Lara Bartholomew
President
Lara Bartholomew is a graduate of Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. It was at Purdue that Lara joined SWE as a student member and was involved with the Newsletter. During her professional days in Indianapolis, she participated in several outreach programs with Girls, Inc. and ultimately became the Membership Chair. It was that year that she attended her first region and national conference. The following year, she moved to the Tampa area where, career came first. In recent years, she has been privileged to be the Professional Development Coordinator for FY2009 & FY2010 while also serving as FY2010 Secretary. Lara looks forward to a new year and all the opportunities to help revitalize the section and provide opportunities for women in the profession of engineering. SWE has provided so many opportunities for her over the years to learn skills that no other organization could provide. She is also grateful for the support of her employer, King Engineering, in taking on additional responsibility and leadership within SWE Tampa Bay.
Lara is originally from Valparaiso, Indiana and moved to St Petersburg seven yearsago. She has worked both in government and private industry in positions from project engineer to senior project manager, working on most aspects of infrastructure while specializing in stormwater drainage. She is currently working in the environmental engineering department for King Engineering in Tampa, while supplementing her on the job training with some classes at USF. Lara is a member ASCE, a lifetime Purdue Alumni Association member, and chair of her homeowner’s Architectural Review Committee. In her free time, she loves spending time with her friends and cat, traveling, going to the beach, and scuba diving.
Tara Spieler
Vice President
Tara Spieler is a Senior Drainage Design Engineer at Kisinger Campo & Associates(KCA) since 2001. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering witha specialization in Water Resources, a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology anda Master of Science degree in Geology from the University of South Florida. She isa registered Professional Engineer in both Florida and Georgia and has 15 yearsof experience in drainage design and permitting. Prior to joining KCA she workedat BCI Engineers & Scientists for six years. Ms. Spieler is an active member of theSociety of Women Engineers (SWE) and the American Society of Civil Engineers(ASCE). She enjoys golfing, fishing and working on home improvement projects.
Seung Yi Park, P.E.
Treasurer
I feel very honored to be given this opportunity to introduce myself to the Tampa Bay SWE community. I have been the SWE TBA Section Treasurer since our charter. I hold great pride in being a charter member of our section and it is great to see our section grow each year.
My experiences with SWE have been very educational. I always learn something new, even at our shortest meetings, and I truly love that about our organization. For example, I thoroughly enjoyed being a coach for our First Lego League team (http://www.firstlegoleague.org) in 2001. SWE TBA sponsored a robotics team of all girls from the Pinellas County Youth Engineering Society to participate in the First Lego League. Our challenge was to build a robot with Lego parts and program it to carry out the given challenge missions. When we first began, no one in our team, including myself, was familiar with robotics. However, we became a bit more familiar with the concept as the team met each week and practiced building the robot and programming various functions. Although the team did not win any local or state competitions, it was a great learning experience for the entire team. This is what I like about SWE!
I am the Chief Planning Engineer at the City of Tampa Water Department. Previous to this position, I worked for an engineering consulting firm in Tampa. In over 10 years of professional experience, I have had great opportunities to work on various civil and environmental engineering projects ranging from stormwater drainage improvement design to reclaimed water master planning.
It’s a bit challenging from time to time to balance family and work; but with the right attitude, a good set of priorities, and great family support (you really need this one), the balancing act can be handled. I thank my family for all their love and support, because without them, I would not have come this far.
I would like to end with one of my favorite quotes from American Poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
I invite all of those who read this newsletter to come out and be a part of this organization! Let’s leave a trail!
Shelly Castro-Sanchioni
Secretary
Shelly Castro-Sanchioni is a Senior Engineer in the Operations Planning department at Tampa Electric Company (TEC) and is responsible for directing short-term resource availability, fleet optimization, and overall operating and business performance. Prior to joining the Operations Planning department, Shelly worked in TEC’s Environmental, Health & Safety department as an Air Compliance Engineer. Notable is her 23 years of service with Tampa Electric Company as she began her career as a high school student and worked her way up through several positions over the years. She also serves at the Secretary for the Society of Women Engineers, Tampa Bay Chapter and is an active member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Shelly holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of South Florida. In her spare time, she is pursuing a Master in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management from Saint Leo University. She is the proud mother of two children and spends time with them swimming, reading, and roller skating.
Tara Spieler is a Senior Drainage Design Engineer at Kisinger Campo & Associates(KCA) since 2001. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering witha specialization in Water Resources, a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology anda Master of Science degree in Geology from the University of South Florida. She isa registered Professional Engineer in both Florida and Georgia and has 15 yearsof experience in drainage design and permitting. Prior to joining KCA she workedat BCI Engineers & Scientists for six years. Ms. Spieler is an active member of theSociety of Women Engineers (SWE) and the American Society of Civil Engineers(ASCE). She enjoys golfing, fishing and working on home improvement projects.
Malika Risley – Webmaster
I hold Bachelors in Chemical Engineering degree from University of South Florida, class of 2002. My early professional experience includes working for The Mosaic Company as an engineering co-op and a process engineer. In 2006 I decided to leave professional world in order to take care of my young family. During my “career as a housewife” I was dabbing in blogging and internet marketing. In early 2011 I resumed my career as an environmental compliance process engineer at Mosaic. I am also in the process of completing my Masters in Civil Engineering degree from the University of South Florida.
I find myself to be very busy in the midst of taking care of my two young kids and working full time. But, when I do find some spare time, I love cooking, entertaining, blogging, doing yoga and volunteering for SWE. You can learn more about me at malikarisley.com. Hope to see you around!
