The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal has announced that Bret Weiss, WSB’s President & CEO has been named one of the Most Admired CEOs of 2023. This award recognizes the outstanding professional accomplishments and the involvement in communities of Twin Cities business leaders.
Weiss is well-deserving of this award. His years of leadership and vision have guided him to be the business leader he is today. Throughout his tenure, he has remained committed to finding solutions to support the growth of WSB and has lent his expertise and leadership skills to our industry and business community.
Weiss will accept this honor in September during the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Most Admired CEO award ceremony.
Nelson’s background in community enhancing, sustainable solutions will guide the firm’s innovative approach to water/wastewater solutions.
Engineering and consulting firm WSB announced today that Steve Nelson has been promoted to director of water/wastewater. In his new role, Nelson will lead and grow the firm’s water/wastewater team, support business development and lead the firm’s biological filtration and water/wastewater innovation efforts. Nelson joined WSB last year as a senior project manager and since then has worked to elevate the firm’s water/wastewater services throughout Minnesota.
“Steve has over 30 years of water and wastewater industry experience,” said Monica Heil, WSB vice president of municipal services. “His deep understanding for clients’ operational needs is unmatched and his ability to apply his subject matter expertise with our staff will allow us to continue to deliver innovative water and wastewater solutions across all our markets.”
Throughout his tenure, Nelson has led several successful water and wastewater projects and has made several industry contributions. He has led the development of water treatment plant design and renovations, water treatment plant process optimizations, filter maintenance evaluations and biological treatment. He played a leadership role in the Approval of Biological Treatment in Minnesota and helped the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) develop its protocol for Biological Pilot Testing.
Regarding PFAS contamination, Nelson served as the primary contributing author of the report for the Minnesota Attorney General, for several east metro communities and continues to help communities with PFAS related planning and removal. Nelson served two multi-year terms as the chair for the Minnesota AWWA Research Committee, and currently serves on the AWWA Water Utility Council (WUC).
“WSB is providing industry leadership in customer focused environmentally friendly solutions like softening, biological filtration, and PFAS removal. Such solutions are imperative to protecting our natural resources and supporting sustainable communities,” said Nelson. “The engineering behind water/wastewater will only become more valuable as our communities’ face water related demands. I’m looking forward to taking on a new leadership role at WSB and believe in the firm’s commitment to building what’s next in infrastructure. It’s this kind of approach that will better arm our communities for the future.”
WSB’s water/wastewater services include wastewater treatment facility design, expansion and rehabilitation, water studies, system modeling and analysis and more. More information about WSB’s water and wastewater services can be found here.
The fast-growing design and consulting firm first entered the Houston market in 2019 and will open two additional offices in Texas this year.
WSB, a design and consulting firm, announced today that they have expanded their Houston office to the Energy Tower professional office building on 11700 Katy Freeway. The over 6,000-square-foot expansion represents a continuation of WSB’s geographic growth strategy.
“The Houston community and surrounding areas are investing heavily in their infrastructure and WSB’s offerings are well suited to support these needs,” said David Balmos, WSB’s vice president of strategy. “We’ve seen an increasing interest from our clients and partners in our digital delivery services. Our approach to project delivery is disrupting the industry and the Houston area needs a more innovative approach to infrastructure development. It makes sense to expand our operations and presence in the area.”
WSB, which provides engineering, community planning, environmental and construction services to the public and private sector, established a Houston presence in 2019 through the acquisition of Nathelyne A. Kennedy and Associates (NAK). Since then, the firm has invested heavily in strategic hires and has grown their local expertise substantially.
The counties surrounding the Houston area recently approved more than $3 billion for projects related to infrastructure improvement. As a firm that focuses on providing advanced project delivery for the government, commercial and energy markets, WSB will bring a forwarding-thinking mindset to their client’s project approaches.
“Our expertise, combined with our innovation is what differentiates us from others in the market,” said Jay Kennedy, WSB’s vice president of Texas operations. “We look forward to continuing our strategic expansion plans across the state of Texas through our commitment to building what’s next in infrastructure.”
WSB first entered Texas in 2017 with the establishment of their Austin office. Since then, the firm has established a presence in Dallas and will also open offices in Round Rock and Tyler later this year. The Houston office will support full-service infrastructure needs throughout the state.
WSB is proud to announce our newly promoted staff. Annually, we recognize the staff who display leadership, determination and expertise in their field. Each staff member consistently brings different elements of our values, results and leadership into their work. We are dependent on the continual development of new talent and leadership to build our success and support our growth. We are fortunate to have such strong and committed leaders at WSB that have chosen to invest their careers with us. Each of the staff members below have made a commitment to the company, clients and each other to lead by example and help us improve each day. Congratulations!
