I'll need to expand this out quite a bit, but here's a list of people who strongly influenced my career.
Roots
Steve Dieter: my first boss and a second father. Thanks for the leap of faith and your friendship.
Barry Mathews. We only worked together (closely) for a year (with Steve, above), but you are my big brother. Beth, I guess that makes you a sister-in-law. I love you both and Meagan.
Ivey Harris and Walls. My second job. My first big office environment and first extended professional family. Fond memories. The strongest ones were the Friday Happy Hours at the back door. Good bonding.
Intergraph
Bosses David Fagerman and Steve Stanfill. Thanks for my first big "global" work. From site and drainage to road, rail, bridge and hydraulic certification. Great Scope Leap. Barry again. Kevin Lucht, my technical mentor then (and big project guy now).
Ron Gant: for demonstrating that any issue can be described in terms of Animal Husbandry. But should it?
Kevin Hamant and Andy Miller: for being always there.
Debbi Higginbotham and Lisa Whitson for your emotional nurturing.
Post Intergraph
HNTB: Yassi Myers, the best Highway PM I've known. Rebecca Gault: work provides another best friend.
San Diego: Sophia Bhatia and Phyllis Chapin. You were fantastic mentors in my first "independent" job. Phyllis, you were a great visionary and Project Manager, and, Sophia, you were a great example of proactive, conscientious consulting. If you read this, call me for lunch. I'll buy (if this is up the offer stands, repeatedly).
John Lowe: your kindness was much appreciated during the Foothill Transportation Corridor work and afterwards. Thank you.
Sam Nugent and Todd Stutts: friend with Sam since 1992 and my first (non-Venezuela) training was for you guys. Shout out, CADProdInc.com! You're great people and valued friends.
Tom Lazear and family. "Hi, Tom. My name is Jeff Martin. You now sell and train InRoads. You probably need an InRoads Trainer." I genuinely love Tom. The quintessential patriarch. He is an amazing example of so many things. Decency, Business Ethics, Family, specific brilliance, general brilliance. I've never spent a moment with him where he wasn't being earnest or radiant or both (and I spent a week with him touring California campuses).
Brad Adams and Mary Carter of Bohannan Huston. Thanks for trusting me to represent you. B-Rad, the guy who not only knows how to take it to the next level, he has the business acumen to make it happen. My age, but a whole lot wiser. Barb Skalko in Colorado: thank you! Leslie Small, Pat Callahan, Nick Johnson.
Janet Griffin at OkDOT. Thanks for your leadership.
Independent Trainers and Consultants: my brethren. Ron Brys, Bob Meacham, Mark Ditko. Sam and Todd.
Everybody at Bentley, especially all those I knew from the Intergraph days (like Barry (again) and Lisa Whitson: still an amazing nurturer (and brilliant techie)). ALL the full time consultants: you guys are warriors (stay sane!).
I did this in a hurry; I need to flesh it out, but you're in my head.
Finally, Jane Alden (CH2MHill) and Harry Smith (NYSDOT).
I used to say Jane had the hardest job in the industry: adopting new stuff and making a profit doing so. Every time I saw Jane speak (and I was lucky enough to introduce her a few times), I thought "I need to be more like Jane." Her appearance of success was just her lucky accident of being around the right people. Yeah, right. She put those people together. Endlessly gracious, Jane. Her respect for me was my greatest professional validation.
I used to talk with Harry at the InRoads Steering Committee. A big personality, we shared a passion for the need to treat new software learners with the great care. We agreed that it was about designing a learning environment where the most important takeaways were confidence that they could do it and that the software is good and that learning it would be fun.
I miss their light.