and other channels circa the 1980s and ‘90s.
When people come to you for help, what do they usually want help with?
A lot of times feelings or commiserating about life stuff. PDFs! Rebooting/unplugging anything with software.
What is the most annoying question that people ask you?
Professionally, I’m never annoyed. Or at least, I hope no one can ever tell.
What could you give a 40-minute presentation on with absolutely no preparation?
Lots of things. I listen to a lot of podcasts and I’m pretty nerdy so sometimes I start doing that without meaning to.
What’s something you like to do the old-fashioned way?
Anything that’s better when done that way – sometimes I’m surprised how many things are on that list.
What hobby would you get into if time and money were not an issue?
LEGOS. I’d have to buy a warehouse if time and money weren’t an issue.
What is the best part of your job?
When I get to save someone’s day. Some of the smallest things I do are an integral part of the work that we do as a firm.
What do you do for your job?
I work for the Delta team as a Water Resources Associate. I started in Admin in 2015, where I built up a foundation of institutional knowledge, and learned enough to help many departments, including assisting the finance team. Eventually, I was able to take on more challenging work, and later put my hat in the ring with the Delta team.
