For Port of Long Beach Senior Program Manager Monique Aguilar, overseeing the port’s Middle Harbor Terminal Redevelopment Project is the kind of venture that “engineers dream of working on.” The project involves combining and upgrading two container cargo terminals to create a more efficient and environmentally safe facility. The $1.3 billion endeavor is slated for completion in 2020. The port’s goal is to cut air pollution by half, and generate 14,000 jobs in Southern California through an increase in trade. Before joining the port 10 years ago, Aguilar started her career as a bridge engineer in Florida. “That has been my passion,” she commented. “Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to design bridges.” She was drawn to the port because she wanted to work in the public sector and “heard about all the amazing projects” there. In her role, Aguilar is responsible for managing the project’s schedule, scope and budget. She oversees the contracts and design process, from the initial stage of putting together the plans and specifications, to working with the contractors and engineers on implementation. She said her favorite part is working with “incredibly talented” people. “Learning from them is amazing,” she remarked. Aguilar described her position as “all-encompassing civil [engineering] work.” She added that, “You get to design wharves, buildings, rail . . . I’m designing trains. You get to do every type of civil engineering work in one place. It’s very rare to do that. It’s the type of project you could write books about.”