Meet Thomas Bryce, CPESC, CESSWI – Environmental Engineer & Banjo Enthusiast
What drew you to Hoyle Tanner?
The variety of interesting and complex projects across the New England region, and more importantly, the inclusivity and positivity and friendliness of everyone I had the pleasure to meet prior to joining Hoyle Tanner!
What’s something invaluable you’ve learned here?
How to balance the fine line of working on projects with multiple stakeholders. Its not easy to please everyone!
What’s your favorite time of year to work at Hoyle Tanner & why?
My time at Hoyle Tanner has been right at the start of the winter season here in Vermont. The charm and lure of Burlington has been nostaligic, bringing me back to my days spent living and going to school in Burlington prior to embarking on my professional career.
What’s the coolest thing you are working on & why?
I’m working on a handful of 3-acre stormwater projects across VT (a “three-acre site” is an impervious surface of three or more acres that: has never had an operational stormwater permit, or was permitted to standards in place prior to the 2002 Vermont Stormwater Management Manual). They’re complex projects that have ranged from retrofitting existing treatment practices to meet the current treatment standards, or designing underground infiltration chambers to treat stormwater without the use of an above ground detention basin (which I haven’t had much experience in prior to joining Hoyle Tanner!)
What’s the best thing that’s happened to you recently (this week, this month, this year)?
Aside from getting married in August to my wife, Heather 😉 – the next exciting thing would be that my bluegrass band just got invited to play the Podunk Bluegrass Festival in Connecticut this upcoming summer, on the same lineup as one of my longtime musical heroes, Del McCoury.
How many different states have you lived in?
Three – South Carolina, Massachusetts and Vermont
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life what would it be?
Chicken parmesan over spaghetti bolognese (I love Italian food with a burning passion).
What kind of pet do you have & how did you choose to name it?
I have two cats, one of them is named Donna, named after my grad school advisor, Donna Rizzo (UVM).
What is a fun or interesting fact about your hometown?
Chatham, MA – a quaint drinking village with a fishing problem…
What are three things still left on your bucket list?
European travels, fly a plane, and win an IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) award for excellence in banjo.
Name three items you’d take with you to a desert island:
A banjo, a cat, and a lifetime supply of chicken parmesan subs.
What characteristic do you admire most in others?
Empathy, kindness, and willingness to put others’ needs ahead of themselves.
How old is the oldest item in your closet?
Not a clue – which means I’ve probably got an ugly sweater collecting dust in the back somewhere I cant reach.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Originally, I wanted to be a heavy machinery operator as a young kid because I loved my Tonka trucks so much and envisioned being the guy behind the wheel of an excavator or bulldozer, or something along those lines.
What’s one of your most ridiculous/nonsensical fears?
Horses. I love them from afar but get too spooked when I’m near them up close in person. My dad used to raise Clydesdales before I was born, and told me all the stories about how he would get kicked by them and break ribs…
Words to live by? Favorite quote? Why?
“Everybody should have a documentary made about themselves. It’s amazing what you see and what you learn.” – Bela Fleck.
Words to live by, always be introspective and learn from your experiences in life.
