One Year In: Getting to Know Austin Hoops

There’s a certain kind of engineer who doesn’t just show up to do the work. They show up because the work means something to them. Austin Hoops, Senior Project Engineer at Lamp Rynearson, is exactly that kind of person. One year in, we sat down with Austin to hear about what brought him here, what’s kept him energized, and what he’s building toward.

The Firm You Can’t Miss

Ask Austin why he chose Lamp Rynearson, and his answer is refreshingly straightforward.

“You cannot drive anywhere in Omaha without passing a project Lamp Rynearson has touched.”

That kind of presence in a community isn’t accidental. It’s the result of decades of thoughtful, consistent work, and it’s exactly what drew Austin in. He was looking for a firm with deep roots and a wide range of work, and Lamp Rynearson checked both boxes. When your portfolio is literally written into the roads and infrastructure of a city, it tends to speak for itself.

A Project Worth Talking About

When asked about his favorite project from the past year, Austin didn’t hesitate. The Lincoln Public Schools student support facility at Yankee Hill stands out as a highlight.

Working alongside APMA, Austin and the team tackled the mass site grading before transitioning into the full civil site and utility design for the building project. It’s the kind of work that requires you to think in phases, stay coordinated across disciplines, and keep the bigger picture in focus even when you’re deep in the details. For Austin, it was a chance to do exactly that, and to do it for a school district investing in its students.

Roots in Lincoln, Eyes on the Future

Austin was born in Lincoln, and that matters to him. His goal for the years ahead is to help Lamp Rynearson grow its presence in the Lincoln market, not just as a business objective, but as a personal one.

“I want to be more involved in the development of the community where I was born.”

That’s not a talking point. That’s someone who sees their career and their community as connected. When the work you do shapes the place you grew up, it carries a different kind of weight.

The Paintball Test

Every team has a story about the moment they stopped being coworkers and started being a crew. For Austin, that moment came early.

In his first few weeks at Lamp Rynearson, the entire design team headed out for a paintball outing. What followed was exactly what you’d hope for: a little chaos, a lot of laughs, and a Monday morning where everyone still showed up and actually talked to each other.

“If your coworkers can survive a paintball against each other and show up Monday speaking to each other, that’s a team with some trust.”

Hard to argue with that logic.

Life Outside the Office

When Austin isn’t working on site grading plans or utility designs, you’ll find him out exploring, whether that’s the city or the great outdoors, with his three kids in tow. He’ll be the first to tell you that the adventures are best on the rare occasions all three of them wake up in a good mood at the same time.

Any parent knows exactly what he means.

Austin Hoops brings the kind of energy that makes a team better: grounded, community-minded, and genuinely invested in the work. We’re glad he’s part of ours. Here’s to year one, and everything that comes next.