Meet Eric Doe, PE – Wastewater Engineer & DIYer

What drew you to Hoyle Tanner?

It was a combination of factors that ultimately had me accept a job offer with Hoyle Tanner. I had been at the previous engineering firm for about 12 years and found myself wondering what it might be like in the rest of the engineering industry. I had relocated offices and had less contact with my peers and friends at the old office. My wife had already accepted her new position as “stay-at-home Mom” and we went down to one income. I learned that my old friend Kelly LaVigne now worked at Hoyle Tanner and inquired with her about the company. During interviews here, Joe Ducharme impressed me with his knowledge, wisdom and comforting personality and conversation style.

What’s the coolest thing you are working on & why?

I have been helping with a project in Montgomery, Vermont that is unique. In our current world, a municipal sewer collection and conveyance system is pretty standardized around 8”+ PVC pipe, precast concrete manholes, pump stations, and has the flow ending up at a WWTP. This project in Montgomery is aiming to develop a new alternative to this type of expensive project by reevaluating these standard design elements and creating a new, cheaper, hybrid approach. The proposed design utilizies septic tanks at the point-of-use to capture solids, and as a result is able to use smaller diameter piping without the need for full precast manholes every 300 linear feet. This project is currently in final design and hopefully we see it going to construction in the later months of 2025.

What’s a lesson you’ve learned from a colleague?

Something that frequently finds itself popping up in my mind was a saying by the late Steve Broadbent. Steve worked in the wastewater world for decades, and I knew him when he was an old man, and I was a junior engineer. On days that the weather was wintry, snowing, icy, or frigid, Steve would deliver his “No mosquitos today!” line with a wry but honest smile. It was his way of encouraging everyone to remain optimistic.

How do you like to unwind after a busy day at work?

I chuckled a bit after reading this question. I am blessed to have two great boys at home; the oldest which is about 2.5 years old and the younger being about 11 months old at the time I am writing this. So, when I get home from work, it’s quickly time for dinner, then bath, then going through their bedtime routine, then help picking up the house before bed. However, during the bedtime routine, I typically sit with both of them and read books or we horse around together. It is a great way to clear my head at the end of the day.

What are the top 3 emojis you use the most?

The thumbs up I send a lot. Otherwise, I actually typically use GIFs in place in Emojis for the added effect of the animation.

What’s a cause or organization you’re passionate about and why?

I usually make donations to the NH Food Bank prior to the winter so they can be a little better stocked before the holidays and cold weather months. Nobody should go hungry.

What’s your go-to lunch or lunch spot?

I bring lunch 999 times out of 1,000. The most frequent meals are dinner leftovers, a yogurt parfait with Icelandic/Greek yogurt and varying toppings, and the good ol’ PB&J.

What’s your pump-up playlist or song lately?

I bounce around, but recently I have been doing a lot of Zach Bryan (live albums), Natural Child and Perpetual Groove.

What’s a hobby you have outside of work?

I have not had much free time to commit to hobbies in the recent past. In June 2021, my wife and I began renovating a fixer-upper. We paid a contractor to replace the roof and another to do the plaster/drywall work, but otherwise we did all the demo, painting, plumbing (full shower, toilets, sinks), tile work, minor electricial, built a new deck, built a new shed, and landscaping.

For 2025, my “hobbies” appear to be exterior siding and trimboards touchups/repair, window weatherstripping and caulking, and house painting.

Before becoming a DIYer, my actual recent hobbies I was exploring included researching my family ancestry (got one line all the way back to 1538!), freshwater fishing, metal-detector hunting, coin collecting (picked up from my grandparents and father), fantasy baseball (I have run a league since 2012), and casual hikes locally with my wife and dog.