Lance started at Vermont Tech in 1997 and was accepted into the 2+2 program. The first two years he focused on the Architectural & Building Engineering Technology program, earning his associate’s in 1999; and then the last two years focused on the Architectural Engineering Technology program, earning his bachelor’s in 2001.
Coming from a small town in northern New Hampshire, Lance was accustomed to the small-town community feel that Vermont Tech offers. He remembers how the people were always friendly, and the student body got along really well. He spent his time hanging out on campus, going to the local golf course with friends, and ultimately a lot of time playing four years of Vermont Tech Basketball. He mentioned how “it was some of the best times I’ve ever had. I really embraced my time on campus and basketball provided that outlet to separate school and campus life.” He notes, “I’ll brag a little bit and mention that we had a really good team for several years. We went to the National Championships and played in the tournament in Kansas.” During that tournament, Lance and his team really well and he ended up making the All-American Team. That lead him to have the opportunity to play basketball in Japan in the summer with 10-12 other players. He stated, “that was some of the best times I’ve ever had. I made several friends at VTC that are still some of my closest friends today. I actually brought some VTC grads/friends along with me to Stantec;” in 2022 it is noted that Stantec has 20 Vermont Tech alumni currently working for them (Watch our Stantec VTC YouTube video to learn more!).
Lance started at Stantec over 17 years ago and in the beginning, he started as a Civil Structural Engineer. Over time, with continuous education; receiving his MBA, and obtaining his Professional Engineering License and Project Management Professional Certificate, he eventually became the Principal Business Center Operations Leader for Stantec’s U.S. East Energy Division. He is now lead on approximately 12 offices (remotely and in various locations) on the east coast from Portland, Maine, all the way to Tampa & Miami, Florida. “These 12 offices are supporting our energy fields from renewable energy to solar wind projects, and we work on power distribution and transmission projects to focus on reducing our carbon footprint.” Day to day, Lance works on making sure they have the right staff to execute these projects, and making sure trainings are up-to-date. He also works on meeting Stantec’s APIs for all the business lines to ensure they run a tight ship and have fun and give back to the employees. Lance also mentors a lot of younger staff through project management practices and engineering as he is a licensed practicing engineer.
“A lot of people say that college is what prepares you for the workforce and I truly think that’s the case. VTC prepared me for the workforce and gave me the confidence I needed, knowing that I had the base skills to enter the workforce to be successful.” He noted how over four years, you take a lot of credits, and while the programs at VTC are not a cakewalk, it prepares you for the future. Since he’s graduated, Lance mentioned that he can name several people, even from his small town, that chose to go to VTC and would absolutely recommend it to friends and other potential students. Lance expressed, “The amount of companies seeking VTC graduates is unbelievable; for being such a small school, it has a great reputation.” When Lance was looking at Vermont Tech, the 99% placement rate was really appealing and proved to be true as he had a job lined up for his senior year of college! “I truly believe that’s because of VTC’s reputation – it puts out really good students and future employees.”
He attributes loving his time at Vermont Tech because of the relationships he made, noting that he still stays in touch with Professor Scott Sabol and his senior-year Basketball Coach (Learn more about Faculty at Vermont Tech). “I think to this day I think the most influential people that had an impact on my life it was the people I went to college with and it makes me really proud to be a Vermont Tech alum.” Lance continues to be involved with Vermont Tech stating, “I do a lot of speaking engagements in Maine to students in high school and being active in recruiting at my job, I always mention Vermont Tech. I do continue to interview and hire people from VTC. We offer a lot of opportunities at Stantec for graduates of VTC as the college does a really good job getting students ready for their careers.”
Advice he offers to potential and current students is, “I really think it’s important to take those years you’re in college and be a student. Embrace the time you have as you have your whole life ahead of you to work. I know that students need to work to get through college, but being a student first is really important. Spend time on campus and enjoy the experience. Make the most of it.”
Lance was inducted into the Vermont Tech Athletics Hall of Fame at the 2022 Homecoming Weekend!