Principals
Bill Alms, Water Resource Project Manager
Dan Rogers, Director of Transportation Design – Texas
Eric Eckman, Municipal Project Manager
Senior Associates
Alyson Fauske, Municipal Sr. Project Manager
Dallas Westerlund, Survey Project Manager
Dustin Tipp, Municipal Project Manager
Janele Taveggia, Land Development Sr. Project Manager
Jayson Honer, Oil & Gas Director of Field Services
Justin Bossert, Scheduling and Project Controls Manager
Nate Wingerter, Project Engineer
Associates
Alex Johnson, GIS Solution Architect
Behnaz Beladi, Director of Renewable Energy
Brandon Reese, Survey Technician
Chris Kester, Estimating Manager
Evan Schnitker, Design Project Engineer
Frank Schill, Pipeline Inspector
Gus Perron, Traffic Project Manager
Jesse Sievers, Talent Acquisition Manager
Jolene Rieck, Director of Landscape Architecture – Western Region
Jon Christensen, Water/Wastewater Professional Engineer
Jordan Wein, Environmental Scientist
Katie Koscielak, Municipal Project Manager
Kendra Fallon, Water Resources Project Engineer
Kevin Kruger, Municipal Project Manager
Mark Osborn, Geotechnical Professional Engineer
Matt Schulz, Water Resources Project Engineer
Michael Nelson-Ostrowski, Design Project Engineer
Ray Theiler, Water/Wastewater Professional Engineer
Opportunity+ is a free civil engineering career training program that opens up career opportunities for underrepresented persons in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry.
March 30, 2023
Design and consulting firm WSB announced today that the company’s fourth Opportunity+ class graduated 11 participants this month – the largest class to date. Opportunity+ is a workforce training and development program designed to prepare participants for long-term careers in the civil engineering industry.
“We build the places, spaces and systems that shape our world, and it’s so exciting to help program participants pursue careers in the exciting field of civil engineering,” said Bret Weiss, WSB’s president and CEO. “As we strive to build a workforce that accurately reflects the communities we serve, I’m proud to see the largest Opportunity+ cohort to date graduate. What’s more, this year, we placed a special emphasis on recruiting veterans to our program and helping translate their meaningful skills into training for a career in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry.”
The Opportunity+ program prioritizes training a diverse participant pool to ensure every person has the opportunity for advancement in engineering. In the past, the program has focused on recruiting women and people of color. While still a major focus, this year, the program put an emphasis on recruitment efforts in the veteran community, with 56% of this year’s class identifying as veterans.
Over the course of January to April, program participants underwent intensive training through evening and weekend sessions designed to provide hands-on experience. The program’s flexible schedule enables participants to continue their daytime employment while completing the training. As a result of Opportunity+, participants are now fully equipped with the necessary skills to pursue a career as engineering technicians, a versatile position within the civil engineering industry that can lead to many different career paths.
Will Provide Digital Integrator and Advisory Services for Construction Digital Twins Running in Bentley Infrastructure Cloud
Bentley Systems, Incorporated (Nasdaq: BSY), the infrastructure engineering software company, today announced a collaboration initiative with WSB to lead civil infrastructure owners and contractors to adopt and use infrastructure digital twins. WSB has launched a new digital construction management solution and advisory service, based on Bentley’s SYNCHRO, to help the civil infrastructure market overcome challenges of adopting model-based digital workflows and leveraging the power of construction digital twins. WSB is the first firm to join the Bentley Digital Integrator Program for construction to provide programmatic go-to-market support and knowledge transfer to eligible engineering and project delivery firms and system integrators creating and curating digital twins for their clients’ infrastructure assets.
SYNCHRO simplifies the delivery of infrastructure construction projects.
Construction work is too often based on 2D drawings, spreadsheets, and document-based workflows resulting in errors, waste, and rework that cause most projects to be over budget and schedule. Bentley and WSB will lead firms in transforming construction by adopting technology and digital delivery.
“Owners and construction firms realize that new digital workflows are needed to meet infrastructure demands. Applying these digital workflows successfully requires a deep understanding of technology, processes, and data,” said Carsten Gerke, senior vice president of strategic partnerships with Bentley Systems. “The Bentley Digital Integrator Program is built around combining technology with subject matter expertise for improved infrastructure. WSB joining the program provides a leapfrog opportunity for all our transportation users.”
Through a combination of industry-leading software, expertise, and innovation, Bentley and WSB’s digital construction management initiative is helping to shape the way infrastructure projects are delivered. Key services include enabling a single source of truth by connecting project, contract, and document management to the future of design—a 3D/4D/5D constructable model—as well as the ability to create constructable models from current 2D plan sets, which allows the transition to a single source of truth for all stakeholders. This initiative is committed to putting the industry-leading model-based construction management tool in the hands of those who build the work. WSB promotes advanced project delivery and knows how to apply the right technology and expertise to support their clients’ aspirations for a digital future.
