Wellington Utilities Director Shannon LaRocque Enjoys Life Living And Working In The Village
After two years on the job, Wellington Utilities Director Shannon LaRocque has settled into her role and found that there truly is no place like home.
Living in Palm Beach County since the early 1970s, LaRocque has always felt like a Florida native and has never wanted to be anywhere else.
“I went to elementary school, middle school, high school and what was then Palm Beach Junior College. I left to go to the University of South Florida, and then I came back. My whole professional career has been in Palm Beach County,” LaRocque said.
Being a home-town girl did nothing to slow down LaRocque from pursuing big dreams though. She had wanted to be an engineer since middle school and made that her passion early on in life.
“I was always interested in engineering and wanted to actually design bridges when I was in middle school,” LaRocque recalled. “I had a wonderful math teacher. His name was Mr. Reese. I was very good at math, so I asked him, ‘What can I do with math as a career?’ He suggested that I can be an engineer. I never forgot that. I attribute a lot of my career to Mr. Reese.”
Her career as a successful civil engineer began immediately after graduating in 1988, with LaRocque being one of very few women in her field of choice at the time. Even without female mentors, there was nothing tempering her drive to return home to Palm Beach County.
“It was great. I had a lot of fun, guy friends. They were always very encouraging, even professionally,” LaRocque said. “There were times I thought I had to work a little harder to get noticed or recognized, but I only got a lot of encouragement, and all my mentors were men.”
LaRocque’s career began through internships in the Tampa area, but over spring break of her senior year, she scheduled interviews every day, determined to come back home.
“My second interview was with a company by the name of Kimley-Horn, and I fell in love with the firm. I got a job offer the next day and went to work immediately after graduating. I don’t even think I took a week off. I worked for them more than 12 years,” LaRocque said. “I thought I’d be there forever, but after my second child, it was very challenging. A client was the utility director for the Town of Jupiter and said, ‘Why don’t you come work for me?’ So, I did, and I was the assistant utility director there for five years.”
Being part of a cutting-edge utility gave LaRocque the opportunity to be at the forefront of new technology. Jupiter was one of the first utilities on the east coast of the United States to implement reverse osmosis treatments, so she built a strong background in membrane treatment.
After being entrenched in the water treatment industry for 17 years, former Palm Beach County Administrator Bob Weisman approached LaRocque about a job running the county’s initiative to build a campus for the Scripps Research Institute. After a heavy round of soul-searching, she shifted direction, and over a 12-year span with the county, she worked her way up to assistant county administrator with direct oversight of the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department.
“I was always very driven and always looking for new challenges and what was going to be next, but it has been an extremely rewarding career,” said LaRocque, who was directly involved in many large projects, including the convention center hotel and the difficult task of absorbing the three Glades-area municipalities into the county’s infrastructure.
“I feel like I came full circle. I’m back to my roots in the utility business, and it is very rewarding, because I feel like I can bring a lot of value to Wellington,” LaRocque said. “When utilities across the country are looking for best practices, I want them to say, ‘Hey, let’s call the Village of Wellington, because they’re recognized as one of the best utilities in the country for their class and size.’ That’s really my goal, and I believe we’re moving in that direction.”
Another positive in LaRocque’s view is the reinvestment strategy that she has witnessed. Wellington’s utilities department includes widespread trainings for all staff, resulting in growth that keeps everyone motivated.
“I’m focused on Wellington and my people. I want my staff to be happy, to feel challenged, to feel appreciated, to feel important,” LaRocque said.
But part of her joy now comes from finally having the dream of a real work-life balance both living and working in Wellington.
“I used to drive 45 minutes each way to get to work, and if there was an accident, it was an hour and a half. Now, I’m two minutes away, and I can’t even listen to a full song on the radio — and it’s wonderful. Life is good,” she said.
LaRocque now has the chance to be there in support of her two daughters and husband in pursuit of their dreams after working hard on her own success. They even spend time traveling around the world together.
“We love to be in nature, we love to hike, I love to garden, we cook together,” LaRocque said. “When I retire, I plan to learn another language because my husband speaks six different languages.”
When reflecting on her own path and seeing the direction of education’s focus move to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) initiatives, she has great advice for young people.
“Don’t give up,” LaRocque stressed. “If there is something you want to do, just do it. Set your sights and surround yourself with people who encourage you and support you to grow.”
