Along with the new year came new change for Timmons Group’s private land development group as they welcomed their newest team member, Tracy Lower. Tracy is our Metro DC Group Leader and brings over two decades of land development experience to public and private projects. I caught up with Tracy over coffee during one of her visits to our corporate headquarters. Her easy-going personality made the interview fun and included conversations ranging from Michelle Obama all the way to her graduate school thesis on the impacts of horseshoes on roadway surfaces. Read on to discover more. Afterall, she’s someone you are going to want to know for your next opportunity in the DMV.
Q. Thanks for sitting down with me today. I know it’s only your second week with our firm. Welcome aboard! Tell me about your role in our Metro DC office.
Thank you. I am so excited to be here. My role will be focused on building our land development presence in the Metro DC region by diversifying clients and by educating them on the breadth of services we provide. We’re seeing numerous overlaps with Timmons Group’s existing clients and those I’ve worked with previously.
Q. If there’s one thing you want your clients to know now that you are at Timmons Group, what is it?
They likely already know that client service is the most important thing to me. One thing they may not know about Timmons Group is how important client service is to the overall firm. It’s front and center for the firm and the foundation of their mission and values. I can assure clients that in my new role I’ve got a firm that believes in the importance of best in class high caliber client service and relationships.
Q. What can Timmons Group clients expect to be different now that you are on board?
While Timmons Group has had a strong presence in Northern Virginia for the past 15 years, my new role will better position us to provide services in the broader Metro DC market. My experience and connections inside the Beltway will enable us to help guide our clients as they navigate the challenging Metro DC market by serving as their eyes and ears and mitigating their risks.
Q. What is one thing that would surprise us to know about you and your career?
As an undergrad at Penn State, I was convinced that I was going to be a structural engineer. I was approached by the Civil department’s only female professor asking me if I was considering graduate school. She was able to secure funding from PennDot to study pavement damage caused by horseshoes mainly found in Lancaster County a.k.a. Amish country, and she wanted me to be a part of it. Staying for grad school was one of the best and most important decisions for my career. You’d think I was going to be in pavement management after graduate school. But no, I took a land development class during graduate school and I was hooked. In 1994, the economy was starting to ramp up and I headed south to Virginia where there was a tremendous amount of development.
Q. What trends are you seeing in DC?
It seems that every week brings a new trend. Right now everyone is talking about Opportunity Zones, Last Mile Transportation, AmazonHQ2, redevelopment and repositioning of assets, mixed used developments at Metro accessible locations. I’m very excited about the opportunities I’m seeing in both the private and public sectors. I’m looking forward to Timmons Group being involved in lots of really interesting projects.
QUICK FIRE ROUND
Q. If you were not a civil engineer, what would you be?
Archeologist
Q. When you’re not working, what are you doing?
Traveling to Penn State sporting events or to our West Virginia mountain place
Q. Who is your favorite sports team…although I think I already know the answer?
Penn State
Q. If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be?
Michelle Obama or any strong female leader
Q. Favorite project so far in your career?
I don’t have just one. I’ve been fortunate to have worked on a wide range of high-profile projects. Here are my top 5:
1.) Capital One Headquarters in Richmond, VA
2.) CarMax in Richmond, VA
3.) Cathedral Commons in Washington, DC
4.) Catholic University in Washington, DC
5.) Wegman’s on Broad Street in Richmond, VA
