GeoHeroes - Leo Titus

GeoHeroes - Leo Titus About This Episode In this episode Guy Marcozzi interviews Leo J. Titus, Jr., PE, F.GBA, COO of Engineering Consulting Services (ECS), about resilience, leadership, and giving back to the geotechnical community. Leo shares his remarkable journey from a teenager working at a racetrack to leading a 2,800-person engineering firm, while navigating profound personal challenges including his deployment to the Pentagon on 9/11 as part of the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue team and the tragic loss of his wife to cancer. Leo reveals how these experiences shaped his people-first leadership philosophy and passion for mentoring the next generation. Packed with career wisdom, this episode offers invaluable insights on professional growth, the importance of industry involvement, and finding perspective through life's toughest moments. About Our Guest Leo J. Titus, Jr., PE, F.GBA is Chief Operating Officer of ECS, Ltd. a national geotechnical, environmental, materials testing and facilities engineering firm. A graduate of Clarkson University, he has been an active leader in industry organizations including serving as president of GBA in 2022-2023, chairman of ASTM E36 committee from 2016 to 2021, and two terms as president of WACEL. Mr. Titus has been an active member of the community and was a member of Fairfax County's Urban Search and Rescue team for eleven years, being deployed to the Pentagon on September 11, 2001; as well as being a top fundraiser, along with his family, for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, raising over $350,000 since the passing of his first wife in 2003. Our Host Guy Marcozzi, PE, D.GE, LEED AP BD+C, is a GBA past-president and an experienced CEO, President and Board Member with a demonstrated history of working in the engineering, science and data technology industries and in leadership for various boards of ESOP, non-profit, professional and business organizations. Show Notes Introduction Leo Titus, Chief Operating Officer of Engineering Consulting Services (ECS) Lives and works in Northern Virginia ECS: 2,800 employees, 100 locations nationwide Early Life and Education Born in Western New York, grew up in Saratoga Springs, New York Worked summers at horse racing track as teenager in concessions/bar support Learned valuable life lessons about how people treat each other Witnessed gambling addiction, which taught him moderation B/B+ student through high sc