|
Greetings from Olsson Associates
 This month's issue is jam-packed with content -- from highlighting several new hires to showcasing a couple of long-standing employees to discussing city engineering services. Our firm was founded on providing services to communities throughout the state, and we continue this work today.
We're excited to have Shane Hennessey and Joel Rossman join Olsson as part of our Omaha Structural team. You can read all about their expertise and project experience below. If you'd like to get in touch with either of them, you can reach them at 402.341.1116.
As always, if you have anything you'd like to chat about, feel free to pick up the phone or drop me a line.
|
Shane Hennessey, Joel Rossman Join Olsson Associates
Shane Hennessey, PE, and Joel Rossman, PE, have joined Olsson's Omaha Structural team. Shane is serving as team leader; Joel is a senior project engineer and project manager focusing on bridge design efforts.
Shane has more than 14 years of structural engineering experience working with a variety of public and private infrastructure related projects, including bridges, railroads, power, telecommunications, precast, and building structures. His duties have involved investigating and analyzing alternatives, preparing cost estimates, performing structural analyses and designs, preparing specifications and contract documents, developing performance and risk mitigation strategies, and providing construction and inspection services.
Shane is an experienced project manager and has coordinated design team activities on several major infrastructure-related public works projects in the U.S., Canada, and the Middle East. Most recently, Shane served as the project manager for a joint-venture design team responsible for providing construction engineering services on a $1 billion segmental bridge in Kuwait City, Kuwait. He was responsible for coordinating resources and design activities from offices in the Czech Republic, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and the United States.
 Joel has more than 19 years of bridge design experience. He was most recently the bridge design department manager at a local consulting firm, where he was responsible for all aspects of the company's structural design and managing bridge projects.
Joel has worked on several highway and bridge projects in the Omaha metropolitan area, including the expansion of the I-80 Eastbound/Kennedy Freeway Southbound bridges, the 168th and West Dodge Road interchange bridges, and the Pflug Road Bridge in Sarpy County. He has designed and managed bridge projects throughout the Midwest, including projects in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Montana.
Shane is a registered professional engineer in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Florida. Joel is a registered professional engineer in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Oklahoma.
|
|
Growing the Business: Fairchild Fills Niche Role with RICE NESHAP Compliance
As air quality issues come to the forefront nationwide for power plants using diesel engines, many plants have begun seeking qualified consultation to estimate the costs needed to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's new regulations regarding air emissions. The standards, known as National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines (RICE NESHAP), were finalized in March 2010 and require compliance by May 2013.
Olsson Associates' Ken Fairchild has filled this unique consultation need at two municipal power agencies as they seek hard data on the costs of complying with RICE NESHAP regulations. In 2005, the newly formed Kansas Power Pool (KPP) selected Olsson to be its consulting engineer.
READ MORE |
|
When Do You Need to Consider Hiring a City Engineer?
Every city or village runs into problems that require engineering assistance at one time or another. A city engineer provides municipalities with an on-call expert. Whether it's reviewing design plans, looking into a drainage problem, evaluating low pressure in a water system, or providing planning services, your city engineer is available to help you solve these problems.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES?
Your city or district engineer will act as an on-call advisor.
Most cities and villages don't have the financial capability to employ an engineer on staff full-time. Through the aid of an on-call consultant, you will have access to the latest technology and expertise to help solve your infrastructure problems.
Your city or village engineer brings ongoing relationships with regulatory agencies, providing you with automatic connections.
Unlike some consulting firms, Olsson Associates is a full-service firm that does not charge a retainer fee, so what you pay for is exactly what you get.
HOW DO YOU FIND AND SELECT A CITY ENGINEER?
Many engineering firms are out there, each with its own capabilities and specialties. Selecting an engineering firm best suited for your needs can be a long process, but it is also an important one. Whether your project is large or small, you need to have it handled by consultants who can complete it successfully.
Key qualifications of an on-call consultant include staff members who are knowledgeable, experienced, responsive, and trustworthy. They should be able to provide cost-effective services and bring diverse service capabilities.
