In her own words: Melissa Lindell of Wood Rodgers

Northern Nevada Business Weekly: Tell us a little about your company.

Melissa Lindell: Wood Rodgers, Inc. was established in 1997 as a two-man civil engineering company by Rich Wood and Mark Rodgers. The firm has grown to offer a multitude of services in civil, geotechnical, environmental, structural and transportation engineering; water resources; land use planning; GIS, surveying and mapping; and landscape architecture. Wood Rodgers has offices in Sacramento, Oakland, Boise and Reno with over 190 talented employees. The Reno office includes a staff of 65 and focuses on public works and land development projects in Nevada and Northern California including in the Lake Tahoe Basin and renewable energy projects throughout the west.

NNBW: What role do you play?

Lindell: As a principal, I am heavily involved in business development, as well as planning and due-diligence efforts for new projects. I work with private and public sector clients. My responsibilities include working closely with agency staff, as well as appointed and elected officials throughout the planning process. I often represent clients at public hearings.

NNBW: How did you get into this profession?

Lindell: I took planning and urban studies classes in college but really didn't know anything about the planning profession. A classmate had an internship with a local governmental planning agency and encouraged me to apply. From that job, my interests continued and I obtained a masters degree in city and regional planning.

NNBW: What is something no one knows about your job?

Lindell: It takes a lot of compromise, patience and a very thick skin. I represent a lot of developers, and development is not always well received by nearby residents. You can't take it personally when people are abusive and disrespectful to you because you are working on a project that they don't want to see in their area.

NNBW: If you could have had any other profession what would it have been? Why wasn't it your first choice?

Lindell: I would have enjoyed being a land use/real estate attorney. I like the legal aspects of planning and land use and enjoy working with attorneys on strategies and negotiations. By the time I figured that out, I was well established in Reno and my career and wasn't ready to move out of the area for law school.

NNBW: Do you have a favorite vacation memory?

Lindell: Most definitely! The first trip I took to Europe with my husband in 1986 was fantastic. We rented a car and traveled around for a month exploring various countries. There were no cell phones and not as many people seemed to speak English. It was fun to negotiate our way around with a somewhat loose agenda.

NNBW: Of all the things you learned from your parents, which do you feel was the most valuable?

Lindell: My parents stressed the importance of maintaining close family ties and loving each other unconditionally.

NNBW: What is the quirkiest or oddest job you've ever had?

Lindell: I have had some fun ones. During college I taught skiing so I was able to ski a lot for free. One summer I was a counselor at an exclusive camp where Barbara Eden's daughter was a camper. The counselors got to do everything the campers did so we basically water skied, sailed, backpacked and rode horses every day, then looked for exciting things to do at night after the campers went to bed.

NNBW: What person, living or dead, would you most like to have dinner with, and why?

Lindell: I would love to have a long dinner with my mom. She passed away over 13 years ago and I miss her dearly. There are a lot of things I would like to talk to her about, especially raising a teenager.

NNBW: What's the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Lindell: Go to college, have fun but be responsible, pursue your dreams and get a degree.

NNBW: What is the one thing you most want people to remember about you?

Lindell: I hope that I am considered to be a true friend and a caring wife and mother.

The basics:

Name: Melissa Lindell, principal, Wood Rodgers, Inc.

How long have you been in this job? Almost 5 years

How long in the profession? I have over 30 years of professional experience

Education: B.S. urban studies from UC Davis and master of city and regional planning from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville

Best book you've read? "The Mummy" by Anne Rice

What's on your iPod? A lot from the '70s such as Fleetwood Mac, Eagles and Dave Mason, plus artists like Jack Johnson, Norah Jones, Nickelback, Greenday, Sno Patrol, David Gray and Tracy Chapman

The best movie ever? "Casablanca"

Do you have a nickname? Mupp, Muppy, Mupper (long story) and Mel