Our People: William Masol

Can you share a little bit about your journey and what motivated you to become an engineer?

Growing up, I was always naturally good at math and science in school. I always enjoyed taking things apart and putting them back together, which my mother did not appreciate when it came to all of my toys. So, I actually went to a summer program at Stevens Institute of Technology, where I ended up going to school. That was after my junior year of high school. I was really into some of the practical projects that they showed us. So, I started going to school there and knew I wanted to get into the business side of things, but needed to specialize somewhere, so I chose civil engineering, and the rest is history!

Have you had any influential mentors or role models in your journey as an engineer? If so, how have they impacted your career?

Yes, I have! And they are both either current or former FPA employees. The current employee that I still work very closely with is Mike Drobny. He definitely exposed me to the business side of things early on in my career. He really helped me get a grasp on how the financial end of things work as related to all of our projects. The other person, the former FPA employee, is Matt Magill. He was really instrumental in helping bring along my design skills and things like that.

What do you find most fulfilling about the engineering industry?

I like feeling like we make a difference in the world. It’s nice that, particularly with the more municipal work that I do, you get to see how that impacts people’s everyday lives just by improving the infrastructure. I really appreciate spending people’s tax money as efficiently as possible too.

Can you tell me about a project or accomplishment that you’re particularly proud of in your career?

I am proud of being as far in my career as I am at my age. In terms of projects, I did one a while ago in Monmouth County for a roundabout in Colts Neck. I also recently completed a streetscape project in Jersey City that is receiving an award.

What do you enjoy most about working at FPA?

 I like that they give you the freedom to make your career what you want it to be while still offering guidance when you seek it out. I also like the fact that management is extremely understanding of your personal life. That’s something you can’t replace. Things come up and they are extremely understanding.

Can you share a fun fact about yourself that your colleagues might not know?

I dabble in DJ’ing and music production. Just something that I do at home. I used to go to a bunch of music festivals, and I got really into it.

Can you tell me a little bit about your background and how you came to work at FPA?

So, I worked for a company called Birdsall Services Group. While I was there, I worked with Matt Magill, who I mentioned before, he had come over to FPA a few years earlier. When it became clear that Birdsall would eventually shut down, Matt said “Hey, why don’t you come work with me again?” So, I did.

Later on, I actually left FPA for a couple of years, from 2017 to 2019. I was the in-house town engineer for Cranford Township. After two years with Cranford, I wanted to continue advancing in my career, and heard that FPA might be looking to open a new office in North Jersey. I was living in Jersey City. So, I came back to the company in 2019, and here I am!

Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of FPA?

I feel like there’s a lot of room for us to expand our services, still. I look forward to being a part of the future leadership here, hopefully, so we’ll see! I think that having a little stake in the game and control of what’s going on provides an added level of motivation. And I hope that I’m able to do for the people that are younger than me what was done for me throughout my career and provide the guidance they need to grow to be successful people, engineers, and project managers as well.