Natasha (Funk) Butler has made history as Colorado’s first female state bridge engineer, a milestone that reflects her dedication, expertise and deep-rooted connection to her home state.
Butler, 34, was born in Cortez and raised in Dove Creek in a family with deep roots in the region, starting with her great-grandparents, who came during the Dust Bowl era. Her maternal grandmother lives in Cahone, and her paternal grandparents in Dove Creek. Butler’s great-uncle and great-aunt, Doug and Linda Funk, started the Dove Creek Press.
“Growing up on a farm, Dad was always showing us how to build things and how to work on things,” Butler told The Journal.
When it came time to choose a career and pursue secondary education after graduating from Dove Creek High School in 2009, Butler set her sights on architecture at the University of Colorado Boulder with the support of the full-ride Daniels Fund Scholarship.
“I had dreams of becoming an architect when I was younger, so that’s what I set out to do,” Butler said.
After her first semester in architecture, however, Butler realized that it wasn’t the right fit for her. She switched her major to architectural engineering, where her love of math, physics and problem-solving flourished. She earned her undergraduate degree in architectural engineering and a master’s in civil engineering through CU’s five-year program.
“I enjoyed it, but I also started getting a feeling that this wasn’t what I was looking for,” Butler said of her semester in architecture. “I had some friends who were in architectural engineering, and said, ‘Hey, why don’t you come try this out?’ So, I transferred over into engineering, and I loved it. A lot of problem-solving and math and physics just really spoke to me.”
Upon graduating from CU, Butler started her career with an internship at Collin’s Engineers, where she contributed to the Colorado Department of Transportation’s innovative retaining wall and noise wall inspection program, which she said was one of the first of its kind in the U.S. Through this project, Butler helped develop software, including an app and online interface, to streamline inspections and asset management.
“Getting to help work through that process gave me a really good background for asset management and inspection,” Butler said.
Next, Butler did some work in Montana for underwater bridge inspections with Collin’s, while still living and working on projects in Colorado. Soon, Butler said she realized wanted to continue expanding her skills in design.
“I had a few years under my belt, and it was time to sit down for my professional engineer exam, and I decided that I really wanted some more design experience,” she said.
She soon joined Foothills Bridge in Boulder, a firm that specializes in bridge dismantling. There, she worked as a contractor’s engineer, helping design rigging equipment for projects like the Golden Gate Bridge. For the Golden Gate Bridge project, Butler and her team developed systems to hoist materials from the ocean to the bridge for net installations.
After several years, Butler began working for CDOT as an asset management engineer, which she did for about 5½ years.
“There was something really appealing about working for CDOT,” Butler said. “Any efficiencies that I can provide, any good work I do, it benefits the state. It benefits where I’m from and the taxpayers. It’s kind of cheesy, but it’s like the work that I do is for a higher good.”
When the state bridge engineer position opened, Butler applied and was given the job, becoming the first woman to do so. She also expressed gratitude for the others who applied for the position, noting that they were all friends who share a passion for engineering.
“I was a little hesitant,” Butler said about applying. “It’s usually older guys that go for this position, but it was a great opportunity for me to further my career and also continue to help CDOT. … I was very honored. It was a really interesting position to be in the final four candidates, really highly qualified people. In fact, we’re all friends. We were all very supportive of each other, and they’re a really awesome group of very intelligent, passionate people. So I was just very, very honored to get to fill this role.”
Now, as state bridge engineer, Butler oversees CDOT’s Staff Bridge unit, a team of experts who tackle design challenges, update challenges and work to ensure the longevity of Colorado’s infrastructure.
Butler shared her passion of maintaining existing assets and extending their life span.
“I think we're definitely moving into a time of infrastructure where we're going to be doing a lot more asset management and not as much new building,” Butler said. “It's not the ‘60s when we've got the interstate coming through anymore. We're not doing all this new construction. We're now taking care of everything that was built then. And that’s just something I'm really passionate about, is taking care of what we have and making sure that we're making sure that those assets live for as long as possible.”
Though she has only worked in this position for about a month now, some of her current day-to-day responsibilities include managing her team, ensuring they have the training and resources needed and evaluating design variances. The role also becomes particularly critical during emergencies such as bridge collisions. During emergencies such as these, Butler leads efforts to assess structural integrity, ensure public safety and develop repair solutions.
She also expressed her thankfulness for the support of those who have helped her get to where she is today, including her father, a dry land farmer, and her mother, who was once the head cook for the Dolores County school district and now works for the NRCS in Cortez.
“I am very fortunate. I have had so much support from my family, my parents, my grandparents, employers along with way who have really helped me,” Butler said. “I wouldn’t be here without the support of the people around me. I’m just so grateful for that, and I’m really excited about this opportunity. I had this dream in high school that I was going to go off to college and come back to Dove Creek and bring something to the community. And I still have that dream, but I hope that at least by filling this role, I'm helping that a little bit, right? It's just at a statewide level. I’m just really grateful to be where I am.”
