Austin Engineering isn’t only proud of the work we provide for our clients but the expert engineers that make that work happen! And to show our appreciation for everything our engineers do, Austin Engineering wants to highlight some of our most dedicated team members. We aim to spotlight the individuals that have and continue to contribute to Austin Engineering’s success. And to kick our Employee Spotlights off, we are shouting out Dan Muhs, the lead engineer of Austin Engineering’s Chattanooga office!
Dan Muhs began his career with Austin Engineering in August of 1996, fresh off earning his degree from the University of Illinois. Dan started as an Engineer Intern with Austin, after which he quickly transitioned to a leadership role once securing his professional engineering license in 2000.
For 15 years, Dan was an integral part of the Austin Engineering team in Peoria, working as a Professional Engineer with experience in land development, public utility design, roadway design, and stormwater management. However, it was in 2016 when Dan first parted ways with Austin Engineering, moving to his current home in Chattanooga, TN.
As fate would have it, Austin Engineering’s plans for expansion into Tennessee brought Dan back onto the team! In the fall of 2021, Austin Engineering welcomed Dan Muhs back as the manager and lead engineer for our newly established Chattanooga office.
Early Life: Dan spent much of his upbringing learning aspects of farming and carpentry from his father. Working summers with his uncle installing truck scales, Dan was able to pay most of his way through college.
Present Day: Dan has been happily married to his beautiful wife, Charity, for the better part of 27 years. They have three children: Noah, a nurse in Chattanooga; Hannah, a high school senior; and Elijah, who sadly passed a few years previous.
Hobbies: Dan enjoys hiking the numerous Tennessee trails with his son, Noah. Additionally, Dan has spent the last few years coaching softball for his daughter and her softball team.
“There was a retired employee of Austin Engineering, Jack Quinn. Jack worked at Austin Engineering forever ago and retired five years after I started at Austin Engineering. However, I learned so much about my profession from Jack in those five years. I was very fortunate to walk into a company that had an experienced engineer I was able to learn from.”
“Be respectful of everyone and pay attention to detail. It’s easy to get cynical in engineering because we sometimes have to work within rules and requirements that don’t always fit the real world. However, we must work within those rules that sometimes don’t make sense. And so the challenge is to make sense out of those regulations. Try to keep a picture of the whole project rather than getting wrapped up in one issue. And don’t get upset about the things you can’t control. Treat the people you work with kindly, and you’ll find them more willing to work with you.”
What is your favorite vacation spot? – “Glacier National Park. I’ve been there once, and it was, by far, one of the coolest places I’ve ever been. It’s called the ‘hiker’s paradise.’”
If you could choose a Super Power, what would it be and why? – “Time travel! I want to go back and talk to Adam and Eve and get more information there. I’d actually like to go back and see all the Bible characters, talk to them, and get relevancy in history. Obviously, it’d be cool to go to the future as well.”
What’s Your Favorite Joke? – “My favorite joke is also my late son, Ellijah’s favorite. What do you call a cow with no legs?… Ground beef!”
Thank You, Dan, for your years with Austin Engineering and the incredible work you’ve contributed! We couldn’t be happier to have you rejoin Austin Engineering as the head of our new Chattanooga Team!
