2011 40 Under 40: Steve Maxson, PE, LEED AP, 30
Senior Mechanical Engineer, Shaffer•Baucom Engineering and Consulting, Lakewood, Colo.
By Bettina Chang, Content Specialist, and Amara Rozgus, Editor-in-Chief
St
eve Maxson, PE, LEED AP, 30
Senior Mechanical Engineer, Shaffer•Baucom Engineering and Consulting, Lakewood, Colo.
Colorado School of Mines, BS Mechanical Engineering
Maxson developed his appreciation for the design profession while laying pipe for underground water mains for a construction company during the summers of his high school. To this day, he remembers the importance of designing with a clear vision of the final product. Maxson has worked at Shaffer•Baucom Engineering and Consulting since he was an intern in 1999. As a senior mechanical engineer, he has worked on many challenging projects, including aerospace and industrial facilities, a biomedical device-manufacturing clean room, and a cancer pharmaceutical research lab. Maxson is especially skilled at conducting engineering studies and energy analyses, which require precise design. He has given several presentations and coauthored an article on the use of computational fluid dynamic modeling software. He has worked as project manager for several projects for Lockheed Martin, including a facility for the company’s GPS satellites and the Space Operations Simulation Center (SOSC), which earned LEED Gold. The SOSC was designed to provide an ultra-stable test environment for precision instruments and accurate navigation systems used in space vehicles. Maxson is known for his dedication to client relationships; he remains on good terms with his clients over the years, and even spends Friday afternoons playing basketball with some of his clients. Outside of work, he has served as historian of the ASHRAE Rocky Mountain chapter, and he is currently chair of the ACEC Colorado scholarship committee. He also helps to develop K-12 science, technology, engineering, and math curricula for the Littleton Public Schools district as a technical advisory board member. He continues to contribute to his alma mater as a senior design project judge and actively volunteers for Habitat for Humanity. Maxson loves to travel with his wife Tara; he has been to more than 30 countries around the world. He also enjoys rock climbing, basketball, and cross-country running.