 Jody Gerstner
Technical Director
Walt Disney Imagineering
Glendale, CA
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 B.S. -
Electrical and Electronics Engineering, California Polytechnic -
Pomona |
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Technical Director,
providing guidance for project engineers and technical reviews
of designs. |
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Gerstner advises
young engineers to get their licenses. |
 
"Initially there weren't too many people who had their PE licenses here.
The numbers have grown. And it doesn't hurt to be a licensed engineer,
because I expect that we'll get to a point where, due to liability and the
litigious nature of our society, that ride systems will need to be
approved by professional engineers, not just facilities electrical."
Jody Gerstner is a technical director of Florida control systems for Walt
Disney Imagineering. As a manager of project engineers, he brings a unique
perspective to his job. "I view myself not as their boss but as an agent."
Just as an agent gets work for an entertainer and negotiates for him, "I'm
acting as the engineers' agent to make sure that they have everything they
need to get their projects completed." Secondly, he gives them the benefit
of his experience by pointing out concerns they may have missed. Not
surprisingly, he is highly esteemed by his team.
There is one quality Gerstner values in his engineers: "An outgoing
personality is mandatory, in my opinion, if you want to grow in this job
because you have to communicate." The engineers have to be able to
negotiate with the creative people about the best way to achieve the
effects they desire. They then have to give clear directions to the shop
people who actually have to build the attractions. "You have to bridge the
gap between pure technical stuff and hands on, how to put it together. So,
if you can't communicate, then no one will know what you have to offer,
and no one will know how to build what you are conceptualizing."
Gerstner advises young engineers to get their licenses. "I recommend it
for anybody coming into this field. For many years, in past history, there
had been very little legislation of ride systems, amusement systems. But
what we've seen is a growing body of legislation of the field. It doesn't
hurt to be a licensed engineer because I expect that we'll get to a point
where, due to liability and the litigious nature of our society, ride
systems will need to be approved by professional engineers." He adds, "And
for students coming right out of college, taking the EIT is absolutely the
right thing to do because it's all fresh in your mind. It's the best
time."
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