Engineering for a higher purpose—Al Stratman Retires

Al Stratman didn’t know that South Dakota was home to a world-class underground laboratory when a friend and colleague mentioned a job opening that he might like.  

“I was born and raised in South Dakota, and always kind of wanted to come back here,” Stratman said. “I was at the University of Illinois, a friend of mine who was a fellow retired Navy guy, said, ‘You should check out this Department of Energy project in South Dakota, inside some former gold mine turned science lab.’” 

Stratman did some digging, got up to speed on the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), and was intrigued—so he applied for the director of underground operations. He didn’t get the job. 

“They did the smartest thing they could have done, which was not pick me, because I wasn't qualified. I was a civil engineer, did construction, facilities management—not mining engineering,” Stratman said with a laugh. 

Several months later, he got a call from Mike Headley, the executive director of the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority (SDSTA) and SURF laboratory director, about an opening to lead the engineering team at SURF.  Stratman was offered the job and accepted over the phone. 

“We are so fortunate to have had Al at the helm of our engineering team for the past 10 years,” Headley said.  “Under his leadership, we’ve modernized the engineering support for day-to-day operations with tools such as a new site-wide geographic information system (GIS). Also, our engineering team has led the design and construction of over 20 infrastructure improvement projects during Al’s tenure, consistently delivering them on time and on budget to ensure SURF will be able to support science for decades to come.”

Stratman came to SURF after a stint directing facilities management and construction at the University of Illinois and 28 years in the Navy Civil Engineering Corps, supporting military infrastructure requirements and operations worldwide. His skillset included managing large complex projects—and that’s part of what drew him to SURF. 

“The things we work on at SURF are either so old nobody knows how to fix them, or so cutting edge that nobody knows how to fix them or build them. So, the ability to solve engineering problems is essential here, and that’s part of what makes this job so interesting every day,” Stratman said. 

For Stratman, the complexity of SURF is tied to his own approach to team building—hire experienced problem solvers. 

“SURF is fortunate to have engineers who are very hands-on,” Stratman said.  “I love nothing more than hiring farm and ranch kids. They bring the ability to solve problems. On a farm or ranch, you can't call up somebody and say, ‘can you fix my thing?’ There are a lot of places where there is no manual, and you must literally analyze it, study it, assess the risks, and go, okay, how can we do this?” 

There is an old saying that engineers live and die by good technicians—for Stratman this holds true at SURF.  He gives high praise to the team of technicians and operators who make it all happen. 

“Engineers need the humility to go to those who have lots of experience at this place, like the infrastructure techs, hoist and maintenance folks, and be willing to absorb knowledge and ideas from those who have done this for years. The engineer who doesn't do that is going to be embarrassed at some point. Because many of those people have come up with incredible engineering solutions.”  

The close-knit team at SURF is part of what Stratman says he will miss in retirement. 

“One of the things that you miss when you leave the military is that sense of camaraderie that you only get there. At SURF, the work is a little bit like this,” Stratman said. “I won't equate it to the military, but there's a core group of people who are just a joy to work with. That's why I did this for 10 years and that's the part I'll miss the most.” 

His coworkers at SURF will miss seeing him every day as well. 

“It’s been an honor to work closely with Al as a colleague,” said Mike Headley. “He’s established a strong foundation for our team to continue doing world-class engineering and construction work.”

Stratman notes the fantastic team at SURF is tied to the higher sense of purpose in the overall mission—to advance world-class science and inspire learning across generations. 

“At SURF, we're not just making a widget and selling it; we're supporting cutting-edge research. It's something that's bigger than any one of us. It's not just punching a clock every day. You wake up and know you’re going to do something cool,” Stratman said.

In retirement, Stratman plans to spend more time traveling, more time with family, including his kids and grandkids, and more time on the golf course.  He will stay busy in his woodworking shop while managing his rural property in the Black Hills. “When you live in my neck of the woods, you can stay busy all day,” he said.  

There is no doubt that the hard work Stratman did over nearly 10 years has made a real mark. He helped oversee major upgrades to water treatment and air handling, not to mention the excavation and construction of major physics and geothermal experiments. Stratman leaves behind a set of world-class engineering accomplishments at SURF, and what’s arguably more important—he has helped build a world-class team of engineers, technicians, and problem-solvers, who will carry SURF forward into a bright future.