1. Your name and title:

Ralph W. Christie, Jr., P.E.

Chairman, President and CEO 

2. Description of your company:

Founded in 1955, Merrick & company is an employee-owned professional services firm with headquarters in Aurora, Colorado.   From its six offices Merrick provides engineering, architecture, geospatial, surveying, and construction management services to public and private sector clients, nationwide, and to niche markets internationally. We are a diversified company that provides services for the following types of projects:

 

Life Sciences

Wet/Dry Laboratories

Biocontainment Systems and Facilities

Land Development

Public Works: Special Districts and Local Governments

Precision Aerial Mapping

Satellite Imagery

Land Surveying 

3. Your role and philosophy at your company:

I provide the strategic and cultural leadership for the company, with a particular focus on satisfying clients and providing a rewarding work environment for employees.   I am honored to lead a great company, with great clients and employees, in an industry that adds value to our society. 

4. Where did you grow up and when did you move to Colorado? How did you find yourself in Aurora?

I grew up in western Pennsylvania, in a blue collar steel mill town called Butler. I moved to Colorado in the spring of 1981 and bought a home in Aurora in the Brookvale Subdivision – just east of Chambers and on the eastern edge of Aurora at that time. 

5. What is your favorite thing about living in the metro area?

So many upbeat people with great attitudes towards life! I see more sunshine in a month in Colorado than I witnessed in a year in western Pennsylvania. 

6. Something you are proud of accomplishing (don’t be shy or modest, please):

I’m so lucky to be living my dream of living in Colorado and running a great company.

I was also very honored and humbled to receive the Man of the Year Award in Aurora in 2002. 

7. What are your degrees and honors/awards you have earned/received?

Registered professional engineer in Colorado and Pennsylvania. 

Earned a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering summa cum laude from the University of Cincinnati in 1973.

Earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh in 1979.

Served as chair of the board for the Aurora Economic Development Council in 2002. 

Founding board member of the Colorado Space Business Roundtable and currently co-chair of the Colorado Space Coalition. 

Active board member for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Aurora Economic Development Council, and Southeast Business Partnership.

Received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Cincinnati in 2002.

Active advisory board member for the University of Cincinnati College of Civil/Environmental Engineering, University of Colorado at Denver Engineering Leadership Council, and the University of Denver Engineering Advisory Council. Visiting lecturer for leadership topics at the University of Denver Business School for its MBA program.

Aurora Chamber of Commerce named Ralph Christie “Man of the Year for 2002” for his business and community leadership.

ColoradoBiz magazine named him one of Colorado’s top CEOs in 2001.

8. What do you do for fun?

Many snow sports in the winter: alpine and Nordic skiing, as well as snow shoeing

Road biking in summer, especially in the Colorado mountains.

Golf (I enjoy it when I have the time.)

9. Do you have a favorite Aurora story?

My wife and I have memories of the Christmas blizzard of 1982. We were snowed-in at our home in Aurora for about 4 days. The only means of transportation was our cross country skis. I still have a picture of my wife, Susan, skiing to the grocery store near Mexico and Buckley. 

10. What would you say is Aurora’s biggest secret?

Quality workforce with a great attitude. 

11. You would define Aurora’s strengths as:

A strategic location for business that provides convenient location to a quality workforce, a positive business environment, and good transportation systems. 

12. What would you change in Aurora and/or the metro area?

Continue a professional, regional, and assertive effort in economic development.

Find creative ways to encourage our youth to get a good education; and, hopefully, many future college students will take an interest in science and engineering. 

13. What do you think is the most important issue/challenge in Aurora?

Continue to leverage the great success that Aurora has enjoyed in economic development.

Continue to successfully attract anchor tenants at Fitzsimons. 

14. How would you define a leader?

Someone who provides an inspiring purpose to stretch oneself and others to do extraordinary things.