Dillon was raised in Chelan and graduated from Chelan High School. He grew up playing sports and enjoying activities at Lake Chelan and worked at the Lakeview Drive-In during summer breaks throughout high school and college. 

Dillon has a bachelor’s degree in General Engineering with a Mechanical focus from Whitworth University, where he pitched for the Whitworth baseball team. He spent his internship at a mechanical engineering firm in Chelan. 

Hired right after graduation in 2025, Dillon gained a reputation in the office for efficiently producing quality work. Some of his first projects at Varela were Twisp’s Water System Plan, Chelan’s Reservoir, and Model Irrigation District’s 32nd Ave T-Main. 

Dillon is a true team player. He’s usually juggling several projects but asking what else he can help with. He contributes impressive AutoCAD and writing skills to the team. 

When asked what he likes about working at Varela, he points to the people, saying that he likes working with engineers who have decades of experience.