Turning Plans into Places: A CEI Podcast

About Turning Plans into Places: A CEI Podcast

Turning Plans into Places is a podcast by CEI Engineering Associates, where we explore the people, projects, and perspectives shaping the future of civil engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture, and site development across the United States. In each episode, we dive into the real-world challenges and creative solutions behind the work we do, whether it's retail, fueling and convenience store development, outdoor recreation, municipal transportation, or sports facility engineering. Our expert guests break down the details, share industry insights, and highlight how CEI's integrated approach delivers smarter, more resilient places. But this podcast is more than just technical talk. We also shine a spotlight on CEI's company culture—the people behind the plans. From entry-level stories to leadership journeys, remote work experiences to mentorship moments, we'll explore what makes CEI a dynamic, connected team that values innovation, collaboration, and community. Whether you're a client, industry partner, future employee, or just curious about the infrastructure that supports everyday life, this podcast is your invitation to go behind the scenes with CEI. Subscribe and follow as we turn plans into places, one conversation at a time.

Publisher

CEI Engineering Associates

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 Aug 2025

Latest episode

2 Dec 2025

Latest episodes

7 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Dec 2025

   Ep. 7 - Fields That Last: Engineering Beyond the Turf

   Great facilities don’t start with green fibers; they start with a base that never blinks. We sit down with Jeff Bresee and John Valastro to unpack how sports engineering transforms fields from maintenance headaches into safe, durable, multi-sport assets. From those early, painful turf installs to post-flood recoveries that reopen in 24 hours, we trace what actually keeps lines straight, balls true, and athletes protected: soils, drainage, and a design tailored to the site and the sport. Jeff...

2. 

   4 Nov 2025

   Ep. 6 – Connecting Cities, One Trail at a Time

   What if a trail wasn’t just a trail, but the backbone of a region’s daily life? We share the inside story of the Razorback Greenway, how a community sketch along creeks became a 40-mile corridor that connects neighborhoods to schools, jobs, parks, and local businesses across Northwest Arkansas. We start with the spark: Fayetteville’s early FAT Plan, a homegrown construction crew, and design lessons learned the hard way, wood decks swapped for concrete, weathering steel that lasts, and widths...

3. 

   14 Oct 2025

   Ep. 5 - Visibility, Access, Zoning: The Site Trio

   Want to know why a “perfect” parcel can still be a bad site? We dig into the real-world checklist that makes fueling and convenience projects work: traffic that actually converts, access that moves cars and trucks safely, zoning that survives politics, utilities that show up on time, and visibility that pulls travelers off the highway. With national fueling expert Alex Fuller and sector leader Jim Tredwell, we share the tools, tactics, and cautionary tales that separate winners from write-off...

4. 

   30 Sept 2025

   Ep. 4 - Intern to Insider

   Finding your professional path isn't always straightforward, something Tristan Smith discovered firsthand during his remarkable three-year internship journey with CEI Engineering Associates. What began as a mechanical engineering dream inspired by Iron Man and Legos transformed into a passionate pursuit of civil engineering through hands-on experience that classroom learning could never provide. The conversation reveals how Tristan's early survey team experiences, machete in hand, clearing p...

5. 

   23 Sept 2025

   Ep. 3 - Trained, Tested, Trusted

   What does it really take to grow from an entry-level position to leadership? In this candid conversation with Nick Degan, CAD Manager at CEI Engineering, we uncover the surprisingly human elements that fuel professional development in the design and engineering world. Nick's story begins with a leap of faith – transitioning from mechanical engineering to civil design without prior experience. "I came in knowing nothing about civil engineering," he admits, reflecting on his 14-year journey th...

6. 

   2 Sept 2025

   Ep. 2 - A Career Reinvented at CEI

   Career paths rarely follow a straight line. Kevin Hall's journey from aircraft mechanic to Director of Technical Services at CEI Engineering demonstrates how unexpected detours can lead to remarkable professional growth when paired with curiosity and determination. After being laid off from his job at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, Kevin faced a critical decision. Rather than relocating, he chose to stay in an area he had grown to love. Through an unconventional connection at the u...

7. 

   12 Aug 2025

   Ep. 1 - The Key to Project Success

   Successful fueling and convenience store development hinges on masterful pre-development planning. The foundation of your project's success isn't just about selecting prime real estate—it's about understanding the complex dance of regulations, community concerns, and technical requirements before breaking ground. Our expert panel from CEI unpacks the critical elements that can make or break your next convenience store project. Jim Tredwell shares wisdom gained from 30+ years overseeing proje...

Contact Turning Plans into Places: A CEI Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.