Peoria Profile
Amy Benecke-McLaren: Peoria County Highway Department
When you think of an engineer and bridge inspector, Amy Benecke McLaren probably isn't what you picture. But Benecke McLaren-head design engineer for the Peoria County Highway Department-is perfect for the job.
A native of Chicago suburb Des Plaines, Benecke McLaren was exposed to nuts and bolts early. "My family owns a small machine shop where I helped my dad after school and on school breaks," she said.
She earned a Bachelors degree in civil engineering from Bradley University in 1995 and obtained her Professional Engineer (P.E.) license in 2001. Her career took her to Peoria County soon after graduation. "I had graduated from Bradley, but my fiancé was still attending classes. I wanted to remain in the area, and I found out about the job opening from university postings."
Benecke McLaren said "routine" isn't part of her job description; adaptation is the name of the game. "In a single day I can attend a meeting downtown with top Peoria legislators and later inspect a rural bridge surrounded by cow pastures. Either setting is completely comfortable for me."
In general, she said, she designs roads, highways, bridges, and drainage structures for all county and some township roads. "In addition, I prepare all of the necessary plans, contracts, permits, and specifications for all Peoria County design projects, review consultant plans for design consistencies, as well as direct construction and maintenance work on the county roadway system. Occasionally, I serve as resident engineer for construction projects or as coordinator for community meetings and public hearings, and I'm usually the county representative and project liaison for multi-governmental feasibility studies. I'm also the Peoria County bridge inspector and a member of the Peoria-Pekin Urbanized Area Transportation Study (PPUATS) technical committee, responsible for allocating federal funding for local transportation projects."
As Peoria County Bridge Inspector, she's responsible for inspecting all bridges on township and county roads. "There are almost 200 bridges in the combined inventory, and it's federal law that bridges are to be inspected at no more than four-year intervals. This requires getting under the bridges, taking pictures, observing the bridge condition, and filling out a report for each bridge. This is, by far, my favorite responsibility. It gives me the opportunity to get away from the office, talk with local residents, and see the condition of the county highways first hand. I know what I'm doing is protecting the safety of the public. I call it the best job in Peoria County."
She said the whole process of design engineering appeals to her. "I enjoy it because you can see a project in its entirety from start to finish. You initially look at a bridge or section of road in need of improvement, design the needed repairs, watch it being reconstructed, and actually stand on the newly finished product."
Benecke McLaren said she had always wanted to go into a field that involved math and science skills, and this is a perfect fit. "In high school, I worked part time for my dad in his machine shop working on lathes, milling machines, welding, etc. I liked the hands-on technical application. My dad encouraged me to go into an engineering field in college. I don't know where I would be today if it weren't for him."
Although there still aren't a large number of women choosing engineering fields, she said civil engineering has historically had a higher percentage of women than the other engineering fields. "Today, the numbers are still low; however, in the 10 years I've spent at the Highway Department, I've seen a gradual increase in the industry locally."
Man or woman, there are certain stereotypes about engineers that Benecke McLaren isn't fond of. "There are stereotypes that we're boring, and all engineers do is sit at a desk and type at computers all day. I try to break away from being the 'typical' engineer. I try to stay involved socially and volunteer for various organizations. I try to get a better view of all our projects outside of the office. I go out and see the actual project location, and I talk to the local residents," she said.
One of the projects she's proudest of is the improvement of East Glen Avenue finished last year. "Not only did we widen the road to improve traffic flow, but we also focused on several safety issues. We wanted children to be able to get to the Peoria Heights school complex as safely as possible. This included new sidewalks, safety rails, and a new signalized intersection that emphasized pedestrian crossing. Currently, the most exciting project we're developing is the final phase of widening Airport Road from Garfield Road to Pfeiffer Road. This will be the last phase of a multiphase project for this busy roadway. Again, we're improving the safety at the adjacent schools, as well as progressing traffic flow. This also opens up the opportunity for the anticipated connection of Airport Road to IL Route 9 in the future. This will enhance access to the airport from Pekin."
The fact that no two days are the same is one of the best aspects of her job. "It's wonderful in that I can come into work expecting something completely different than the day before," Benecke McLaren said.
The biggest challenge, she said, is making the budget balance out for every project. "Each one is so diverse and pulls from many different financial sources. Tying them all together can be quite a task. It's also difficult to make residents understand that what we're doing is for their benefit. Sometimes they're so concerned about the short-term inconvenience of construction that they miss the long-term benefits to the community."
