Colton McInelly

We got to know Colton and his diligent work ethic when he interned for GeoEngineers for three consecutive summers while he studied at the University of Washington. He started out in the lab and moved into field work during his final summer as an intern. We liked Colton, and Colton liked us, so we had a full-time geotechnical engineer position waiting for him after graduation.

“The people I worked with were very knowledgeable and friendly, and I really appreciated it,” Colton says. “GeoEngineers is also one of the most well respected geotechnical engineering firms in the area, and I could not pass up an opportunity to work here and be a part of the innovative and cutting-edge things we do.”

Colton is often the hands and eyes of a project, and spends time in the field observing construction and performing exploratory drilling. It was in the lab, though, that Colton first connected with the soil and found his geotechnical inspiration.

“Working in the Redmond lab at GeoEngineers really gave me insight into the field and helped me realize how important soil properties are when it comes to engineering structures,” Colton says. “I like how variable and unpredictable soils are and that really led my interest in pursuing geotechnical engineering.”

Even when he’s not working, Colton tends to stay outside. During the winter he enjoys skiing in the Cascades, and in the summer he’s often out hunting, fishing, playing basketball or football, and hiking with family and friends.