One of Kaaterskill’s best assets is our employees. Our employees are dedicated and strive to make the company a success. Each has a story outside of their work life. This week our Structural Engineer, Bill Scribner, shares a little bit about himself, his life outside of Kaaterskill and how he came to work in the field.
I started working at Kaaterskill a little over two years ago. Prior to that I was self-employed as a structural engineering consultant. Most of my clients were Architects and occasionally another Engineer asking me to collaborate on a design for a building or another structure.
I grew up in Saugerties, New York and I’m an Air Force veteran, having served in the US and Europe.
I am the parent of a learning disabled young adult. That got me involved and participating in the special needs community. I have served on the Board of Trustees for The Center for Spectrum Services School in Kingston. (At that time it was called The Children’s Annex). Today I am the treasurer for the Hudson Valley Autism Society, which is the local chapter of the Autism Society of America.
While in high school I was introduced to Judo, which became a life-long passion. I still practice today, and although most of my time is spent teaching, I still consider myself a student. As my son was growing up I would bring him with me when I was helping to teach a kids class at our club in Kingston. He started showing an interest in participating when he was about eight years old, and he’s been continuously practicing since then. Since 2002 I have been volunteering my time teaching Judo to kids with special needs both at the Center for Spectrum Services and at Ulster Budokai in Kingston. Since 2007 I have been taking students from the US to Italy and Wales to compete in Special Needs Judo Tournaments. Typically there will be up to 200 participants at these events, from all over the world. We are the first from America to participate, and it’s been quite a memorable experience for these young people, and myself.
After the military I went to a 2 year trade school in Concord Massachusetts – East Coast Aerospace Technical Institute, where I earned a diploma. After graduation I took my exams for, and received, an FAA Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic’s License. (Which I still have today).
While in school I worked nights and weekends at a construction job as a laborer and carpenter’s helper. After school the only aircraft maintenance jobs I could get were at LaGuardia and LAX airports, neither of which I found desirable, so I continued to work in the construction field, for various companies. Eventually becoming a carpenter myself.
Several years later I ventured out on my own, ultimately becoming a builder. My projects included everything from decks to small office buildings and custom homes, and both new buildings and renovations. I focused on energy efficient building, helping to improve the techniques used to develop buildings that minimized energy consumption. The experience I gained in those 16 years has proven to be an immense asset to my practice as a structural engineer.
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