FEATURED EMPLOYEE: Design Technician & Assistant Pretreatment Coordinator, Environmentalist
Rima Bauer is someone you’d be delighted to sit next to at a dinner party. Her background is rich, her interests varied, and she possesses that intangible magnetism of someone that is truly passionate – and talented at – their job.
“I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, with my twin sister Rana,” said Rima. “We took two very different paths in our adult lives: she went into French Horn Performance and is working with Carnegie Mellon University and playing gigs. I get artistic in CAD and GIS.”
She also plays flute recreationally in the community wind symphony, a hobby she carried over from her youth. In fact, Rima seems to have found a way to continue to nurture many interests she has collected along the way – music, fitness, environmentalism, and more. Rima fondly remembers taking her first environmental class during senior year of high school. She was instantly hooked.
“I knew that was what I was interested in studying,” Rima recalled, “and that I wanted to stay in Ohio. I was a big swimmer and ended up at Denison University, a DIII school with a growing swim program. We qualified for nationals every year, and after 13 years of competitive swimming, I ended my career with two relay national championships and three All-American titles.”
Academically, Rima majored in environmental studies and minored in biology. Following graduation, she assumed she would pursue a career in environmental consulting or a related field.
“I never would’ve imagined ending up in engineering,” said Rima. But she found herself drawn to GIS during her studies, and once she graduated, opportunity knocked at Bird + Bull (now part of the V3 family). Happily, she has been able to scratch her environmental itch more directly with her work as a pretreatment coordinator, helping to ensure compliance with the EPA for wastewater.
Rima has also found a way to weave fitness and a healthy lifestyle into the tapestry of her busy life.
“If you asked anyone to describe me today, I’m sure they would say ‘athletic’ or ‘fit’,” said Rima. “I’ve become a gym rat! I get up a 5:00 am every day and get my workout in. I also meal prep on Sundays and make all meals from scratch. I love to cook so it doesn’t feel like a chore to me.”
Rima credits her dad, who is Lebanese, for instilling her love of cooking.
“My dad makes a lot of traditional Lebanese food and I love the cuisine,” said Rima. “When I have more time on my hands I make Lebanese recipes. I love to experiment in the kitchen with all kinds of flavor profiles.”
Rima also spends her free time playing frisbee with her husband, practicing yoga, hiking, and running outside. She particularly enjoys activities that get her out in nature and gets her heart pumping.
And she is one of those rare birds that honors her values in her work and personal life.
“Growing up, my mom traveled a lot for work, and I was lucky enough to join her in places like Alaska, Jackson Hole, and Hawaii – beautiful places I would never want to see destroyed.”
