Eight WSB staff members pass Professional Engineer exam

June 27, 2019

Minneapolis, Minn. – WSB is pleased to congratulate eight team members who recently passed their Professional Engineer exam. The Principles and Practice of Engineering exam is an examination required to become a Professional Engineer in the United States. To become licensed, engineers must complete a four-year college degree, have at least four years of relevant work experience and pass two intensive competency exams.

According to the Society of Women Engineers, only 13 percent of engineers in the workforce today are women. In recent years, WSB has been working on diversity and inclusion efforts both inside the company and throughout the AEC industry. Four of the eight new Professional Engineers are women.

Meet our newest Professional Engineers:

Dylan Casey, PE
Dylan Casey recently joined WSB from the Montana Department of Transportation where he worked as a civil engineering specialist. At WSB, Dylan will specialize in field and construction engineering.

Chris Bunders, PE
Chris Bunders is a lead design engineer who specializes in planning and civil engineering for transportation, transit and municipal projects in Minnesota.

Lydia Ener, PE
Lydia Ener is a municipal engineer who specializes in feasibility reports, utility design, drafting, community engagement and construction observation and has partnered with many cities throughout the Twin Cities metro.

Alex Miller, PE
Alex Miller is a municipal engineer who works closely with cities in Minnesota to help solve their infrastructure problems. Alex specializes in residential construction projects and she was recently named the Young Engineer of the Year by the Minnesota Society of Professional Engineers in 2018.

Austin Becker, PE
Austin is a professional engineer in WSB’s Bismarck office. His experience includes transportation design for both the public and private sectors, as well as construction inspection in linear highway and municipal settings. He has worked on both large and small-scale transportation systems on both state and county roadways.

Veronica Kubicek, PE
Veronica Kubicek is a professional engineer in WSB’s Bismarck office who specializes in inspection, sign data collection, utility coordination, roadway design and plan development. Veronica takes a tech-forward approach to design work and relies on several digital design programs to bring projects to life.

Evan Schnitker, PE
Evan Schnitker is a professional engineer who specializes in the design and completion of transportation infrastructure projects. Evan’s experience extends from preliminary design through final design and construction administration.

Stephanie Hatten, PE
Stephanie Hatten is a professional engineer with experience in water resource planning and engineering including surface water plan updates, long-range planning and stormwater best management practices. Stephanie is also a Certified Floodplain Manager and assists with floodplain management and agency permitting.

WSB, Brooklyn Park & Brooklyn Center secure $150,000 grant

WSB assisted Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center in securing a Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Youth at Work Competitive Grant for a combined $150,000 in funding. The funding will be used for the cities’ collaborative workforce development program BrookLynk in 2020 and 2021. Directed by Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park, BrookLynk is a youth employment program dedicated to addressing the regional talent and workforce needs of the communities through a strategy that explicitly supports and invests in young people facing barriers to employment. The grant funding will assist in scaling the program to help train more youth to join the future workforce and build the talent pipeline.

WSB opens Austin office to expand engineering, design and consulting services for local clients

June 17, 2019

Austin, Texas – Fast-growing Minneapolis-based engineering firm WSB has cemented its entrance into the Austin market by opening a new office this week at 1221 S. Mopac Expressway in the Barton Hills neighborhood. WSB, which provides engineering, planning, environmental and construction services for the public and private sectors, has been active in the Austin area for the past two years.

“The Austin market has been a great fit for the culture of our company, and we’re very excited to establish a new office here so that we can continue to grow our team and expand the services available to our Austin area clients,” said WSB President and CEO Bret Weiss.

WSB entered the Austin market in 2017. In 2018, the firm acquired Austin-based Rogers Design Services (RDS), a well-respected local engineering firm. Now, WSB has six employees including the original staff from RDS and has immediate plans to increase staffing in Austin by more than 50 percent in the next year. The firm has worked with Hays County, Williamson County, the City of Cedar Park and the City of Georgetown on roadway and utility design projects as well as land-use planning.

“Like Minneapolis-St. Paul, Austin is a progressive capital city,” said Jay Kennedy, vice president of Texas Operations for WSB. “The region is growing rapidly and making smart investments in infrastructure. This is the type of environment where we can provide valuable insight and smart solutions to the challenges ahead.”

Headquartered in Minneapolis, WSB is the fourth-largest engineering firm in the Twin Cities. When it was founded in 1995, the company had five staff, one office and three different services areas. Today, the company offers services in more than 25 areas, employs more than 450 people and has expanded its markets beyond Minnesota with 12 offices across four different states.

WSB expands C-suite, opens Austin, Texas office to accommodate recent growth

June 17, 2019

Minneapolis, Minn. – Fast-growing Minneapolis engineering firm WSB has expanded its leadership team and opened an office in Austin, Texas this week, to accommodate significant growth in recent years. The company has grown 38 percent since 2015, and has added a chief financial officer, vice president of marketing and communications, and corporate counsel in the last year. Most recently, WSB named Jon Chiglo the company’s first-ever chief operating officer (COO). Chiglo, who also leads WSB’s transportation division, will help grow the business through new efficiencies and opportunities.

