GeoHeroes - Matt Moler
About This Episode
In this episode Guy Marcozzi (https://www.linkedin.com/in/guy-marcozzi-b12744a/) interviews Matt Moler (https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-moler-p-e-9965875/), PE, Vice President and a Region Director for S&ME (https://www.smeinc.com/) and former GBA president. Matt shares his unexpected journey from golf course superintendent aspirations to geotechnical leadership, revealing how early construction work with his father shaped his approach to efficiency and strategic thinking. Discover his philosophy on team dynamics, the irreplaceable value of client relationships, and why he hand-delivered reports to build trust. Matt offers candid insights on industry evolution, the role of technology, and his optimistic vision for geoprofessionals. This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking authentic leadership wisdom and career guidance rooted in genuine passion and human connection.
About Our Guest
Matt Moler (https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-moler-p-e-9965875), PE, is a husband, father of three, a Professional Engineer, and a Regional Director for S&ME (https://www.smeinc.com/). He currently lives in Greensboro, NC. With engineering licenses in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia, it has allowed Matt to work on projects all over the place, and he loves the variety. Specifically, Matt's experience has been in geotechnical site investigations, construction materials testing services, Special Inspections, and forensic engineering. When he has time, he loves to mountain bike and other outdoor activities with family and friends (fishing, hiking, and camping).
Our Host
Guy Marcozzi (https://www.linkedin.com/in/guy-marcozzi-b12744a/), PE, D.GE, LEED AP BD+C, is a GBA past-president and an experienced CEO, President and Board Member with a demonstrated history of working in the engineering, science and data technology industries and in leadership for various boards of ESOP, non-profit, professional and business organizations.
Show Notes
Introduction
Matt Moler, Regional Director of Operations at S&ME
Covers offices in North Carolina and Florida
Former GBA President (just completed past-president term)
Based in Greensboro, North Carolina
Early Life and Education
Grew up in Charlestown, West Virginia (Jefferson County) Moved there at age 2
Above-average student; math and science came easier
High school class of ~350-400 students
Worked various jobs: father's construction business, CVS, golf course maintenance
Father was residential contractor - taught efficiency and thinking ahead
Originally planned to study agronomy/horticulture to become golf course superintendent
Changed to engineering after realizing golf course work meant weekends with little time off
College Experience
Attended West Virginia University for undergraduate civil engineering
Went to Virginia Tech for master's in geotechnical engineering
Worked with industry legends: Mike Duncan, Dr. Brandon, Dr. Phils, Jim Mitchell
Thesis on water-filled tubes for flood mitigation with large-scale testing
Completed oral defense (described as "one of the more stressful events")
Career Path
Met wife Jamie in grad school, married within a year
Started at S&ME same day Jamie started her master's program in Greensboro
Been with S&ME for 23 years
Early "positive derailment": placed on construction materials testing project for 3 years
Learned from coworkers, design teams, and contractors
Gained insight into consulting relationships and field implementation challenges
Progressed incrementally: individual contributor → small group manager → regional roles → service line leader → current position
Key Early Lesson
Initially excited about delivering reports as the main value
Started hand-delivering reports and explaining findings to clients
Realized relationships and personal connections were the real value
Leadership
Philosophy: Don't give quick answers - encourage inquisitiveness
Ask team members to bring problems AND potential solutions
Believes in breaking out of "status quo" thinking
Emphasizes clearly articulating vision and goals for teams
Focus on finding the right people ("the who's") rather than trying to solve everything alone
Values face-to-face client interactions and relationship building
Team Philosophy
"The power of a team is so much stronger than anything I can bring to the table"
Teams function best when aligned with clear understanding of roles
Synergy creates efficiency that surpasses individual capabilities
The Geoprofessional Landscape
What Hasn't Changed (23 years in industry)
Core interpersonal skills remain essential
Human-to-human client interaction irreplaceable
Trust and relationship building still fundamental
What Has Changed
Better use of technology (CPT, geophysical tools)
Improved data handling and management
Evolution from paper reports → scanned PDFs → digital data systems
Better subsurface condition understanding through data
Future Vision
Data sharing between firms (like other countries)
Leveraging AI and big data to make professionals better, not replace them
Enhanced role in data interpretation vs. just collection
Maintaining human connections while using better tools
Focus on providing value: time savings, cost reduction, resilience
Life Advice
For New Professionals
Align passion with career - don't just chase money
Find work that energizes you and makes you excited to start each day
Get involved in professional associations (especially GBA)
Look for committee work and leadership opportunities
Professional Development
Association involvement provides broader industry perspective
Prevents "myopic" view from working at single firm
Relationships and learning often outweigh what you contribute
GBA experience: "get two, three, sometimes tenfold back"
Mentorship Approach
Encourage fresh thinking over providing quick answers
Be open to adapting yourself, not just expecting others to adapt
Listen and be receptive to new ideas
Help break people out of "this is how we've always done it" mindset
Speed Round
Favorite Book: How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (https://a.co/d/9LUeWX3), Unbroken" by Laura Hildebrand (https://a.co/d/1vUtA2W)
Optimism index: 5/5, Natural optimist in life and work
Biggest Impact: Recognizing team power over individual capability
What he'd change: Be more present in the moment instead of always thinking ahead
Advice for young professionals: Find your passion and align it with career, fulfillment comes from genuine interest, not just financial rewards
Final Thoughts
Encourages association involvement for anyone not currently engaged
Look for engagement outside normal day-to-day work
Calls-to-action:
Visit the GBA Website at https://www.geoprofessional.org for other training resources and reference materials and/or to become a member.
Visit https://www.gbapodcast.com for future podcast episodes
Contact us at info@geoprofessional.org with any podcast-related questions or comments
Subscribe
Subscribe to the GBA Podcast https://www.gbapodcast.com/subscribe
This episode was produced by the following GBA Members:
Ryan White, PE, GE (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryankwhite/) – Principal Geotechnical Engineer/Apex (https://apexcos.com/)
