Gregory Elgin:
CLASS OF 1985
Start High SchoolClass of 1985
Toledo, OH
University of Toledo - EducationClass of 1990
Toledo, OH
Gregory's Story
Life
Hey there. Can't complain about how things have gone since graduation. I was able to continue playing music after school; helped form a band called Lucky Stryke in '87 and played with them until '92. That was a great time and the money helped pay for college. After I had my first kid in 1991, my work life started to take off and I decided it was time to grow up a bit (don't know that I was ever successful, though). I left the band at that point and moved on.
It is amazing what the right person can do for you. I never thought I would get married - let alone have kids. All that went out the window when I met that right person. Her name is Margaret. We were married in 1990 and now have four great kids.
I fulfilled a dream of sorts by getting out of Toledo. In 2000 I relocated to the Denver area due to a promotion at work. It's funny: growing up, I was the only one in my family that ever talked about getting out of Toledo; however, in the end, I was the only one left!
It was a great move. We love the mountains and outdoor activities, so Denver has proven to be the place for us. Right now, though, I am looking forward to getting back. I have been working in Iraq since April 2004 in support of reconstruction efforts being funded by the US Government. My assignment will come to an end in April/May 2005.
My wife and the kids have been great about the whole thing and have been supportive since Day 1. We all look forward to my return and to seeing what is next.
Feel free to e-mail me. I'm hoping to reconnect with old friends. One thing I would do differently is stay in touch with more of you.
School
I have great memories of school, the friends made and the times had, and feel bad for not keeping in touch with more of you. While I am not the same person I was back then, I don't see that I would have done anything differently. I am glad for many of the choices made - particularly the friends I chose. We did some fun and crazy things, and I'll always remember Friday nights (especially after football games), cruises in Southeast Michigan with the LK crew, the usual pit stops, an...Expand for more
d coffee at Frisch's.
Workplace
Work life has been quite an experience. My early jobs around the time of graduation included cutting grass at a cemetery and flipping burgers. I graduated up to waiting tables, and ended up working at some nice restaurants making good money (which was promptly spent at bars with the rest of my work crew).
Eventually, playing in a band became my job through the end of college and beyond. That helped pay for school and was a fantastic ride. I played with the same group for over four years, and we usually played 48 weeks a year.
Two of the guys in the band helped me land a job at Toledo Testing Laboratory (later renamed to TolTest) in 1990 doing construction materials testing. My career took off from there, and I spent a total of 12 years with them. I moved to their environmental consulting side of the house after about 8 months, and I grew along with the company - eventually relocating to Denver as the manager for operations in the western US.
I was offered a job by another engineering firm, Montgomery Watson Harza, and spent a little more than a year with them as a Business Manager / Contract Negotiator before joining my current employer, CH2M HILL, in August of 2003.
Shortly after joining, I was asked to get involved in securing work in Iraq. They then asked me to be the Business Manager for the program we were awarded: a contract to manage about $4 billion worth of reconstruction for water, wastewater and irrigation systems/plants.
I came over in April of 2004 on a 12-month assignment. It has been an extreme challenge and I have learned a lot. While tough in terms of living conditions, security, and a host of other issues, it has been a great experience.
I look forward to what is next - although I'm not sure what that will be. While my former job within the company is still open to me, it appears that I may have some additional opportunities. If possible, I am trying to find something that will allow for additional international travel/experience.
Right now, though, I look even more forward to taking a month off and reconnecting with the family.
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