Cullman City Engineer Erica York with her husband Austin and son Jack (contributed)
CULLMAN – Erica York has been on the job for less than a month and has “already made major contributions and been a great asset to Cullman,” according Cullman Economic Development Agency Director Dale Greer. York is the City of Cullman’s first city engineer.
Originally from New Hope, Alabama, York earned her degree in civil engineering from The University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2016. While at UAH, she worked at International Paper in Courtland and later for Alabama Power. When she graduated from UAH she transitioned into an engineering position with Alabama Power.
While attending UAH, she met her husband Austin York, a graduate of Cullman High School. The couple has lived in Cullman for five years and welcomed son Jack just six months ago. York’s new position in Cullman is a welcome change from the more than one hour commute to her previous job.
“My dad encouraged me to go into civil engineering,” she smiled. “I’ve always liked and done well in math and science. I realized there is so much you can do with civil engineering and so many tracks you can take with it.”
She continued, “For years people have been asking Cullman to hire an engineer and I’ve been told I am the first. This allows the city to bring some things in-house and to also have someone for the city to verify and help with checking calculations and assumptions, making sure developers and projects are compliant. For example, things like drainage calculations, that’s a very specified thing that you learn in civil engineering. I hope to resolve issues before they can become an issue or before they become a major problem later on.”
York enjoys working and living in Cullman, saying, “With this position, I’m getting into my major. I’m getting back into what I went to school to do.”
York said of her new home, “I love Cullman. It’s so nice to find a place out in the county with lots of space but when you need something, everything you need is just 5-10 minutes away. I love all the parks. I like that it’s not Huntsville or Birmingham. Cullman is still kind of small, but it has everything you need.”
Austin and Erica York live in west Cullman County. Austin York is also a civil engineer. He works on Redstone Arsenal. They have a farm and produce corn, wheat and soybeans. Erica York is an avid runner, although she admits she hasn’t been as active since baby Jack was born. The Yorks also have a giant mutt named Waylon.
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