Powerful Life

Engineer, handyman, powerlifter: OPPD’s Shane Hanson does it all 

OPPD Engineering Director Shane Hanson was fresh out of home improvement projects and needed something to do. 

“I’m getting antsy,” he texted his wife. “Do you want a new laundry room or a roof over our deck?” 

On the job, Hanson spends a lot of time planning and overseeing all the lines, poles and substations needed to support reliable electricity throughout eastern Nebraska. But in his down time, the 37-year-old DIY enthusiast trades his engineering work desk for a hammer, saw, drill and any other tools he might need to build and renovate. 

Hanson has refinished his bathroom, re-shingled his roof, revamped his home entertainment center, overhauled his basement, built a swing-set for his daughters and landscaped his yard, among other projects. A few years ago, he reconstructed his sister’s deck with OPPD coworkers Jake Farrell, manager of real property and land management, and Brant Dangel, senior utilities coordinator. 

As if that weren’t enough, he also powerlifts to stay fit and once set a state record in his weight class. 

Both hobbies offer a break from the complex, long-term, high-stakes work of ensuring reliable power for nearly 900,000 Nebraskans. 

“It’s that instant gratification,” Hanson said. “Each part of a project is a definable task, and you have the satisfaction of completion at every step.” 

Starting in the trades 

Hanson grew up near Bennington. As a teenager, he helped his dad with home improvement projects and worked with a local plumbing company on various jobs. 

“I very quickly gained a huge interest,” he said. “I really enjoyed working with my hands.” 

Hanson majored in civil engineering at the University of Nebraska Omaha, figuring it would give him a chance to work on large construction projects. Engineering helped him solve problems and expanded his ability to think three-dimensionally, but he longed for the satisfaction of hands-on work. 

“It grounds me,” he said. “You’re creating something with your hands. That’s why people like to do art. I’m not very good at art, so I build things.” 

Hanson renovated his entire basement between 2019 and 2021, converting the concrete walls and floors to a painted and carpeted living area. 

In his laundry room, he redid the floors and walls, ripped out most of the drywall, removed an old laundry chute and moved the plumbing and electrical work. He redid a closet to give his wife more storage space. Then he insulated it all, sealed and painted the walls, installed a light fixture and hand-built new cabinets. 

Hanson estimates that doing the work himself cuts the costs of home improvement projects in half, which of course has some side benefits. 

“That’s very satisfying,” he said. “And because I saved us so much money, I have a good reason to buy a new tool.” 

Hanson has partnered on jobs with some of his OPPD coworkers, including Josh Verzal, manager of transmission engineering, who helped him with electrical work in his basement. 

Always learning 

Hanson’s plumbing experience helped with many projects. For other things, he relied on YouTube and trial and error. 

“You start doing drywall and you realize, whoops, it doesn’t look good,” he said. “So you rip it out and start again. It’s OK to fail. It’s OK to build something and then look at it and say, oh, that didn’t turn out well. Let me tear it down and try again. Every time you do it, you’re learning.” 

Once, he tried to replace his garage door opening springs so he could install a new side mount opener. 

It didn’t go as planned. Hanson realized he had bought springs that were too short. When he sees a small paint drip or imperfection in his work, he cringes a bit. 

“I’ve cursed those moments as much as I’ve enjoyed them,” he said. “We are our own worst critics. You have to be comfortable with the possibility of failure and confident enough to know that even when you do fail, you can find a way to fix it.” 

Family first

Hanson also helps nearby family and friends with home improvement projects. When he visits the homes of friends, his wife occasionally has to remind him that “We are not here to fix doorknobs.” 

“Every time he sees a project, he gets a gleam in his eye,” said Jessica Hanson. “I think for him it’s that pride in seeing a finished product that looks good. There are very few things that he can’t do and has to hire out.” 

Jessica Hanson said her husband has been a high achiever ever since they started dating as teenagers, and his hobbies provide a good balance to the demands of engineering work. Even as he has risen into leadership roles at OPPD, she said he continues to put his family first. 

Hanson’s projects help him relate to the teams that build and maintain OPPD’s infrastructure. 

“I’ve always had immense respect for the construction guys,” he said. “It’s not easy work. It takes skills, and when you try something they do and fail, it gives you that renewed respect for the work they do.” 

Powerlifting

Hanson was also a competitive powerlifter for about 10 years until he tore his quad muscle in 2016. Powerlifting consists of a squat, bench and deadlift. Competitors get three chances at each. 

At age 26 and 165 pounds, Hanson once managed a 412-pound squat, a 292-pound bench press and a 463 pound deadlift – a state record at the time in a class that has since been retired. 

He focused on proper form and progressive overload, which allows lifters to carry more. The workouts also fulfilled his competitive nature. 

“It was another thing I could nerd out on – the form and body mechanics – to lift more weight,” he said. “It’s similar to home construction. You can see tangible results, such as being able to lift five more pounds, and then 10 more pounds, as you slowly progress.” 

Now, he lifts regularly at his local YMCA and keeps a whiteboard in his basement with his current stats. The weightlifting clears his head and keeps him focused on work and family. It also helps him through the complex engineering problems he faces daily at OPPD.  

“You’re focusing on form and breathing and a lot of other things, and once you find that groove, it’s a great feeling,” he said. “I think it’s true for both lifting and construction. When I’m doing them, I’m subconsciously thinking about work projects and solving those problems. You’re doing a very task-oriented thing.”