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Early Career to Expert: Meet Danny Sims

From “runner” to leader, the trajectory of Danny Sims’ career has been shaped by delivering quality, building client relationships and, now, mentoring others.
map marker United States | Monday, February 24, 2025
Reading Time : 3:06 minutes

Danny Sims embarked on his journey with WSP in March 1993 at a local firm that was later acquired by WSP. In his quest to find his path, he started as a “runner,” handling just about anything asked of him, such as delivering contracts and stocking the fridge. The advent of computer-aided design (CAD) sparked Danny’s curiosity, and he mastered the program by staying late, asking questions and practicing on weekends. Within a couple of years, he was promoted to drafter, learning to design roads under the mentorship of senior engineers.

Throughout his career, Danny has embraced various roles, from designer to project manager, and eventually into leadership positions. Today, he wears multiple hats: Transportation Local Business Lead for New Mexico, District Civil TEC Lead for the Southwest States, and Local Engagement Lead for the Albuquerque office.

Can you describe a pivotal moment or project that significantly advanced your expertise?

There were three pivotal moments in my career. About six years into joining, the first pivotal moment was moving to Las Cruces to work on the US 70 project as a single dad, which elevated me to a lead designer role. The second was the 12th Streets and Menaul Complete Streets project, where I built strong relationships with the City of Albuquerque and gained their trust to manage and win my own work. The third was a conversation with Joy Melita (Arizona Transportation Lead), who encouraged me to pursue leadership roles despite not having an engineering degree. This conversation changed my perspective and led to significant career growth, as well as receiving my bachelor’s degree through the support of Kari McGlinn.

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Danny leads a public meeting for the City of Albuquerque.

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Danny Sims
Transportation Local Business Lead for New Mexico
United States
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How have you seen the company evolve since you started, and how has that impacted your career development?

Since I joined, we have grown from a small firm with limited opportunities to a global company with endless possibilities. The evolution has provided numerous avenues for career growth and development. Leaders at WSP do a good job of saying, “hey, there's more out there than just what you do day-to-day, be looking beyond it, be looking to grow and developing your career and providing those opportunities.”

 

Looking back, what advice would you give to your intern/early career self?

Be patient and take advantage of opportunities to learn and grow. Looking back, I advanced rapidly in my career, even though it felt slow at the time. I would advise my younger self to be more self-aware and appreciative of the progress made. Taking risks and seizing opportunities, like moving to Las Cruces with my son, were crucial in my career development.

  

Since I joined, we have grown from a small firm with limited opportunities to a global company with endless possibilities.
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Danny pictured with his son in Las Cruces.

What about WSP’s culture or guiding principles resonates with you, or has made you want to build a career here?

WSP has always provided the right opportunities at the right time, focusing on growth and development. The culture of delivering quality products and building client relationships has driven me throughout my career. And now, my focus is on helping others grow in their careers, just as WSP's culture has supported me. The tuition reimbursement program also allowed me to go back to school while I worked full-time and earned a degree, further investing in my professional career.

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