In addition to her one-year-old son, Benecke McLaren spends her free time with civic organizations. One of her favorites is the Peoria Jaycees. "It allows me to work with many different charitable organizations; I like the variety and their focus on the Peoria area. Usually, I'm most interested in becoming involved in volunteer organizations that help better the community. I get the most satisfaction from knowing I'm helping others locally." TPW
A native of Chicago suburb Des Plaines, Benecke McLaren was exposed to nuts and bolts early. "My family owns a small machine shop where I helped my dad after school and on school breaks," she said.
She earned a Bachelors degree in civil engineering from Bradley University in 1995 and obtained her Professional Engineer (P.E.) license in 2001. Her career took her to Peoria County soon after graduation. "I had graduated from Bradley, but my fiancé was still attending classes. I wanted to remain in the area, and I found out about the job opening from university postings."
Benecke McLaren said "routine" isn't part of her job description; adaptation is the name of the game. "In a single day I can attend a meeting downtown with top Peoria legislators and later inspect a rural bridge surrounded by cow pastures. Either setting is completely comfortable for me."
In general, she said, she designs roads, highways, bridges, and drainage structures for all county and some township roads. "In addition, I prepare all of the necessary plans, contracts, permits, and specifications for all Peoria County design projects, review consultant plans for design consistencies, as well as direct construction and maintenance work on the county roadway system. Occasionally, I serve as resident engineer for construction projects or as coordinator for community meetings and public hearings, and I'm usually the county representative and project liaison for multi-governmental feasibility studies. I'm also the Peoria County bridge inspector and a member of the Peoria-Pekin Urbanized Area Transportation Study (PPUATS) technical committee, responsible for allocating federal funding for local transportation projects."
As Peoria County Bridge Inspector, she's responsible for inspecting all bridges on township and county roads. "There are almost 200 bridges in the combined inventory, and it's federal law that bridges are to be inspected at no more than four-year intervals. This requires getting under the bridges, taking pictures, observing the bridge condition, and filling out a report for each bridge. This is, by far, my favorite responsibility. It gives me the opportunity to get away from the office, talk with local residents, and see the condition of the county highways first hand. I know what I'm doing is protecting the safety of the public. I call it the best job in Peoria County."
She said the whole process of design engineering appeals to her. "I enjoy it because you can see a project in its entirety from start to finish. You initially look at a bridge or section of road in need of improvement, design the needed repairs, watch it being reconstructed, and actually stand on the newly finished product."
Benecke McLaren said she had always wanted to go into a field that involved math and science skills, and this is a perfect fit. "In high school, I worked part time for my dad in his machine shop working on lathes, milling machines, welding, etc. I liked the hands-on technical application. My dad encouraged me to go into an engineering field in college. I don't know where I would be today if it weren't for him."
Although there still aren't a large number of women choosing engineering fields, she said civil engineering has historically had a higher percentage of women than the other engineering fields. "Today, the numbers are still low; however, in the 10 years I've spent at the Highway Department, I've seen a gradual increase in the industry locally."
Man or woman, there are certain stereotypes about engineers that Benecke McLaren isn't fond of. "There are stereotypes that we're boring, and all engineers do is sit at a desk and type at computers all day. I try to break away from being the 'typical' engineer. I try to stay involved socially and volunteer for various organizations. I try to get a better view of all our projects outside of the office. I go out and see the actual project location, and I talk to the local residents," she said.
One of the projects she's proudest of is the improvement of East Glen Avenue finished last year. "Not only did we widen the road to improve traffic flow, but we also focused on several safety issues. We wanted children to be able to get to the Peoria Heights school complex as safely as possible. This included new sidewalks, safety rails, and a new signalized intersection that emphasized pedestrian crossing. Currently, the most exciting project we're developing is the final phase of widening Airport Road from Garfield Road to Pfeiffer Road. This will be the last phase of a multiphase project for this busy roadway. Again, we're improving the safety at the adjacent schools, as well as progressing traffic flow. This also opens up the opportunity for the anticipated connection of Airport Road to IL Route 9 in the future. This will enhance access to the airport from Pekin."
The fact that no two days are the same is one of the best aspects of her job. "It's wonderful in that I can come into work expecting something completely different than the day before," Benecke McLaren said.
The biggest challenge, she said, is making the budget balance out for every project. "Each one is so diverse and pulls from many different financial sources. Tying them all together can be quite a task. It's also difficult to make residents understand that what we're doing is for their benefit. Sometimes they're so concerned about the short-term inconvenience of construction that they miss the long-term benefits to the community."
In addition to her one-year-old son, Benecke McLaren spends her free time with civic organizations. One of her favorites is the Peoria Jaycees. "It allows me to work with many different charitable organizations; I like the variety and their focus on the Peoria area. Usually, I'm most interested in becoming involved in volunteer organizations that help better the community. I get the most satisfaction from knowing I'm helping others locally." TPW