Albert Martinez has more than three decades of experience in civil engineering and hazardous waste management. He studied environmental engineering in Stillwater, OK, at Oklahoma State University. Since 2018, Albert Martinez has applied his experience gained in OK as a Greeley, Colorado, construction inspector manager. He oversees all aspects of the city’s Construction Services Program. Reviewing engineering development, he supervises field technicians, construction inspectors, and office staff across various projects.
Mr. Martinez had a focus on wastewater and water management while a graduate student. He drew on his expertise as an environmental engineer, water resources, and corrective action, at
HollyFrontier Cheyenne Refining, LLC (HFCR) to ensure that permitting and compliance mandates were met at a petroleum refinery that produced 52,000 barrels per day. The effluent flow rates he set and monitored adhered to strict discharge permit limits.
He also oversaw inspection and reporting required as part of HFCR’s stormwater discharge management. The projects he led enabled groundwater recovery and addressed corrective requirements while improving water conservation.
Mr. Martinez is active with the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Water Works Association. An avid angler, he fishes for trout in Wyoming and also enjoys bow hunting for deer and antelope in his free time.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My typical day starts at 5:30 a.m. in preparation for work. Once at work, I review my list of critical items and place them in order of importance. A productive day involves getting all of the critical items on the list finished or in the process of completion.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I bring ideas to life by evaluating what tools and resources I have available to execute them. The resources and tools can be manpower or software. When collaboration is needed, I share the ideas with them and then seek their input on how to achieve the ideal outcome. If software is needed, acquisition is the goal.
What’s one trend that excites you?
One trend that excites me is the growth of AI. This tool can be a great help in communicating to teammates about the goals and objectives of our organization.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Developing a daily list of items that need to be addressed, and then being able to check off at least half of them each day.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would advise my younger self to be patient and not rush to obtain items that may not really be necessary to live. I would advise him to be kind to everyone.
Tell us something you believe that almost nobody agrees with you on.
Everything we see going on in the world has happened before. The world evolves in cycles, and we are in a cycle now that will eventually change.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Give thanks for all the good things in your life. Do not dwell on the past and the negative.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I go to the gym and work out. This helps me clear my mind and put things in perspective.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
I learn how and why systems work before I make changes to the process. Organizations have evolved for various reasons, and understanding why they have evolved helps me make informed adjustments to accomplish the duties I’ve been assigned.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
One failure was not taking a higher administrative role because I wasn’t sure I could do the job. I soon realized that I was the best person for that position and that I should not doubt my abilities.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Start a business whose main objective is to help contractors and developers obtain the necessary permits needed to work in any city or state. This can save them valuable time and money.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Google. I use Google daily to search for and find out information about everything from work to places to eat.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
Recently, I gave a $100 gift card to a young couple with kids and enjoyed seeing how excited they were to receive it. They were going to use it to buy groceries. With the cost of everything being so high, it was a great gift for them.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
I recently read I Heard God Laugh by Matthew Kelly. This book helped me realize that achieving the life that we imagine we wanted cannot be accomplished without learning to tend to the soul.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I recently enjoyed The Lincoln Lawyer. This series showed how difficult it is to find the truth and that justice can be difficult to achieve, but with the right people helping you, it can be done.
Key learnings
- There is no replacing hard work to achieve your goals.
- Set as many goals as you want, and be happy with achieving even one.
- Do not set limits on your abilities.