John Roach
Civil Engineering Technology
Delaware Tech Becomes the Foundation for Lifelong Learning
Delaware Technical Community College coming to Georgetown helped change the life of John Roach.
Roach attended Delaware Tech for one year after high school before he went to work for his father doing road construction. His father encouraged him to get out of that line of work, so Roach returned to Delaware Tech and majored in civil engineering. It was a path that allowed him to follow in the footsteps of his family members, since he comes from a long line of construction workers and builders.
“I liked engineering and I liked what I was doing with my father,” Roach said. “But I was also interested in why we were doing it and where we were building.”
Roach graduated in 1978 with a degree in civil engineering. Following graduation, Roach obtained his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Penn State University in Harrisburg, PA in 1980, and obtained his professional license in 2002. He earned his master’s degree in education from Wilmington University in 2005.
He started working in the industry after graduating from Penn State and moved around to several different jobs. It wasn’t until he started working for IA Construction that he found himself back at Delaware Tech’s Owens Campus. That company had won the bid to build the parking lot around the new Trade and Industry Building, and Roach served as the field engineer on the project. While completing the project, Campus Director Jack F. Owens spoke with Roach and told him they had an immediate opening for an engineering teacher and encouraged him to apply. Roach was hired soon after.
“There was a comfort level at that campus,” Roach said. “The instructors there get nothing but support and that’s what I got from all of the other instructors when I came in.”
Roach’s former colleagues have credited him for being well liked and respected amongst his peers in the engineering community. He is always willing to help, support, and motivate students and coworkers. As an instructor, he always offered to give additional help and support to his students.
“I always tried to keep the door open for students,” Roach said. “I wanted to make them realize that this stuff isn’t easy, but make sure they knew they weren’t alone. You do whatever you can for the students.”
Roach retired as department chairperson in 2015, but didn’t just kick back and relax. He is the owner and founder of John B. Roach Engineering, LLC in Georgetown. Through his own company, he completes a lot of surveys, and has worked on church additions, parking lots, small/minor subdivisions, and site designs.
“The ironic thing is that a lot of the people I taught are now working in the industry and reviewing my work,” Roach said.
Since he has been in the industry for so long, Roach has seen and experienced a lot changes and growth within the industry, including new software that’s more accurate and precise with measurements and data.
“It’s a constantly changing industry,” Roach said. “And it’s been enjoyable to keep up with that change.”
