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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
As part of our Member Appreciation Program, we are showcasing a member in our bi-monthly Board Member Spotlight. Our member spotlight recognizes members for their outstanding contributions to the profession and our local communities. For any questions regarding the program please email PastPresident@ymf-oc.org.
March/April
2025
INTRODUCING
Giovanni Hernandez
EIT
Assistant Engineer
Riverside County Flood Control & Water Conservation District
Treasurer
ASCE Orange County Younger Member Forum
PERSONAL LIFE
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Chino, California.
What made you want to become an engineer?
Growing up I always looked up to my uncle who was a Mechanical Engineer and I loved Legos. Since then I knew that I wanted to do something within the Engineering field. When I attended high school I took a class called PLTW that showed me all the different kinds of engineering that is out there and I felt that Civil Engineering was the type of Engineering for me since I could have a direct impact within the community.
Favorite hobbies, sports, and interests outside of engineering?
Hobbies: Traveling, trying different restaurants, landscaping, photography. Sports: Baseball; favorite team is Dodgers.
Finish this sentence: On Sunday mornings, you can usually find me...
going to church and hanging out with my family.
What college(s) did you attend? Can you list your degrees, any honors, and involvement in engineering organizations during school?
I attended Cal Poly Pomona and graduated with a Civil Engineering degree with an Environmental Option. I graduated with Cum Laude and was involved in the ASCE Student Chapter, ITE, and Chi Epsilon.
WORK & PROFESSIONAL LIFE
Describe your responsibilities and some significant projects.
I am currently placed in the Federal Projects section where my agency is the local sponsor of a major Capital Improvement Project for Murrieta Creek Channel within the City of Temecula/Murrieta. I am currently the point of contact between Riverside County Flood Control and the Army Corps of Civil Engineers to ensure that this Army Corps project gets constructed. My responsibilities are to plan check all plans and specs from the Army Corps and to coordinate with the local cities, utility's, and municipalities that are within the project area to ensure the project moves forward smoothly. I recently rotated out of Operations Engineering as of the beginning of January where I was working on various different repair projects. Some being sediment removal projects from channels, a project charter, a sinkhole road repair project, and a channel armoring project (designed bollards at the mouth of a channel).
What project are you currently working on and what have you accomplished/what are your tasks?
Currently I am currently leading the effort of being a local sponsor to the Army Corps of Engineers for the Murrieta Creek Phase 2B Project that is located within the City of Temecula. I have accomplished in my short time in this position 1 utility relocation, plan and spec check of the overall project plans, and successful coordination with local the local cities and utility agencies. As a result of this coordination, I have helped Riverside County Flood allow the Corps to stay on schedule and advertise the project on time. My tasks now are to ensure that the next phases of the project are planned and designed accordingly. This involves coordinating with the cities of Temecula and Murrieta, utility agencies, and local public groups to aid the Corps to design a channel improvement that will better serve the community.
What is your favorite part about being a Civil Engineer?
My favorite part of being a Civil Engineer is that I can make an impact to the wider community. By performing my job I am aiding in the effort of protecting Riverside County residents from large rain events and its effects.
What skills do you find most valuable to focus on in your career?
The most important skill that I have found valuable within my career is communication. Regardless on what project that I am working on, all of them have required good communication to ensure the project will move in the right direction.
What drew you to your specific career path? If you could start your career differently, what would you do differently?
What drew me to work on the water side of Civil Engineering is my fascination with the movement of water. With the vast water infrastructure network that has been constructed within the State of California, I have since college wanted to be apart of improving this system. I would not do anything different than where I am currently right now. I enjoy what I do and the constant challenge that I face every day in the office keeps me interested in the work that I do.
ASCE & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
How/Why did you get involved? Why did you choose to stay involved?
I continued my involvement in ASCE to give back to the students and young professionals since I was once a student and young professional that just entered their career. I chose to be an officer so I am directly involved in being apart of creating a welcoming and inviting environment for the OC YMF members.
How has ASCE impacted your work and/or what is your favorite benefit of your involvement?
ASCE has allowed me to broaden my network, team building and leadership skills. A majority of the leadership at my work has been a board member of ASCE sometime within their time of being a student or professional and has allowed me to have a better relationship with those personnel simply because of my current involvement in ASCE. My favorite benefit of my involvement is that everything that I do for YMF benefits all of its members and colleges that fall within Orange County.
Who is someone you Admire and Why?
I admire my grandparents on both sides of my family. One side is a military family where my grandpa fought in the Vietnam War and fought for his country while my other set of grandparents fled the communist county of Cuba with only the cloths they had on their backs. Both sets of grandparents have taught me that there is nothing too big that you can't conquer if you invest fully into it. By listening to their stories and hearing about their sacrifices that they have made, it has only made me more determined to be a better person within the world and try and make a difference.
If you have one piece of advice to give to young professionals what would it be?
To get involved in as many things as you can, if that be in clubs at your college, competition teams, internships, getting a job, or getting involved in the wider community. The more involved you get, the bigger your network will be and in my opinion the better of an engineer you will become due to the different perspectives you will develop on a variety of situations.
Lastly, what would be your personal motto?
Go for it!
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