Fast 15: Allen Deaver

As a kid, Allen Deaver wanted to be a park ranger. In school, he gravitated toward his math and science classes. Soon he merged those interests, and the idea of becoming a civil engineer began to percolate.

He spent four years at Arkansas State University studying his intended vocation. At first, he thought he might get stuck at a desk designing buildings, but instead he became a team leader who focuses on public works projects.

“We [engineers] are basically professional problem solvers,” he said.

As a team leader, Deaver manages a group of 10 people. The group focuses on all types of projects, including roads, drainage, land development, bridges, water systems and more. He’s been working as a civil engineer for about eight years.

Some of those recent projects include a large road expansion of a major road in Fort Smith, a lengthening of a runway at the city’s airport, and the construction of a roundabout and road extension in Springdale. The group is also involved in the design of a 3-mile swath of trail in the Fort Smith Maybranch Greenway, a multiuse trail system in the city.

“I found my niche in civil engineering,” he said. “My role is ensuring the team is being efficient … and productive. Our goal, at the end of the day, is to ensure we get the best results for our clients.”

People who are not familiar with what civil engineers do might be surprised about what their No. 1 task is: the management of water, Deaver said. Nearly every project they work on has a water element to it, and the goal is to manage the water away from certain places and structures.

Is there anything about the job that has surprised him during the past eight years?

“Didn’t anticipate myself designing parking lots, but I enjoy it,” he said. “I think what we do at the end of the day is we manage the flow of water. We’re protecting infrastructure. … I didn’t want to get stuck at a desk a lot … working on public works projects means I’m not stuck at a desk a lot.”