John P. Burgelin, PE

Our Carmel office director reflects on early career inspirations and why building relationships is essential in engineering.

When John Burgelin was in junior high, teachers at his school organized a “Go to work with a parent day.” The purpose was to give students a firsthand glimpse into grownup professions and potentially spark their interest in future career paths.

John’s father worked as a manufacturer’s representative, and tagging along with him on seemingly dull sales calls all day had little appeal. On the other hand, his uncle was a civil engineer, and he let John spend the day with him on an outdoor job site. Enthralled by the heavy trucks, construction equipment, and bustling activity, John sensed he had found his calling.

That early exposure helped fuel John’s interest in engineering and set him on an educational course to become a civil engineer. He attended Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Missouri, and Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, earning both a Bachelor and Master of Science in Civil Engineering.

John initially pursued engineering with hopes of designing bridges, aspiring to have his name on one someday. Professionally licensed in multiple states, he has eighteen years of experience. His background includes large bridge and transportation projects and complete municipal water and wastewater system overhauls.

Reflecting on his career, John remembers one of the most rewarding projects he led as an engineer, addressing a large Inflow and Infiltration issue in Chaffee, Missouri. The city had previously worked with another engineering firm in an attempt to resolve excessive flow into its collection system. But, despite burning through much of the project’s allotted funding and timeline, the engineer in charge proved unable to solve the problem. Comparatively young and with less experience than others vying for the project, John designed and implemented a successful solution while earning city officials’ trust. It remains one of the projects for which he’s most proud.

“The Chaffee experience taught me that the biggest part of engineering is developing strong client relationships and building confidence with your clients,” explains John. “Without those two abilities, you’re only as good as your next mistake.”

Beyond Calculations and Solutions

Building on the foundation of client relationships, John recognized the importance of expanding his skill set beyond technical expertise. One of his early supervisors in engineering, Bob Summers, encouraged him to take on some business development duties within their firm. Since that shift, his professional roles have always included helping his company grow their businesses and expand their offices.

“Bob recognized that I was pretty good at connecting with people,” John says of his former mentor. “I guess that came from my father being involved in sales.”

With Bob’s encouragement, John began tapping into his extroverted personality.

“Thanks to Bob pushing me, I’ve grown into a path within engineering where I feel I add value and get to truly enjoy what I do.”

Current Inspirations

John joined Jones & Henry Engineers in January 2023 as the director of the Carmel, Indiana, office. In his added role as corporate director of business development, he supports Jones & Henry’s focus on customer satisfaction and nurturing strong business relationships.

“We develop bonds with clients beyond our roles as engineers by demonstrating an effort to truly understand their problems and concerns. Then we partner with them to identify solutions while keeping their best interests in mind.”

John met his wife, MacKenzie, in 2009 when he asked her to dance in a country line-dancing bar. The couple has two children: son Sebastian and daughter Saoirse. The family lives with their two dogs in Westfield, Indiana, just north of Indianapolis.

John enjoys golfing, hunting, fishing, trap, and pistol shooting outside of his professional life. He and his family are highly involved in their local church and recently began playing lacrosse.

As a mentor to aspiring engineers, John emphasizes valuing relationships, avoiding burning bridges, and preparing for advancement by training others. Most of all, he advises being flexible and humble.

“Never be so right that you can never be wrong,” he says, underscoring a crucial mindset for success in the engineering field.

John’s commitment to fostering trust and collaboration reminds us that the heart of engineering lies not just in solving problems but also in the connections we build along the way.