Brent Baumer, PE

I graduated from Purdue University in 1992 and began my professional career with a medium sized electrical contractor in central Indiana as an electrical estimator and project manager.  While employed there I was able to obtain my Master Electrician's and Electrical Contractor's licenses.  I worked on all types of projects there from industrial, commercial and military to K-12 and health care and more.  I loved that experience and had a lot of good teachers and worked with great people at that company but the engineer in me wanted to get more experience in electrical design.

I left the contractor world to join an A/E firm in Indianapolis.  I had good technical knowledge coming in but had little appreciation for what it really takes to design a project and produce quality bid documents.  Fortunately for me I had a great mentor at the A/E firm who I continued to work with closely 20+ years later.  At the A/E firm I performed power, lighting, fire alarm, security and low voltage systems design for all types of projects. 

I really liked that company and the people there but with my young family the long commute each day was wearing on me.  Shortly after obtaining my PE license I left the A/E firm to venture out on my own as Baumer Engineering.  That solo act was fairly short lived, not because it wasn't successful, but because I had an opportunity to move "back home" near my family in east-central Indiana.

That opportunity was to work at a university as an electrical engineer.  I spent 5 years there seeing what it was like to have to "live with" my designs and peer reviewing dozens of consultant prepared bid documents.  This again was another eye-opening experience.  When you have to live with the designs you gain a lot of knowledge about what really works and what only looks good on paper.  Yes, I made my fair share of mistakes but also had a lot of successes too.  While at the university I was for the first time exposed to medium voltage systems design and maintenance and gained a lot more in-depth knowledge of fire alarm and telecommunication systems. 

Although it was a tough decision I left the university to join a 200+ bed hospital that had just begun the design of a brand new health care campus as their Director of Engineering.  That was a wild ride.  I was largely responsible for overseeing the construction of the new multi-building campus while at the same time keeping up with the maintenance of the existing hospital.  To this day I describe it as the most stressful 5 years of my life but at the same time what a learning experience it was.  I learned a lot about all areas of construction and maintenance, not just electrical, the health care industry and probably most importantly, myself.

When the new hospital campus construction was winding down and the Engineering staff had been trained on all the new systems and equipment I decided health care was not for me and went back out on my own providing electrical system design and estimating services.  I also taught classes on the NEC and electrical blueprint reading at a local technical college.

It also proved to be short lived the second time around as I was made aware of an opportunity to return to the university and I jumped at the chance.  After-all, it was 2008, the market had crashed and work was drying up quickly.  I ended up back there doing electrical and mechanical design and project management.   In my second stint at the university I was able to become familiar with power system analysis software and performing short circuit, coordination and arc flash studies.  I also learned a great deal more about mechanical and fire protection systems.  One of the more enjoyable parts of my second tour of duty at the university was the opportunity to join the faculty as an adjunct professor teaching classes on MEP systems.  While that opportunity came and went (it was temporary until they could find someone with a PhD), I remained a guest lecturer and construction project and building systems "tour guide" for that program.  

After nearly 11 years and much deliberation I once again decided to leave the university to pursue other interests outside of construction and facilities maintenance and engineering which is where I am today.  I even had a stint as a Forensic Electrical Engineer for a couple of years.  That was a different experience for sure.  I enjoyed learning new things but at the same time was still able to use my years of experience in those areas to help solve problems for others in new ways.

In all that time I never really closed Baumer Engineering and now that my once young family is grown and gone, as an empty nester I have more time to pursue helping out my peers in the electrical design and construction industry as a freelance engineer as well as become a more active volunteer in my community

BS Construction Engineering and Management, Electrical Engineering Option, Purdue University.

Completed Master's level classes in Adult and Community Education at Ball State University

Completed numerous continuing education courses on electrical and mechanical building systems design and construction and related subject matter.

Licensed Professional Engineer in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Oregon, Iowa, Tennessee, Vermont, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Missouri and Nebraska.  These licenses are current and active.

Licensed Master Electrician and/or Electrical Contractor in Indianapolis, Anderson and Richmond, Indiana.  These licenses are inactive.  Licensed Electrical Contractor in Bartholomew County, IN.

Power systems analysis using SKM Power Tools for Windows.  I have a 2000 bus license for Dapper, Captor, A_Fault, Arc Flash Evaluation and Equipment Evaluation.

All types of electrical systems design for buildings including power, lighting, fire alarm, communications and 5 and 15kV underground distribution.  Some light mechanical, plumbing and fire protection design experience.

Electrical Estimating.

Drafting using AutoCAD.

Construction Project Management

Past:

Little League baseball coach and manager.

4-H Shooting sports instructor and leader

Hunter Education instructor

Local Civic Theater technical production volunteer.  This means I used power tools to build props and sets.  It was fun and rewarding, especially when working on the youth shows.

Present:

Not currently regularly volunteering for any specific organization, but am always looking!