About me

I’m Miguel Pimentel. I live in Minnesota and work as an Engineering Project Manager for the City of Crystal. While I spend my days managing the construction and maintenance of public infrastructure, I use this site to document my work in software development and data analysis.

Profile picture of Miguel Pimentel

Professional Background

My daily focus is the delivery of municipal projects. This includes everything from the design of street resurfacing plans to the management of large-scale road and utility contracts. My role requires a balance of technical oversight and coordination. I handle contract specifications, cost estimation, and final construction inspections while ensuring compliance between private agencies and public entities.

Public Works employees doing construction

I began this journey over twelve years ago as a Civil Engineering Technician in the Dominican Republic. I eventually moved into project management, where I now rely on GIS and CAD systems to manage the lifecycle of physical infrastructure.

The Self-Directed Path

My approach to expertise is non-traditional. While studying at INTEC, I found that I lacked the drive for traditional academics and eventually moved away from a formal degree. However, as I gained experience in the field, I discovered a profound motivation for learning that school had not sparked.

Rail workers repairing train tracks

This shift defined my career. I have spent the last decade in a process of self-directed mastery. I taught myself how to build software and use data analysis to solve specific problems. I believe that an engineer’s value is found in the ability to understand a system and improve it, regardless of whether that system is built of concrete or code.

Firefighting training

Areas of Experience

My background is a mix of technical precision and public service:

  • Public Infrastructure: Managing municipal projects, designing residential road plans in AutoCAD Civil 3D, and overseeing construction site inspections.
  • Digital Tools: Building Obsidian plugins and Firefox extensions to optimize my personal workflow.
  • Data Analysis: Developing Python-based prototypes to help stakeholders explore and understand public data, such as our Adopt-a-Drain program.
  • Public Safety: A past chapter as a licensed Firefighter and EMT, which provided early experience in managing systems under pressure.

Rail workers in front of US Bank stadium

A Legacy of Service

My interest in public works is rooted in a family tradition of serving the community. My father managed municipal water and road systems, my mother was a nurse, and my grandfather was a firefighter. This legacy guides my commitment to the "boring" but essential infrastructure that keeps a city running. I am driven by the desire to create tangible, reliable improvements in the physical and digital systems we all use.

Rail workers installing Intrusion Detection System

What You'll Find Here

This website is my public notebook. It is a place to connect the dots between engineering management and digital creation. I share content covering:

  • Infrastructure Management: Insights into public works, contract strategies, and CAD/GIS applications.
  • Software and Automation: Documentation of my coding projects, technical tutorials, and personal knowledge management.
  • Process Improvement: Applying an engineering mindset to learning new skills and optimizing workflows.

When I’m away from the terminal or a project site, I am usually cooking with my wife, taking photographs, or finding the right rhythm for a new playlist.