“WSB is committed to delivering innovative, reliable, and secure solutions through the use of advanced technology. We believe the successful deployment of an operational 3D model drives transparency, maximizes return on investment, makes possible true lifecycle planning, and drives collaboration to connect and align all stakeholders,” said Jon Chiglo, chief operating officer of WSB. “We have an entire organization that is leading, creating, and innovating into our digital future. Our partnership with Bentley is an important part of this vision and we are excited to bring this digital construction management service to market.”
SYNCHRO, Bentley’s construction management software that supports the entire civil construction lifecycle with simple office-to-field workflows and gives firms insight into project performance, productivity, and financial health, is the foundation for WSB’s offering. SYNCHRO is the construction service of the Bentley Infrastructure Cloud leveraging digital twin technologies, powered by iTwin.
Together, Bentley and WSB are meeting the market where it is and providing the tools, training, education, and support required to make the digital leap. Project teams will realize the value of model-based digital delivery for better project efficiency and outcomes. Civil infrastructure owners and contractors will overcome barriers to technology adoption to drive efficiencies from preconstruction planning through construction execution. Skills will improve as more projects adopt model-based delivery, resulting in it becoming the common standard.
“Owners and construction firms realize that new digital workflows are needed to meet infrastructure demands, but they often face issues when determining how best to adopt technology,” said Rich Humphrey, vice president of construction with Bentley. “In civil infrastructure, they also face unique challenges related to the nature of the design information they receive, and the spatial logistics involved. Bentley with WSB is the perfect combination to enable project teams to resolve adoption hurdles and ensure that technology results in a step function improvement in the way projects are delivered from design through construction execution.”
About Bentley Systems
Bentley Systems (Nasdaq: BSY) is the infrastructure engineering software company. We provide innovative software to advance the world’s infrastructure – sustaining both the global economy and environment. Our industry-leading software solutions are used by professionals, and organizations of every size, for the design, construction, and operations of roads and bridges, rail and transit, water and wastewater, public works and utilities, buildings and campuses, mining, and industrial facilities. Our offerings, powered by the iTwin Platform for infrastructure digital twins, include MicroStation and Bentley Open applications for modeling and simulation, Seequent’s software for geoprofessionals, and Bentley Infrastructure Cloud encompassing ProjectWise for project delivery, SYNCHRO for construction management, and AssetWise for asset operations. Bentley Systems’ 5,000 colleagues generate annual revenues of more than $1 billion in 194 countries.
WSB, a design and consulting firm providing engineering, planning, environmental and construction services. Its staff improves the way people engage with communities, transportation, infrastructure, energy and our environment. WSB offers services in more than 30-complementary areas to seamlessly integrate planning, design and implementation. Its coast-to-coast client base is served from 15 offices in five states. WSB’s staff is inspired to look beyond today and capitalize on the opportunities of tomorrow. Guided by a strong vision and an authentic passion, WSB is a company that strives to forge ahead. To learn more, visit wsbeng.com.
Jennifer Edison, WSB Municipal Project Manager, was elected to join the 2023 City Engineers Association of Minnesota (CEAM) Executive Committee as an Associate Member-Private Sector. Her role on the committee is an important leadership position and her primary responsibilities will include helping the Executive Committee through active participation, leadership, and organizational oversight. Jennifer will represent private sector consultants by providing municipal engineering services for municipalities in Minnesota. Jennifer’s work with CEAM will help advance the field of engineering across the state of Minnesota through education, communication, and advocacy.
Jennifer has over 15 years of experience in civil engineering, client development, and project management. Jenn’s expertise lies in the management of complex projects that involve street reconstruction and preservation, storm water management, water distribution systems, sanitary sewer systems, municipal state aid systems, construction management, and development review.
A vital part of a pipeline operator’s job is to ensure the integrity of pipelines always remain impenetrable and intact. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), in charge of regulating the pipeline industry, has recently developed new requirements concerning pipeline safety of gas transmission lines, adding layers of complexity and stringent new standards for operators.
The new rule Repair Criteria, Integrity Management Improvements, Cathodic Protection, Management of Change, and Other Related Amendments (also known as RIN2) goes into effect on May 24, 2023, and operators are required to have their integrity management program updated and implemented by February 2024. Because there are so many new complexities and factors involved, operators need to act now to update their program and ensure they adhere to all new guidelines and regulations.
What You Need to Know.