Another resource you can look to for help is ACEC/Nebraska. The American Council of Engineering Companies/Nebraska can help your community better understand how to step through the selection process.
HOW IS HIRING A CITY ENGINEER DIFFERENT THAN HIRING FOR PROJECT-SPECIFIC WORK?
A city or village engineer brings institutional knowledge of the client's infrastructure system(s). Because your consultant understands "the big picture," he or she can provide you with design advice that will work long-term, much more than a quick fix. A city or village engineer also has relationships built with city or village staff members. They understand their capabilities and needs, which results in better service. |
|
Olsson Can Help!
Olsson Associates provides complete city and village engineering services to clients throughout Nebraska. We focus our attention on developing our staff members to become an extension of our client's staff to properly provide the needed services in a timely manner. We bill no retainer fee charges for our services. The only cost to our clients is for services specifically requested.
See a map of where we're currently providing these services.
In many instances, hiring a city or village engineer just doesn't make sense. Another option is to consider on-call contracts, and Olsson is experienced at handling work managed through these contracts. If you have questions or would like to talk through options, please get in touch with your Olsson representative. |
FEATURED EMPLOYEE
Chad Kehrt, PE
Senior Project Engineer
Chad has worked for Olsson Associates since 1999, and he served as the city engineer for the City of South Sioux City, Nebraska, for 10 of these years. Recently he has been working with several public and private clients in Northwest Iowa and Northeast Nebraska as a senior project engineer.
Chad has a construction engineering degree from Iowa State University and is a licensed engineer in Iowa and Nebraska. His duties include performing project development, writing grants, administering projects, providing construction observation, and performing other civil engineering duties. Chad has worked on projects involving storm sewers, sanitary sewers, water mains, street and parking lot paving, bike trails, surveying, economic development, buildings, and parks and recreation areas--plus, recently, he has been creating a variety of Storm Water Prevention Plans.
READ MORE |
NEW HIRES AROUND THE FIRM
Kevin Waldron, PE
Business Development Manager/Senior Project Manager, Kansas City Office
Kevin Waldron knows what led him to Olsson Associates as the latest addition to the KC-Northland Municipal team.
"Reputation and attitude toward growth with extensive local and regional connections," Kevin said. "I'm most looking forward to reengaging with regional clients and close local teamwork."
In his role as client manager, Kevin's professional interests lie in problem solving and client satisfaction. He also strives to create the ideal balance of quality, cost, and responsiveness for his clients.
"To overcome that challenge, I balance technical training with improvement to personal and management skills," Kevin said.
Outside of Olsson, Kevin enjoys golfing, skiing, and partaking in various home improvement and community activities. He's currently involved with the Engineers Club of Kansas City, an organization that helps fund up to $35,000 in scholarships for college students and plans social gatherings for engineers.
READ MORE |
Hayden Truscott
Senior Scientist, Denver Office
With nearly 30 years of safety experience, Hayden Truscott has joined the Denver Health and Safety team as a senior scientist/health and safety officer.
"I wanted a chance to come into a company in which I could have a hand in the building and development of a Health and Safety program," Hayden said. "I thought that I would have that chance at Olsson. In addition, I believe that Olsson has great opportunities for growth in the oil and gas business."
Hayden said that he's been impressed with the work ethic of Olsson employees and is excited to be part of a highly driven and focused environment.
"I'm most looking forward to working with such a great set of people who seem to have a great professional and positive attitude," he said.
In his spare time, Hayden likes to golf and ski. His skiing abilities have even landed him a little time on the silver screen.
READ MORE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
News Around the Firm
Olsson Experts Present at the Groundwater Foundation Conference -- Several Olsson staff members presented at the 2011 Groundwater Foundation Conference in Omaha, October 4-6. A few Olsson projects, including Seward's reverse osmosis water treatment plant and Murdock's phytoremediation project, were part of the field trips.
* * * * *
Phoenix Project Wins Award -- The Arcadia Drainage Improvements project won the Award of Merit for Best Civil Works/Infrastructure Project for the ENR Southwest Best Projects 2011.
|
Stay in Touch with Olsson!
|
|
