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Anna Backus

associate and civil project manager at KPFF Consulting Engineers

Anna Backus knew as a kid that she wanted to be an engineer, though the type varied. 鈥淚 knew I wanted to lean into my math and science skills. By the time I hit college I had narrowed it down to civil and structural, and it turned out that civil was the perfect fit.鈥�

Renowned for her expertise in sustainable stormwater design, Backus鈥� work includes landmark projects such as Eugene鈥檚 new Downtown Riverfront Park and the University of Oregon鈥檚 PK Park and the Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact. She is a member of the American Public Works Association.

Backus co-founded the KPFF JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) group to create a more inclusive environment for all employees. Her specialty in mentoring is her understanding of minorities and women in engineering. As a queer woman, she has the ability to validate other minority engineers鈥� feelings and life experiences.

鈥淎s a female in a male-dominated field, Anna makes sure that you know you belong in the room. It means everything to have the smartest person you know believe in you. She is the perfect example of how to be an advocate for her clients, employees and her community,鈥� said Taylor Hood, a KPFF civil engineer who was mentored by Backus.

Backus leapt at the chance to lead the civil engineering effort for Emerald Village, a tiny home cooperative that, like many other affordable housing projects, has a tight budget. With consultants鈥� budgets having a large impact on whether the project would move forward, she reduced fees, worked late and put in her own personal time pro bono.

鈥淲orking on Emerald Village started my interest in working on affordable housing projects in Eugene. It was really incredible to see the A/E/C industry in Eugene come together and build the community,鈥� she said.