Johnna Emanuel
This civil engineer is happiest on the job site, where she can get down to the
“nitty gritty” and help bring deep foundation projects to life
By Lisa Gordon
Johnna Emanuel loves mobilization day. Nothing is
more exciting than standing on a fresh work site as the
heavy equipment rolls in, discussing the plan of attack
with the foreman and crew. There is so much potential as a
new job unfolds.
Emanuel is a project manager with GeoStructures, Inc., a fullservice
design-build geotechnical construction firm that delivers
ground improvement and foundation support solutions to a wide
range of clients across the U.S. Part of the allure of her job is the
ever-shifting landscape of each project; with a few jobs on the go
at any given time, it’s never boring.
Since graduating from Pennsylvania’s Bucknell University in
2015 with her civil engineering degree, Emanuel has accumulated a
wide range of valuable experience. Two fast-paced summer internships
with Posillico Inc. piqued her interest in deep foundation
CAREER STORY
work, and after graduation she signed on as a staff engineer in the
geotechnical department of Moretrench American Corporation.
There, she rotated through different departments, travelling to
work sites across the country and progressing to a project engineer
role during her four years with the company.
Next, Emanuel moved to AECOM Tishman, where as an assistant
project manager she worked on the ongoing restoration of
the famous Waldorf Astoria hotel on Park Avenue in New York
City. The experience – though valuable – taught her that construction
management wasn’t her bag. Instead, she was drawn
back to pile driving and deep foundation work, which she finds
most rewarding.
Emanuel joined GeoStructures in August 2019 and currently
manages ground improvement and deep foundation projects in
New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
www.piledrivers.org PILEDRIVER | 45
/www.piledrivers.org
