Retired Tunnel Ventilation Expert, Passionate Traveler, and Occasional Writer
Young Engineer,
1963
Paul C. Miclea is a licensed professional engineer (PE) and project management professional (PMP) living since 1980 in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. He's currently enjoying the twilight years of his retirement in the beautiful community of Rossmoor. Paul emigrated from Romania as a political refugee in 1979, during the Cold War years, overcoming many risks and sacrifices as he struggled to achieve "the American dream."
Working in Yemen,
1968
Over more than 50 years of continuous work on mining and transportation projects around the world, Paul served as leader, manager, and director in charge of specialized groups of engineers.
As a young mining engineer in Romania, he was lucky to work on projects around the world, but didn't fare easily in the Communist system. He made the tough decision to emigrate during the terrible years of Nicolae Ceausescu’s despotic regime.
With Mwalimu
Nyerere, President
of Tanzania, 1971
Securing a position of project engineer with Kaiser Engineers in Oakland, California, he started all over again at age 42 along with his family, which included two kids needing support and a good education.
On top of Mt.
Kilimanjaro ,
29 Feb. 2008
The last years of his career were dedicated to transportation and transit projects, specializing in safety and security in tunnels and other enclosed vehicular facilities (e.g., underground stations, garages, and concourses), fire prevention, detection, and suppression (i.e., ventilation, smoke control, and emergency evacuation). He was a team builder, taking interest in promoting and stimulating young, talented engineers and helping them to advance in their profession.
The last presentation,
Barcelona Sep. 2011
Paul is a passionate traveler, having visited over 80 countries on all continents, always taking interest in people's lives, customs, and traditions.
Retired, 2012
His traveling passion continued after retirement and he visited the world’s most exotic places: climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, visiting Cuzco and Machu Picchu in Peru, Nordkapp in Norway, Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Sossusvlei Sand Dunes in Namibia, Prudhoe Bay in Alaska, Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Cape Horn, the Amazon Jungle, Xian, Lhasa, Kathmandu, and Zanzibar amongst others.
He recently completed and published an ample memoir describing his struggle to succeed and to achieve worldwide recognition as an expert in his specialty.