A Lifetime of Engineering Excellence: Q&A with Federal Portfolio Director and Retired U.S. Navy Captain Jake Washington

It sounds like you bring a military perspective to everything you do. In what ways can Jacobs help the DoD conserve resources and overcome logistical challenges?

Our military's real estate and energy footprints are huge - likely the largest of any single entity in our country. Training and operations, as well as planning, designing and constructing defense facilities and infrastructure, are connected to the health and resilience of the natural environment. At Jacobs, we lead the way in these areas. We are developing nature-based planning and design criteria, identifying ecological project solutions and exploring strategies for the electrification of base infrastructure and vehicle fleets. We draw out the requirements of each unique project and shape an optimized, unique solution that meets or exceeds the end customer's needs. This promotes first-time project success, optimized production and logistical speed across all supported federal agencies.

How can Jacobs help prepare installations for mission readiness?

Jacobs' focus on fully capturing programming and preliminary design requirements, and establishing comprehensive cost and schedule risk analysis programs, can reduce unexpected cost growth while increasing approval of key projects to achieve mission capability. Additionally, working closely with cost experts to monitor local market conditions, prudently applying cost escalation factors and partnering effectively with designers and builders minimizes the risk for all stakeholders, promoting end-to-end project cost and schedule efficiency.

Can you tell us about a memorable military project experience?

Probably the most memorable project experience for me was the culminating activity of my command tour at NAVFAC Midwest (MV), when I had the honor of commissioning the Navy's lone enlisted recruitment campus in 2012, the revitalized Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois. I had previously served at NAVFAC MW from 1997 - 2000, during which I helped build the budget and initiate the planning and design strategy to revitalize the WW II era "Boot Camp." Over the ensuing decade, we rebuilt the campus from the ground up. During my command tour, I was honored to commission the final projects and host an inaugural celebration for the entire campus. Great Lakes is known as the Quarterdeck of the Navy, because every enlisted Sailor must pass through on their journey to service.