Member Mondays - Leonidia Garbis, P.E. (NY, CA)

How Many Years A CREWNY Member?
4 

Fun Fact:
I volunteered as Acting School and Staff Coordinator for the Greek School of Plato, a non-for-profit Greek language, history and cultural program in Brooklyn (and one of my alma-maters), for two years while we looked for a qualified Principal. During my time there I got to spend a lot of time with the children and getting them to love Greek culture and traditions. 

How do you bring value to your company?
I have a combined background in engineering, architecture, and real estate which along with my eight years of building enclosure consulting experience and teamwork at SGH, gives me the unique ability to relate with our various types of clients, understand their needs and assist with finding the best solutions for their particular situation. 

What about CRE ignites your passion?
Every day of consulting at SGH on new or existing buildings presents a new challenge and no two days are ever the same even on the same project site. I am constantly learning, working on various small and large projects throughout NY and sometimes internationally, and I get to spend a significant amount of time out in the field. After completing a double Bachelor of Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Civil Engineering and Architectural Building Technology while also completing a Master of Engineering in High Performance Structures, this is the perfect career. Keeping me busy, never bored and never under-challenged. 

What advice would you give your younger self?
Do not be in such a hurry to be an “adult” and dive into a career, because once you do, time seems to move faster and certainly never stops. Spend more time traveling, exploring new hobbies/skills, and learning outside of the office; those skills are just as valuable in life and harder to acquire in adulthood.