BY SHERI TRUSTY

Daniel Toris was named the new Ottawa County Engineer in December. (Submitted photo)

PORT CLINTON – In December, the Ottawa County Commissioners chose Daniel Toris to fill the position of Ottawa County Engineer after former county engineer, Ronald Lajti, left to pursue other opportunties. Daniel, a lifelong Ottawa County resident, walked into the position with impressive credentials and experience, as well as a heart of gratitude for the opportunity to fulfill a longtime dream.

Daniel’s journey to become the county engineer began when he accepted a job with Brunkhorst Engineering Consultants when he was 19, about a year after graduating from Port Clinton High School in 1998. He started at the bottom, on the field crew, and worked his way up to field crew chief. He eventually advanced to draftsman for survey and engineering work, and then Brunkhorst Engineering owner, Dave Brunkhorst, lit the fire to further Daniel’s career.

“Dave Brunkhorst got me interested in pursuing more education,” Daniel said. “He allowed me to work at night because I went to college fulltime and worked fulltime. I don’t know if I would have had that opportunity if I worked anywhere else.”

Daniel earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Toledo and an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Surveying Technology from Owens Community College. He is now a registered Professional Engineer and Professional Surveyor, licensed to practice in the State of Ohio.

Brunkhorst sold his business to his employees when he was elected Ottawa County Engineer in 2004. He served as engineer until his retirement in 2014, and he passed away in 2017.

“Dave sold the business to us, the employees, and we changed the name to BEC Associates in homage to him,” Daniel said. “He was very influential in me becoming a civil engineer and surveyor.”

Daniel advanced to design engineer and project engineer at BEC Associates and then accepted a job as a design engineer at AECOM, a large engineering firm based in Cleveland. Daniel, who commuted to Cleveland for the job each day, made the move to broaden his knowledge of the field. While there, he completed all the initial designs and geometrics for the Anthony Wayne Trail Gateway Project, which created esthetic and safety improvements to the entrance of downtown Toledo.

“I took that job because I wanted to get a better understanding of large projects,” he said. “The Gateway Project was completed after I left, but it was amazing to be a part of that project.”

BEC Associates presented an “offer I couldn’t refuse,” and Daniel returned to the business.

“I never wanted to leave the area, but working for AECOM was good for me,” he said.

Then, former Ottawa County Engineer Ronald Lajti started looking for a drainage engineer. Working for the county had been a longtime goal for Daniel, so he applied and was accepted for the job. His long-term goal was to eventually become the county engineer, but he didn’t expect to reach that goal for a long time. He worked for the county engineer’s office for five years before becoming the county engineer in December.

“That door opened sooner than I expected, so I seized the moment and walked through that door,” he said. “I’m excited for this journey.”

Daniel is the husband of Sara Toris, who is well known and respected in the area as the director of the Ottawa County Veterans Service Office. Their dedicated involvement in the county was cemented by Daniel’s appointment as the Ottawa County Engineer.

“I’m just thrilled that I get to work in Ottawa County and for the residents of Ottawa County,” he said. “I would like to thank the commissioners for trusting me to move the county engineer’s office forward and keep it going smoothly.”