Jun 29
A Common Threads Conversation: Being Your Authentic Self at Work
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A Common Threads Conversation: Being Your Authentic Self at Work
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A Common Threads Conversation: Finding Home in Culture, Community and Each Other
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Our Remarkable People: Get to Know Mamun Rashid
Mamun Rashid, lead engineer, believes curiosity is essential to creating meaningful, long-term change.
“Mamun has a strong drive to provide top-tier customer service for my team’s structural projects," said Jeff Goodwin, senior associate engineer and Mamun’s manager. “His friendly and caring nature makes him easy to work with, and both internal and external clients agree he’s the ultimate teammate. He collaborates willingly and is an excellent mentor and coach, going the extra mile to help teammates whenever possible.”
Learn more about Mamun’s career at McKinstry, his vision for a greener, healthier planet, and the importance of staying hungry to learn.
How long have you been at McKinstry? Tell us about your current role.
I joined McKinstry in 2018 as a project engineer. I was recently promoted to lead engineer, where I lead the development of energy projects, many of which support the transition of government facilities, like public schools, to clean energy. A new aspect that comes with this role is planning a project from scratch, starting at the financials. Though there may be three to four different solutions for a project, I find balance between what's most cost-effective, what’s most environmentally friendly, and what fits our client’s needs. After finding that balance, I present the solution to the client.
How did you develop an interest in your field? What was it about this path that inspired you?
I grew up in Bangladesh, which has a lot of air pollution. I had bad asthma as a kid and struggled to get outside and play sports because of how it affected my health. Twenty years ago, there weren’t many effective treatments for asthma. It got me thinking: what can I do to help other people who are struggling? At the time, I had a dream of becoming a doctor, but then I realized there were other ways I could make a difference in the world and people’s health.
In school, I learned about all the ways construction and new technologies have revolutionized the world and improved people’s lives throughout history. That inspired me to pursue a career in engineering, specifically structural engineering, because I was fascinated with buildings. I moved to the United States in 2008 to study civil engineering, starting my career in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Kansas City areas.
Now, I’m part of our team here in Portland. Though I’m not a doctor, the work I’m doing here at McKinstry is making a difference in my community by helping us build a thriving planet.
What do you like best or find most rewarding about your work? Do you have a favorite project you’ve worked on?
In previous roles at other companies, a lot of the work I designed was constructed overseas, so I wasn’t able to actually see the buildings I worked on in person. In my current role, I’m able to visit these project sites or buildings in person, and it’s amazing to see people use something I had a role in creating.
My current favorite project so far is our work with Portland Parks and Recreations, who are transitioning their facilities to cleaner energy sources. In 2023, we completed pathway lighting upgrades for several City of Portland parks in partnership with local MWDBE electrical subcontracting firm, Lalonde Electric. Projects like this speak to what drew me to the field in the first place: using engineering to make our planet healthier and cleaner. It’s great to see that the work I’m doing is making a positive impact.
When you look at our four values, which one resonates with you the most and why?
I would say Be Constantly Curious. I resonate with Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford commencement speech, where he tells people to “Stay Hungry” and “Stay Foolish.” It’s something I rewatch often, and I recently showed it to my son. It’s important to stay curious, learn new things and ask questions. Then, use that curiosity to take risks, try new things, and find new solutions, even if they don’t work out the way you planned. “Staying hungry” intellectually is what drives change in our world.
What do you do when you’re not working?
I’m a father of two kids, an 11-year-old and a 5-month-old. I couldn’t play sports as a kid because of my asthma, but I’ve always loved watching them. Soccer is one way I bond with my son. We love watching games together, and he also plays in a club. I also enjoy fishing with my friends and family. We spend a lot of weekends down at the lake or beach. I also love to go for small hikes.
Any words of wisdom or advice you can share?
I have a few life philosophies I try my best to live by, some I learned from my dad and some I learned from experience.
My dad always told me you have to do hard work to deserve good things. That’s a piece of advice that’s stuck with me, and it’s something I’m trying to instill in my son. It’s important to work toward your goals and stay focused to get where you want to go. If you don’t do the work, you won’t get the results you want.
Another philosophy I try to uphold is to not waste anything, whether it be time, money, or resources. If you aren’t wise with your money, you’ll suffer in the long run. If you don’t put your time toward the things you value, you won’t be able to reach your goals. If you waste resources, water, for example, it strains the environment and the people in your community.
Lastly, I try to say “yes” to as many opportunities as I can. You have to push yourself if you want to succeed, and it’s the only way you can grow. If I fail, I fail, but I will have learned something in the process.
Get to Know Account Executive Terrance Blakely
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Get to Know Detailing Operations Manager Mark Deschenes
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Julian Allen: Being Constantly Curious for Black History Month
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McKinstry’s Lyanda Dudley on Her Passion for Innovation That Benefits People and the Planet
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McKinstry’s David Ramsey on Renewable Energy Innovation
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