Mike Crane has a firm grasp of the most important things in life: a fulfilling career, quality time with loved ones, and the simple joy of an occasional ice-cold, micro-brewed IPA.
Mike grew up in Bellbrook, Ohio, a small suburb of Dayton. From a young age, he had a penchant for all things construction. Coming from a family of mechanical and electrical engineers, Mike’s decision to study general engineering at Ohio University was only fitting. Soon after graduation, he remembers how lucky he felt to have been assigned the role as Inspector on a project involving the construction of a brand-new wastewater plant. “It was pretty cool to see right off the bat how a wastewater plant is built, especially one that had several miles of sanitary sewer like this. I had a good and unique experience with that project.”
Shortly after the merger between Bird+Bull and V3 in 2020, Mike was presented with the opportunity to become a member of the Emerging Leader’s Program, or ELP. The ELP is an internal program that boasts leadership, business development, and project management training. The program is designed to provide a structured, yet highly engaged, hands-on environment for developing truly effective leaders. “My biggest benefit from the program was being able to meet my coworkers outside of the Columbus office as we merged firms. It was an awesome opportunity to make so many new contacts during that transition.” Now in his second year, Mike’s current focus is on planning the first companywide retreat.
Successful and fulfilling career aside, it is obvious that Mike’s proudest achievement is his family. Despite having known his wife, Danielle, since high school, their relationship did not blossom until after college. Having not seen each other in years, fate intervened when they were teamed up to compete side-by-side at a friend’s Beer Olympics party. Their mutual love of beer may have brought them together, but their undeniable chemistry bound them to each other for life. They were married on New Year’s Eve in 2019 and welcomed their first child, Olivia, in June of 2021.
Mike describes his excitement at watching his daughter experience snow for the first time this winter. “I’m looking forward to going home today and taking her out to play again. I want to make sure to enjoy these special moments, because they go by so fast.”
Mike is certainly the kind of guy you want to relax and have a beer with, and if you’re in the Columbus area, it’s a safe bet that he knows the best breweries to visit.