FOUNDER TO THE PROFILE
James Vogt
Level 3 Construction Inspector / Senior Team Leader Culverts, C.V. Associates NY
“I attribute my success to three great managers I had along the way. The first at Stantec was Brant Henderson, the hardest working Project Manager who always led by example by being the first one in the digout for a forensic study.. The second at Penetradar was the inventor of the GPR equipment who taught me a lot about running a business and managing. My current employer CV Shashikumar is the one that treats his employees like equals and can't give enough back to the company and is like family. These three guys shaped how I manage and operate in the business world!”
About
James Vogt is a civil engineering and construction inspection professional based in Buffalo, New York, with more than 30 years of experience supporting transportation and infrastructure projects. He earned an Associate in Applied Science in Civil Engineering Technology from Erie Community College and has built a career focused on bridges, pavements, construction inspection, and infrastructure condition assessment. His technical credentials include certifications in concrete field testing, bridge painting inspection, confined space entry, fall protection, and work zone traffic control. For more than eight years, James has served as a Construction Inspector and Senior Team Leader for culvert inspections, supporting projects across multiple New York State Department of Transportation regions. His responsibilities include leading inspection teams, preparing detailed reports and inventories, coordinating schedules and field logistics, and monitoring construction activities for quality and safety. His experience also includes bridge painting, bridge replacements, pavement restoration, concrete repairs, drainage, signage, striping, signals, and other transportation infrastructure work. Earlier in his career, James spent a decade as a Senior Engineering Technician supporting long-term pavement performance studies and later spent more than a decade with Penetradar, where he managed field operations and non-destructive testing projects involving ground-penetrating radar, infrared thermography, high-resolution imaging, and other infrastructure assessment technologies. His career reflects a combination of technical expertise, field leadership, project coordination, and a commitment to infrastructure reliability. James also values mentorship and leading by example, while contributing to community initiatives and advocating for people with disabilities.
Key Areas Of Focus
- 01. Construction Inspection
- 02. Bridge & Culvert Inspection
- 03. Pavement & Infrastructure Assessment
- 04. Ground Penetrating Radar
IN HIS OWN WORDS
The Q and A
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01
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to three great managers I had along the way. The first at Stantec was Brant Henderson, the hardest working Project Manager who always led by example by being the first one in the digout for a forensic study.. The second at Penetradar was the inventor of the GPR equipment who taught me a lot about running a business and managing. My current employer CV Shashikumar is the one that treats his employees like equals and can't give enough back to the company and is like family. These three guys shaped how I manage and operate in the business world!
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02
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received was to show by example and lead by example. I had a manager at my first job at Stantec, Brant Henderson, who was the hardest working guy I ever met and was always the first one to start grabbing a shovel. That's how I learned to lead as a manager of other men. I like to be in a team environment and can't do it all by myself.
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03
What advice would you give to young men entering your industry?
I would tell them they need to pay attention to everything, that experienced coworkers are explaining to then, after a few times it will stick with you. There's a lot of ways to gather knowledge. Respect for your coworkers, of course, and always work hard. That's what I do with my son. I just try to guide him by my example of working hard.
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04
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges right now are cash flow for government agencies like the DOTs and Federal Highways group. They don't have enough money to get everything repaired properly. Instead of fully reconstructing roads, they just mill off the surface and put a topcoat without repairing everything. Every year we have more areas of deterioration of bridges and roads. It's tough, we are trying to get the infrastructure up to speed.
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05
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Togetherness is very important, always about the team and trying to teach our young people. I try to pass along my knowledge to the young guys at the DOT because other people did that for me. My core value is to try to help the others achieve what I tried to achieve. In addition, do the right thing, make the right decisions based on my experience and discussing with the team.
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