Stan Postma: engineered for Utah.

• Author: Wilhite, Brent

Whether you've ridden TRAX downtown, gone jogging through Liberty Park or rocked out at the new USANA amphitheater, you can thank Stan Postma for helping make those activities possible. For more than 30 years, he has helped lead, design and manage some of Utah's most successful engineering projects.

In 1997, Postma opened the Salt Lake office of national engineering company Carter & Burgess, Inc. As vice president and office manager, he plays a key role in shaping the future of Utah's water resources and transportation needs.

"We decide what needs to be done, how it needs to be done, then we develop the plans to accomplish that," he says. "Civil engineering addresses the basic needs of humanity. It's not very glamorous at times, but it is necessary, and people demand the convenience. We're basically making sure that society functions the way we expect it, so we can drive down the highway, we can flush our toilets and we have safe water to drink," he explains.

There's a reason Postma is so dedicated to this state: "I'm from Northern Utah originally, so I'm a home-grown product," he says with a smile. "I have ownership in what happens in Utah because I live here. My family is here. My kids are here. I have a lot of investment in Utah, because I hope to stay here. This is a great state, and I'd like to continue to make it a great place to live," he adds.

Civil engineering is a perfect outlet for Postma's passion to improve lives. "Speaking for all civil engineers, all the things we do contribute to the well-being of society. So, we're pretty proud of what we accomplish as engineers--that's probably why we're all in this business," he says. "There's a lot of pride to it, and it's a legacy."

Most of Postma's legacy lies in the large-scale public projects he has managed for Salt Lake City. Designing and managing...