Andrea Ameden
30 | Water Resources Engineer, Water Resources Engineer
Residence: Bennington
Career highlight: I am most proud of my work managing environmental permit compliance for ski resort and utility infrastructure projects across Vermont. My work ranged from ski lift replacements with over 40 acres of steep-slope earth disturbance to dam rehabilitations and transmission line upgrades. I navigated delicate environmental constraints and regulatory frameworks, guiding projects through planning, design, and construction within the flood hazard area, river corridor, shorelines, and wetlands. Balancing the need to protect both critical infrastructure and Vermont’s natural resources, sometimes in unpredictable field conditions, is what I am most proud of.
Community involvement: As sitting President of the ASCE Vermont Section, I work to connect civil engineers across the state, host technical development forums, and coordinate educational panels to strengthen our local engineering community.
Locally, I serve as a volunteer member on the Winhall Public Safety Facility Committee evaluating municipal building renovation plans, and co-founded Save Rural Vermont to lead public educational discussions on land use legislation. I also annually host hands-on engineering activities for local elementary students.
Motivation for living and working in Vermont: Born and raised in Vermont, my travels only deepened my connection to our tight-knit community and pulled me back home. I was inspired to pursue civil engineering after witnessing the destruction of Hurricane Irene in 2011, and I am proud to practice engineering in our state and help Vermonters navigate complex land use challenges.
Favorite part of your job: My favorite part of my job is helping average people with complex engineering and environmental challenges. Civil engineers design silent, reliable infrastructure to operate seamlessly in the background. There’s a quiet pride in solving the high-stakes technical problems that are invisible to most people.
Best career advice: “Judgement comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgement.”
Learning from our mistakes is the only way to get better.
Tell us something fun about yourself that few people know: Few people know that I thru-hiked the 273-mile Long Trail in 2020. Finishing that trail taught me more about endurance and appreciation for basic comforts than almost anything else.
What would most people be surprised to learn about you? Most people are surprised to learn that my family lives off the land, sourcing almost all our meat almost exclusively from hunting deer, bear, and wild turkey. This gives us a direct and meaningful connection to our food, and sits alongside a broader passion I hold wildlife conservation and habitat management.
What three words best describe you: Dedicated, empathetic, and resilient.
Favorite Vermont escape: Autumn hunting season is my ultimate Vermont escape, downtime activity, and favorite season all in one. Most days, I don’t see anything, maybe a squirrel or a blue jay, but sitting in a treestand is the most peaceful place to reset my mind and heart. And, nothing makes you appreciate basic essentials more than being exposed to freezing Vermont weather for hours.
Favorite smell: My favorite smell is my Mom’s kitchen on any given holiday, but Thanksgiving is my favorite.
Person you would most like to share a Vermont beverage with: The person I’d most like to share a Vermont beverage with is Governor Deane C. Davis, the architect behind Act 250, Vermont’s Land Use Law. It would be great to compare today’s development pressures with those of the late 1960s and discuss how the true spirit of this land use law can best serve Vermont’s modern infrastructure needs.
If you had unlimited access to funds, which cause(s) would you support: The cause I would support is stabilizing struggling Vermont dairy and meat farms (and helping startup farms.) Alongside this, I’d establish farm-to-table education for children centered on farming, ethical hunting, and hands-on processing to ground the next generation in where real food comes from and how to preserve and utilize as much of the animal as possible.
Where do you see yourself professionally in the next 5-10 years: In the next 5-10 years I’d like to expand my practice in hydraulics and hydrology to better prepare Vermont communities for flood risks. Alongside flood resiliency, I want to keep providing the stormwater, wastewater, and site design engineering needed to revitalize dormant brownfield properties.
What career goal(s) would you like to accomplish in the next 5-10 years: The career goals I’d like to accomplish in the next 5-10 years are to connect engineers statewide to drive collaborative solutions for Vermont’s infrastructure challenges and needed regulatory reform. My other goal is to mentor young engineers and build supportive professional environments that encourage recent graduates to stay and build their careers here.
What’s the ideal next move for you in your career: Realizing ambitious goals requires a sustainable pace, my priority is to practice a better work-life balance to avoid burning the candle at both ends.
Drawing on your experiences, what advice would you give to someone looking to get involved in community service: Just start showing up. A small amount of consistent effort by an individual, when multiplied across a community, creates a massive impact over time.