Varela Engineering & Management

07/21/2026

Who's excited about the new Thomas Hammer in Ritzville?

Progress in Ritzville.
New paint. New neighborhood.
Good stuff coming Summer 2026 🔨

07/02/2026

Abby here! I had such a great time at the Association of Washington Cities conference here in Spokane last week. One of the photographers got this shot of me talking with Mayor of Palouse, Tim Sievers, after the Fun Run & Walk. (If you can't tell, he ran; I walked).

It was a conference full of networking with many of our clients and learning more about their needs. While we focus on infrastructure at Varela, our clients are juggling so many more needs in their unique communities.

There is a scene in the book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy where characters can step into a booth that shows them exactly where they are in the universe. In the book, people go crazy when they realize just how small and insignificant they really are. Going to this conference kind of felt like that. What I do at Varela feels like such a small sliver compared to the work our mayors, councilmembers, clerks, public works, and other staff are doing.

It's humbling.

It's also motivating. I come away having a much better understanding of where I can fill in and support cities such as Palouse.

I'm also thrilled to have found another nerd at table 42 in a lovely councilmember from Cheney.

06/30/2026

🇺🇸 Holiday Closure Notice 🇺🇸

Our office will be closed Friday, July 3, in observance of Independence Day.

We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend celebrating with family and friends. We will resume normal business hours on Monday, July 6.

God bless America! ❤️🤍💙

Download this photo by Jon Sailer on Unsplash

06/23/2026

Varela's own Abby Gromlich will be attending the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Annual Conference this week in Spokane!

As our Project Funding & Development specialist, Abby works closely with communities across Washington to secure and administer funding for critical infrastructure projects, including water, wastewater, transportation, and stormwater improvements. The AWC Conference provides a great opportunity to connect with local leaders, discuss funding opportunities, and share ideas that help communities thrive.

If you're attending the conference, be sure to say hello! Abby is looking forward to meeting elected officials, public works professionals, and community partners from across the state.

Hope to see you there!

Has your Washington city or town selected its voting delegates for the AWC Annual Meeting? Each city gets up to three to help us select our next Board.

Voting delegates should be designated by council action, or by the mayor or city manager, and submitted to AWC by Thursday, June 18. Register your delegates today at: https://wacities.org/events-education/conferences/awc-annual-conference/annual-meeting

05/18/2026

05/18/2026

Jesse and Abby had the pleasure of meeting with Michael Baumgartner and his staff last week in Washtucna, along with Mayor Brett Guske, Clerk Tina Wells, Councilwoman Gina Flower, Bridget C**n, farmer and owner of Sonny's, and several other local farmers. Varela assisted with the Town's federal appropriation request back in the spring. We were able to show Rep. Baumgartner the well that desperately needs to be replaced to protect the Town from wildfires.

04/28/2026

Curious about AI? As part of our ongoing professional and business development, Varela employees are meeting tomorrow to discuss AI. We see this burgeoning tool as a potential pathway for increased productivity in our workflows and documentation. But we also are aware that guardrails must be placed around its use to protect client confidentiality, data integrity, and the human judgment that defines quality work.

Tomorrow's conversation (probably the first of a series) will cover how we can responsibly integrate AI into our practice — exploring where it adds real value, where it falls short, and how we establish clear policies that reflect our values as a team. We believe that being intentional now means we can embrace innovation without compromising the trust our clients place in us.

Stay tuned as we share what we learn. 💡

In the meantime, enjoy these adorable AI-generated cartoons of some of your favorite Varela staff!

04/27/2026

Could it be—has True Spring finally arrived? ☀️ The sun is out, spirits are up, and we’re already counting down to our annual summer picnic.

04/22/2026

🌟 Happy Administrative Professionals Day! 🌟

Today we are celebrating two incredible people who are truly the backbone of everything we do — Rae Jean Jones and Tammy Turner! 💐

Rae Jean is the wizard behind all of our billing — every invoice, every paycheck, every number that needs to be right. She handles our billing and payroll with care for every employee.

Tammy is our amazing Office Manager and the heartbeat of our day-to-day operations. She makes sure we're fueled up (yes, that means the coffee ☕), organizes all of our office and client events, and coordinates the bid and closeout processes with our contractors on every single project we take on. If there's a detail to manage, Tammy is already on it.

Rae Jean and Tammy — thank you for showing up every day and doing so much more than most people ever see. You are appreciated beyond words, not just today, but always. 🙏

Please drop a ❤️ in the comments to show these two amazing women some well-deserved love!

04/05/2026

He is risen—He is risen indeed! ✝️

On this Easter Sunday, we rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who bore our sins and was raised for our justification. Because of Him, death is defeated and we have the sure hope of eternal life.

“Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, He was buried, and He was raised on the third day.” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4)

Rejoicing in the finished work of Christ today. 🌿