The latest rule specifies that pipeline operators of transmission lines in a regulated Integrity Management Plan update their requirements for repair criteria, assessment repair timelines, management of change procedures, expanded identification of potential threats to pipeline integrity (like a severe weather event), and more.
Where to Place Your Focus and Resources.
As operators review and update their integrity management programs, what are the best practices and things you need to review?
Start by focusing on data integration. PHSMA is requiring operators to incorporate more than forty specific pipeline potential threats into their risk assessments. Updating your integrity program to incorporate these changes is time intensive. New items like geohazard review, external forces, land movement, and water movement are all items to plan for and consider. Operators must start this process by May 24, 2023, and have all required integration complete by February 26, 2024.
Next, it’s important to update corrosion assessment requirements. PHSMA incorporated a standard assessment program that is more prescriptive than before, and corrosion assessments must be built to meet those strict industry standards.
Finally, it’s important to conduct a geohazard review. Operators must now take into account external forces that may affect the integrity of the pipeline. WSB put together a more in-depth article on this topic, and you can find more information on geohazard reviews by clicking here.
Don’t Delay, Act Now.
With so much to do and less than one year to do it all, many operators will find it difficult to allocate the internal resources and time necessary to fulfill all the requirements. Updating the integrity management program takes time, and if you haven’t started, you may already find yourself falling behind.
We have worked in the pipeline industry for over a decade and are available to help update plans, implement procedures, make risk assessments, and meet all requirements to ensure your program is in full compliance with the new rule. We have the team and the know-how to help guide pipeline integrity teams, no matter where you are in the process.
The targeted workforce training and development program aims to diversify the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Industry.
Design and consulting firm WSB today announced that the company has launched its fourth Opportunity+ cohort. Opportunity+ is a workforce training and development program designed to prepare participants for long-term careers in the civil engineering industry. The program, first launched in January 2020, is a free and fast-paced training course led by experts from throughout the AEC industry. This year’s cohort has 17 participants enrolled.
From January through March, program participants will receive accelerated training through evening sessions. The flexible schedule allows participants to continue working during the day while completing the hands-on program. Upon completion of the program, participants will be prepared for careers as engineering technicians, survey crew members, construction materials technicians and site inspectors – all high-demand positions in civil engineering.
“This is our largest cohort to date, and I’m thrilled that we’re making real progress in building opportunities for all people interested in civil engineering.”
Bret Weiss, WSB President and CEO
“This is our largest cohort to date, and I’m thrilled that we’re making real progress in building opportunities for all people interested in civil engineering,” said Bret Weiss, WSB’s president and CEO. “We are committed to actionable change and to diversifying our industry. While many companies have a focus on diversity and inclusion, we’re creating real opportunity and it’s been incredibly rewarding to watch our participants build their careers both inside the walls of WSB and with our partners.”
In 2023, Opportunity+ expanded recruitment efforts into the veteran community with 56% of this year’s cohort identifying as veterans. The veteran community is another untapped talent market with a diverse population. Many veterans have skills that lend themselves well to civil engineering careers.
New this year is the addition of Opportunity+ hiring partners including Frattalone Companies, a construction firm specializing in civil site construction, James R. Hill, Inc., a full-service land development consulting firm, GeoWall Designs LLC, a retaining wall design company and Westwood Professional Services, a multi-disciplined land surveying and engineering company. Expanding and growing the program outside of WSB has been a long-term goal. In its fourth year, the program’s curriculum was at a place where it made sense to expand its reach across the industry to broaden hiring options for participants.
“Joining Opportunity+ as a hiring partner made complete sense,” said Nick Frattalone, Frattalone Companies’ Chief Executive Officer. “In today’s labor market, finding skilled workers is a challenge across our industry. The types of skills that are learned through the program are not only relevant to supporting our business operations, but also represent our commitment to diversity and inclusion efforts.”
Since the program’s inception, 17 participants have graduated. Opportunity+ was built to provide a pathway into the AEC industry for those that are generally underrepresented in it, specifically women and people of color. The intent of the program is to reduce and remove some of the barriers to a successful career in civil engineering.
“The current demand for civil engineering technicians far exceeds the available talent, and many qualified candidates don’t have the time or resources to complete formal education in this field,” said Julie Thiel, WSB’s vice president of human resources. “This year, we expanded our recruiting efforts and felt strongly about welcoming more partners into the fold. Building a more diverse workforce is not just one firm’s responsibility, but rather our entire industry’s and I’m looking forward to the future of this fast-growing program.”
Opportunity+ officially launched on January 24. The intent is to connect every cohort participant interested in pursuing a career in the industry to full-time positions following the program. They will be invited to interview for open positions with WSB and its hiring partners that can lead to greater responsibility and lifelong careers.
