Municipality work can be a juggling act, but V3’s Elora Hsu knows exactly how to keep the ball moving. Learn how her impressive skillset of engineering insight and athletic acumen empowers her to facilitate municipal projects that transform communities.
Beating the buzzer
Elora has always quite literally kept her eye on the ball. In high school, she had a love for basketball and dreamed of playing in college. But as the shortest player on her team, she eventually realized she’d have to switch gears. The only problem was she didn’t know where to turn. Her parents suggested engineering since she’d always had a knack for fixing things and solving problems; the subject matter proved to be a natural fit.
She studied civil engineering at UIC, but things really clicked during her internship with V3. Working on traffic studies showed her the real-world impact of engineering, igniting her interest and career trajectory.
“Playing sports made me a better engineer. Being competitive, you practice and work hard to improve. And being part of a team requires coordination and an understanding of each person’s role and skillset. We all have to work together to facilitate projects. Infusing my passion for sports with engineering makes everything more meaningful.”
After her internship, Elora interviewed at a few other firms but wanted to come back to V3. She joined the team in 2007 and never looked back.
“The culture drew me in. I feel genuinely cared for here. People are invested in my well-being and are always willing to help. The team atmosphere drew me in then and has kept me here now.”
Court vision
Early in her career, Elora enjoyed getting involved in every aspect of municipal design (from traffic studies to preparing construction documents, and now a primary focus on preliminary engineering and environmental studies). The variety of work gave her a comprehensive view of how projects come to life, building her engineering foundation. Today as a project manager, she balances those tasks with additional responsibilities, supporting her team as she oversees all the moving parts.
Elora loves working across service lines to gain insight and perspectives from fellow V3 experts. She regularly consults and brainstorms with team members from survey, environmental, water resources, landscape architecture, and more to develop holistic solutions for clients.
“To be in the same room with all these different perspectives and talk through all the challenges brings a lot of nuance. It’s not just about my piece of the project but how all the work affects everyone else. I feel like I learn something new every day.”
One project that allowed her to really work across service lines was the revitalization of historic downtown Lockport. Elora helped to facilitate moving multiple phases of the project forward, contributing in everything from preliminary engineering to helping the city secure funding and pulling construction documents together. This work made a major impact on the community and was recognized by APWA as a Transportation Project of the Year.
Nothing but net
When the day is done, Elora leaves work at work to have fun at home. She loves spending quality time with her husband and two young kids, exploring the western suburbs’ best parks and ice cream parlors. Sports continue to be a driving force in her life; she still plays basketball and has started picking up golf as well.
Whether she’s on the court or at a job site, Elora is driven to be her best self.
“I’m excited to keep learning not only about design but how to be a better manager. I want to help younger engineers grow and share knowledge I’ve learned from others with those coming after me. There’s always room to grow and learn, and becoming a better engineer, advisor, and mentor is important to me.”
Work with Elora and V3’s municipal consulting team
Whether you’re ready for the next step in your career or need expert municipal consulting support, V3 can help support your vision. Explore our open municipal engineering job opportunities in Columbus, Chicago, and beyond, or contact us to kickstart your next project.