Meet Water/Wastewater Practice Group Leader Casey Patton

When he isn’t working on home-improvement projects or tending his hobby farm, Casey Patton leads ISG’s Water/Wastewater Practice Group Leader, serving the communities of Iowa and beyond. Read more below to learn about public works at ISG and how the water/wastewater practice group leader spends his time outside work.

What public works projects do you enjoy working on at ISG?

I’ve liked the projects I’ve worked on in Des Moines on 2nd, 3rd, and now 4th Streets. Those are the big, exciting projects that are close to my home. It’s rewarding to drive by and see them in action. It is equally as rewarding to serve the rural cities in Iowa by helping them make the most of their needs or opportunities. This fall, ISG assisted the City of Story City with replacing the lights on their baseball diamonds, so I can’t wait to hear about their first night game next year and what a difference the lights make for them. Now that they have fully illuminated fields, I hope the kids are going to feel like all-star players.

What is something about participating in public works projects that would surprise others?

Public works is all the infrastructure that makes a city or town function. It’s providing safe, clean drinking water and being able to turn around that water or waste, clean it, and put back into the environment safely. It’s handling the streets that get us to where we want to go. It’s managing the stormwater and other utilities—everything that a city depends on a day-to-day basis and that public works has some sort of connection to.

What’s your favorite part of working in the new Des Moines office space?

I previously worked in an office that wasn’t designed by architects or interior designers, so being in an office that is designed by professionals makes a world of difference. Other than the people that make ISG, being able to come to an office that was professionally designed is my favorite part.

What kind of project would you love to work on in the future?

While ISG has been involved in public works for quite a while, I would like to continue building ISG’s presence within our four-state geographical area. I believe our best opportunity to improve communities and lives is to expand the support to the small, rural communities, because they have tremendous needs that we, as ISG, can bring our ingenuity and abilities to find ways to help communities stretch their dollars further.

Where are some places you want to travel?

My wife and I love national parks. Last summer, we got the family together in southern Utah and hiked Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon. Although, I love visiting big cities too, especially learning about their history by visiting museums, and taking walking tours.

What are some things you want to accomplish in the next five years?

As my wife and I transition into becoming empty nesters, we want to check more national parks off our bucket list. We are hoping to vacation in Europe in the next few years. We also have a 27-acre hobby farm south of Des Moines, so there is a lot of work to keep us busy there. There are no animals on the farm yet, but we would love to build a home out there and have animals around someday.

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