People of Reclamation: Meet Anellise Deters, Civil Engineer

Written by: Emily Quinn

Anellise Deters, Civil Engineer with Reclamation's GP RegionThe Bureau of Reclamation employs some of the best and brightest engineers in the world; one of whom, is Anellise Deters, a Civil Engineer based in the Great Plains Regional Office in Billings, Montana. She started her career as a summer intern while attending Utah State University, where she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, with an emphasis on Structural Engineering.

Anellise now works for Reclamation full-time in the Technical Services Group where she completes design and specification writing for projects throughout the GP region, which includes the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and parts of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Texas.

During her time with Reclamation, her passion and project of primary focus has been Reclamation's Bridge Program. The program involves completing bridge inspections to assess the condition of each bridge, and to ensure the safety and structural integrity of bridges commonly accessed by the public.

The bridge program has been the most exciting and rewarding project Anellise has completed to date. She likes load rating bridges and performing complex calculations. She says, “When working on civil design projects, I like being able to think outside the box for creative solutions to complex problems.”

“The best part of my job is serving the public. I really enjoy making the world a better place and putting our tax dollars to good use,” she explains. She especially enjoys outreach, and has volunteered in several science, technology, engineering, and mathematics activities where she taught elementary and middle school students about civil engineering. These outreach opportunities have enabled Anellise to educate students about the important roles played by Reclamation in society.

Anellise has several career goals she’s aspiring to complete while at Reclamation, which include ensuring the safety and structural integrity of Reclamation’s facilities throughout the GP region, expanding her engineering competencies, and becoming a Professional Engineer within the next few years. She also hopes to inspire and encourage others to pursue a career in engineering with the Reclamation workforce.

Anellise wants everyone to understand the important work completed by the people of Reclamation. “Everyone benefits from the proper management of water resources, but few people know that [Reclamation] is the bureau behind the scenes making it happen. The work we do is critical, and I encourage people to learn more about the Bureau of Reclamation.”

When she’s not working, Anellise enjoys exercising and being outside. She likes hiking, camping, hunting, and pretty much anything that has to do with the outdoors. She and her husband are expecting their first child, a boy, in December. They plan to teach him everything they know and love about being outside. Visit Anellise's photo album here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsm7vPR2n.

To see a list of current openings for students, visit: https://on.doi.gov/2xJrfnk. To see a list of current professional vacancies at Reclamation, visit: http://bit.ly/2yNM6uL.

Published on November 13, 2017