John Kretschman

  • John Kretschman SmithGroup Madison
  • Madison, WI
  • john kretschman hobby smithgroup

John has always been drawn to the outdoors, spending his free time camping, hunting or fishing. Civil engineering attracted him for some of the same reasons. "I wanted to pursue a career that would allow me to be outdoors at least a portion of the time," he explains, "I didn't want to be confined to an office." He's spent the last two decades working as an engineer and project manager, bringing his design and construction management experience to numerous waterfront, parks and recreation, municipal, development, and stormwater facility projects. John takes to heart the advice of legendary basketball coach John Wooden: "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail." Prepare he does, and as one might guess, not necessarily in the office. "Don't think you know it all by sitting behind a desk and designing," he suggests. "Strive to be in the field to learn as much as possible, and apply lessons learned from the field to your design efforts."