CEO’s Message

Core Design’s origins as a start-up engineering and land surveying company date back to the mid-1950’s when John Dodds, being the only licensed civil engineer and land surveyor on the eastside, started the company. Back then, Dodds Engineers was the city engineer for the small communities of Bellevue, Medina and Redmond. From those humble beginnings, the values of personal service, technical excellence and innovation, were the family values the Dodds family held closely 50 years ago.

When the name was changed in 2000, we had the opportunity to change who we were and what our values are, but instead chose to keep the same ideological views on business. Our leadership team of 8 partners now more than ever is focusing on those beliefs while keeping our client's interests above any personal gain or motivations.

We are attracting highly skilled and motivated staff that also support these beliefs. These attributes are continually on display within our office and are often displayed externally through the support of outside interests that serve the community. From supporting the Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure to organizing food drives for NW Harvest and Hopelink, our staff freely give back to the community in which we live and work.

We understand the challenges our clients see on a daily basis. It is this understanding that allows us to bring projects to completion much sooner and with innovative design ideas. For over 50 years we have served a diverse clientele of municipalities, utility companies and a host of private, commercial and residential developers. Our commitment to value, innovation, cutting edge technologies and growth opportunities continue to pave the way for new client relationships and attracting the most talented staff

Kevin J. Vanderzanden