Drafting the Details

I’ve been doing Computer Aided Design (CAD) for Miller for 17 years now, but I didn’t start out in this field. My first job was actually in healthcare administration, which turned out to be a poor fit for me. I knew I needed a change—something more hands-on and creative. That shift led me into the Forest Products Industry, where I worked alongside my dad designing sawmill machinery and tools. My dad was good friends with Ray Miller—the founder of Miller Consulting Engineers—and they knew each other through the Tualatin Country Club. When Miller was having trouble finding qualified CAD drafters, I got the opportunity to step in. Things were pretty old school at the time. I transitioned to AutoCAD, learned as I went, and have been part of the Miller team ever since.

My job is to take the engineer’s intention and turn it into construction documents. I start with the overall plan view, and then I cut different views—sections, elevations, and details—to tell the whole story. I’m focused on things like bolt sizes and edge distances, how a column connects to a beam, or the exact welds and hole sizes that need to be used. The engineers calculate all that, and then I take the information and turn it into plans that can be built.

It’s sort of like creating a sewing pattern for a seamstress—clear, readable, and ready to use. The end result has to be easy to follow with the goals being: efficiency, clarity, and constructability.

I have a workspace at MCE, but most days you’ll find me working from my home office—I tend to be way more productive there. I like having a solid list of projects to work through, each with its own priority. Being idle drives me nuts, and working in a quiet, focused space really helps me stay on track. I get a lot of satisfaction from checking projects off the list—it’s a great feeling.

When I first started, nearly everything was done by hand. We’d get a plan from the architect—typically on an 11x17 or full-size sheet—and mark it up with pencil. Engineers would sketch by hand, and when those drawings came to me, I’d recreate them in AutoCAD. Then I’d print out full-size or half-size sheets, make the updates, and return the marked-up hard copies with the revisions. That was the rhythm. Now, I rarely see a hard copy. Everything is digital—plans, markups, revisions—it’s all PDFs and screen-based workflow.

In those early days, nearly every project passed through my desk. Engineers focused on calculations and design, not drafting. Since everything was hand drawn, they had to think spatially and draw to scale, which made their markups incredibly accurate. One of our partners, Andrew Leichty, PE, SE, is especially talented at that. His ability to hand sketch to scale—with precise lettering and layout—is something to see. It really seems like an almost lost art.

As time went on, the firm decided that Engineers in Training (EITs) should gain hands-on experience with drafting. Today, many engineers draft their own plans in AutoCAD or Revit, especially newer team members. 

Serving 27 engineers and designers at the firm, I have to employ a system for managing the flow of work—so all projects stay on schedule. Every Monday morning, the partners go through my project queue (which includes all projects submitted to me throughout the prior week). Considering client deadlines, engineering schedules, and how much drafting time each project needs, they set the priorities for the week accordingly.

Once I have that list, I just start with number one and work my way through. Additionally, every project and note lives in one central spot, which makes it a lot easier to stay organized. Occasionally, an urgent project will come up mid-week—a rush job that needs to be squeezed in—and I’ll find a way to make that work. But in general, if a project doesn’t make the Monday list, it won’t get into my prioritized queue until the following week. That helps keep the workflow focused and efficient.

I get a real sense of accomplishment from completing a project—especially when I can look at my priority list at the end of the week and see everything crossed off. That’s a good feeling. I love working with the drafting programs, but more than that, I genuinely enjoy structural engineering and how things go together. My background isn’t in engineering—I actually have a degree in healthcare administration. I managed a pediatric clinic for a while, but managing people wasn’t for me. I shifted into insurance and data analysis, which I really enjoyed. But when an opportunity came up to work with my dad, I took it. That’s when I got a real introduction to how things are built—and I’ve been hooked ever since. What I enjoy most is taking a concept and turning it into something useful. Translating an idea into clear construction documents that someone can actually build from—that’s the part that clicks for me.

I love seeing our projects out in the real world. It’s a bonus on top of how much I enjoy the work. One project that stands out is a a cabin repair (Government Camp, OR). I ended up returning to the cabin for vacation after the job was done, and it felt really rewarding to have been a part of something people use and enjoy.

Smith Rock Bridge (Terrebonne, OR ) and The Salvation Army Kroc Community Center (Salem, OR) are two additional projects I am particularly fond of having worked on. It’s a great feeling to help create something that benefits others—especially when it’s something local or connected to people you know.

I also really enjoy the variety of work we get at Miller. I’ve drafted everything from commercial buildings and residences to bridges, art installations, and medical facilities. The mix is fantastic—not a lot of firms offer that kind of range. It makes this a great place for engineers to grow and sharpen their skills. They’re not stuck designing the same thing over and over. Sure, some weeks I’ll have ten fire escapes to crank out, and I just put my head down and power through. But most of the time, the variety keeps things interesting.

Attention to detail is huge in this role. So is patience—especially when you're working with a wide range of experience levels across the team. Early in my career, I often trained new employees who were still finding their footing. At the time, there wasn’t much structure in place for onboarding or training, so everyone was doing their best to figure things out on the fly. That’s changed for the better. 

Our education committee has made a big difference in how new engineers are brought into the process. Of course, newer team members are still learning how to create precise and complete markups, which sometimes means a bit more back-and-forth to get a project just right. But that’s all part of the learning curve—everyone starts somewhere. And I see it as part of my role to help make the transition smoother and set people up for success.

When engineers send me their markups, I’m coming in fresh—I haven’t been living in the details of the project like they have. What makes perfect sense in their heads might not translate directly onto the page. I need a full “manual,” so to speak, to create something that a contractor can pick up and build from. One of the biggest things I emphasize is the importance of drawing to scale and providing complete, clear information. 

I often tell newer engineers: imagine you had to draw this yourself. Could you do it based on what you’re handing off? If not, it probably needs more detail. It's all part of the learning process, and newer team members are still getting a feel for what’s needed to make a drawing clear and buildable. To help streamline the process, I’ve created a checklist for engineers to review before sending projects my way. It’s a simple tool, but it can cut down on back-and-forth and make sure we’re all working from the same playbook. The goal is always to create construction documents that are accurate, efficient, and easy to follow.