Member Spotlight: Nik Anderson
We’re continuing to bring you the Member Spotlight series to help us all get to know each other better! Do you know a WLIA colleague who deserves to be featured? Please fill out this form so that we can highlight them!
Meet Nik Anderson, who is the Geospatial Project Manager at Ayres! After winning the Emerging Leader Award in 2020, Nik was elected to the WLIA board of directors and has served since 2021 (now on his third term). We all appreciate his hard work on the Legislative Committee in particular!
How did you come to your current profession or job?
I started out in the Pre-Law program at UWEC, where I had a strong interest in becoming an attorney. Turned out that program was too political and not enough law so I made the switch to Geography and have loved it ever since. I still have a strong love for law, which thankfully I have been able to tie into my time in WLIA.
I started out as a GIS Specialist and then UAS Program Administrator at the Ho-Chunk Nation where I learned more than I could have ever imagined. My five years at the Nation were foundational in my career and gave me a very particular set of experiences and perspectives.
Back in 2021 I joined Ayres and they have been stuck with me ever since.
That’s awesome how you are able to combine your interests of geography and law via WLIA! Any memorable experiences related to that to share?
I truly enjoy being a part of the Legislative Committee for WLIA. Some of the experiences I have had working with others around the state and meeting with legislators have given me a different perspective that I am proud to have.
What’s your most favorite part and least favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is designing an approach to tackle a project that requires multiple specialties within our firm, and then managing that project to successful completion. The higher the complexity, the greater the satisfaction. The least favorite part of my job is dealing with Outlook closing while drafting a long email (dealing with this right now)…
What’s the best advice someone has ever given you?
Two things:
1. If you don’t have a seat at the table, then you’re on the menu.
2. Prioritization and patience are two of the best skills you can learn.
What do you like to do for fun? (Hobbies, volunteer work, etc.)
I love golfing, hunting, skiing (Thanks to Joe Fleischmann), and spending time with my wife Kaitlyn and our two boys, Nolan and Logan. My personal volunteer schedule really needs to free up a bit but it’s tough when you’re having fun. I regularly volunteer at Westgate Sportsman’s Club in Eau Claire, the Chippewa Valley Chapter of Pheasants Forever, and now also the Chippewa Falls Oktoberfest.
What’s something most people wouldn’t guess about you?
I am an ordained minister and have proceeded over the weddings of two of my best friends. One was on a farm in a cornfield in my hometown during 90-degree heat, and the other was on a mountain in Washington in the rain, wind, and fog. I was soaked after both…
All of that makes for memorable weddings for sure! Perhaps a wedding on water is next? Another way to get soaked…
I am hoping the next one is on a beach somewhere!
Where would you most like to travel to and why?
Don’t get me wrong, I love going to Hawaii, Nashville, or any place with a beach and fruity drinks, but there is something I really love about the prairie potholes in South Dakota, the backwaters of the Mississippi, or the marsh at our family hunting property. It’s simple, quiet, and the best place to reflect or hit the reset button.
