Jordan Grasser, PE, has devoted his career to improving water infrastructure in his hometown of Grand Forks, North Dakota, and across the country. In 2017, Jordan became the Grand Forks Operations Manager and is responsible for the daily management of the firm’s largest office.

“A lot of the initial reasons for me to become an engineer fit the clichés about loving to learn how things work and being good at math as well as problem solving. When I was growing up, two of my favorite shows were Modern Marvels and MythBusters,” says Jordan with a smile. Ultimately, he took after his father, an engineer, and grandfather, a high school chemistry teacher, when he decided to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of North Dakota (UND).

“If you asked me in college if I had any interest in managing people, much less an office of more than 80 people, I would have thought the idea was crazy. But as I gained experience and new interests emerged, AE2S allowed me the flexibility and opportunity to explore as I grew and gained new insights into what drives me,” Jordan says.

His favorite part of being an engineer is something he didn’t realize until after several years with AE2S. “My initial education track led me into the research and development (R&D) industry, first for a computer hardware company followed by a start-up company at UND. After about two years in the R&D field, I only had papers and publications to show as the fruits of my labor,” says Jordan. “After two years at AE2S, I could look at a water treatment plant knowing I worked on it. After this realization, I was hooked and knew there was nothing else I would rather be doing and nowhere else I would rather be working. There is something very rewarding about spending your time and energy on infrastructure that could very well outlast yourself.”

Thus far, Jordan’s favorite project of his career is the Grand Forks Regional Water Treatment Plant because of the overwhelming pride in having a major role in his hometown’s new water treatment plant. He was also heavily involved in the start-up of the plant, which proved to be an amazing learning experience given all the various treatment processes including traditional lime softening, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis membranes, and chemical systems. “I loved being in the trenches with the Grand Forks water operators and fighting our way through the challenges that come with start-ups of that magnitude,” he says.

Though working on projects in his hometown can be very gratifying, Jordan is also excited to work on projects outside the area. “I have enjoyed opportunities to work on a large filter renewal project in Great Falls, Montana, and a pump station near Salt Lake City, Utah.  These projects gave me the chance to work with great AE2S staff outside of North Dakota. I gained valuable experience I might not have otherwise had.”

In his free time, Jordan likes to spend as much time as possible outdoors, preferably with his wife, Erin, and third and fifth grade sons. Five years ago, when their oldest was in kindergarten, Jordan and Erin started up a new Cub Scout Pack at his school. Over the years both of them have served in several Cub Scout leadership positions. Jordan currently serves as the Cubmaster and Erin is the Committee Chair. The whole family is active in scouting throughout the school year. “Some of our favorite events include an indoor campout at the Betty Englestad Arena after taking in a UND Fighting Hawks hockey game, as well as a Winter Camp in central Minnesota each February or March,” says Jordan.

When he’s not managing infrastructure projects or working with the local Scouts, Jordan has a variety of interests. “I love to go geocaching, hiking, hunting, fishing, camping, sitting around a bonfire, spending time at the lake, and vegetable gardening,” he says. When North Dakota’s harsh winter weather keeps him indoors, Jordan keeps himself busy by playing the piano, homebrewing beer and wine, watching the Packers, and working on home improvement projects.

In December, Prairie Business Magazine named Jordan to the 2022 40 Under 40 list of young professionals across North Dakota, South Dakota and western Minnesota. The publication selected Jordan based on his professional and personal contributions to his community, from working on important drinking water infrastructure projects to cofounding a Cub Scout Pack.

The Grasser family on vacation in Roatan, Honduras.