James Lane started his career in the construction industry, then studied structural engineering, obtained his professional engineering license and worked for architectural engineering firms in several states before making Arizona his home.
With 22 years of experience as a structural engineer, James has worked on building projects including medical, aviation, municipal, hospitality, industrial, education, retail and military facilities. Most were in the United States, a few in Africa and Eastern Europe.
James enjoys enhancing his engineering career with continuing education. He embraces structural computer modeling and enjoys learning about new building products. He is experienced in concrete, steel, timber and masonry, as well as insulated concrete forms and cold-formed steel.
He is a U.S. Green Building Council LEED® Accredited Professional, an International Code Council Certified Masonry Inspector and a member of the American Industry of Steel Construction, the American Concrete Institute and Cold Formed Steel Engineers Institute. He holds a record with the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying.
He grew up in the small town of Pipestone, Minnesota – the home of the peace pipe. As young boy, he was obsessed with building with his favorite toy wooden blocks and Lincoln Logs, always incorporating the matchbox vehicle collection as the mode of transportation and the plastic army men and Fort Apache people as city residents. He studied at a two-year technical school in Minneapolis, then worked five years designing residential and light commercial structures.
To advance his knowledge, he enrolled in Kansas State University, studying structural engineering. While in college he enlisted in the National Guard, completed basic training and officers’ candidate school. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. Before graduating, he married his wife and they had their daughter. He was an engineer in training with a turnkey design-build firm in Wisconsin and worked for architectural engineering firms in Virginia, Kentucky and Texas.
After living in several climates with white winters, James moved to the Valley of the Sun in 2003 and calls Goodyear home. He served as a consultant in structural engineering on professional design teams before joining Schneider Structural Engineers in 2009. James considers himself a bit of a homebody, spending time with his wife and daughter, plus three dogs, three cats and two birds.
“Computer modeling is getting to be more and more complex. We are able
to do so much more with the software on the market today. It’s fun.
It’s a very enjoyable part of structural engineering. It also is
a great time saver for the client.”— James Lane