“WSB’s impressive growth is a testament to our commitment to our clients’ success, and our bold vision for the future,” said Chiglo. “I’m looking forward to taking on this role as we move into this new chapter.”

WSB is now the fourth-largest engineering firm in the Twin Cities. When it was founded in 1995, the company had five staff, one office and three different services areas. Today, the company offers services in more than 25 areas, employs more than 450 people and has expanded its markets beyond Minnesota with 12 offices across four different states. The firm opened its newest office this week in Austin, Texas, where they’ve been working with municipal clients for the past two years. Plans to open a new office in Denver later this year are underway as well.

“As we’re growing our roster of clients in the public and private sectors and building expertise in new practice areas, we felt it was important to grow our leadership team as well as our brick and mortar space to support better experiences for our clients,” said Bret Weiss, WSB President and CEO. “Since our inception in 1995, we’ve had a startup mentality. Now, we’ve reached a place where we can be more strategic about our future.”

WSB is ranked #7 on the Star Tribune’s 2019 Top Workplaces list, making its seventh consecutive appearance. The engineering firm was also recently named #66 on the Zweig Group’s Hot Firm List, the firm’s sixth consecutive appearance. Zweig’s Hot Firm list honors the fastest growing firms in the AEC industry. Firms are ranked based on three-year revenue growth. Additionally, WSB received a number of prominent awards in the past year for work on projects such as Afton’s Old Village preservation and the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Corridors of Commerce project.

WSB named a 2019 Top Workplace in Minnesota

WSB is honored to be named one of the Top 150 Workplaces in Minnesota by the Star Tribune – ranking #7 on the top Midsize Employers list. For seven consecutive years, we have received this prestigious honor, recognizing the most progressive companies in Minnesota based on employee opinions measuring engagement, organizational health and satisfaction.

We are extremely thankful to have the industry’s best and brightest on our team. Together, we think big and take the lead to inspire change. We are a collective of curious and creative thinkers that are proud to work together to build what’s next in infrastructure. We want to take a moment to publicly thank our staff for continuing to strengthen our culture.

As we look to the future, we remain committed to creating an environment where our staff feel valued, have fulfilling work and feel like they belong.

We’re on fire | WSB a 2019 Hot Firm

WSB was recently named a 2019 Hot Firm by the Zweig Group for the sixth consecutive year. The list honors the fastest growing firms in the AEC industry in the U.S. and Canada. Firms are ranked based on three-year growth in revenue.

The Zweig Group is the leading research, publishing, and advisory services resource for firms in the AEC industry. The Zweig Group’s awards programs recognize and celebrate top AEC industry firms in several categories. Winners will be recognized at the 2019 Elevate AEC Conference in October.

See the complete list of Hot Firm winners.

WSB Announces 2019 Staff Promotions

WSB is pleased to announce our 2019 staff promotions.

We are fortunate to have talented and dedicated staff that continue to allow our company to forge ahead. The staff members featured below show a high-level of focus and represent our values. Each of the individuals promoted this year have made impressive impacts through their contributions to our firm throughout their tenure.

This year, we welcome 16 associates, eight senior associates and four shareholders to our leadership team.

Shareholders

Earth Evans | Water Resources Group Manager
Pete Helder | Survey Group Coordinator
Peter Muehlbach | Director, Transportation Program Management
Andy Plowman | Transportation Project Manager

Senior Associates

Bryon Amo | Sr. Engineering Specialist
John Gerlach | Pipeline Operations Manager
Alison Harwood | Environmental Planning & Natural Resources Scientist
Monica Heil | Senior Director, Municipal Services
Luke Lunde | Professional Soil Scientist
Jake Newhall | Water Resources Project Manager
Penny Rolf | Right of Way Group Manager
Charlie Wild | IT Application Administrator

Associates

Bill Alms | Water Resources Project Manager
Justin Bossert | Construction & Design Build Services Project Engineer
Chad DeMenge | Construction & Design Build Services Project Manager
Eric Eckman | Project Manager, Municipal Services
Jennifer Edison | Project Manager, Municipal Services
Alyson Fauske | Sr. Project Manager, Municipal Services
Jeff Feulner | Sr. Landscape Architect
Andy Gatlin | Survey / Energy Specialist
Nick Guilliams | Sr. Project Manager, Municipal Services
Andy Hingeveld | Sr. Transportation Planner
Meghan Litsey | Sr. Environmental Scientist
Dan Rogers | Transportation Sr. Project Manager
Mike Shomion | Transportation Project Manager
DJ Sosa | Transportation Sr. Project Manager
Janele Taveggia | Land Development Sr. Project Manager
Nate Wingerter | Transportation Project Manager

Engineering News Record names WSB a Top Design Firm

Engineering News Record (ENR) named WSB a Top 500 Design Firm, a list that ranks the 500 largest U.S.-based design firms, both publicly and privately held. Our firm held steady from last year at #213 on the 2019 list.

ENR performs annual surveys of its key segments, ranking companies that are engaged in general contracting, specialty contracting, engineering, architecture, environmental services, among other specialties. The rankings are based on annual revenue within the U.S. and internationally. ENR Top Design Firms list is based on design-specific revenue and is released annually in April.

This year, CEO Bret Weiss was featured offering his insights on value-based cost, diversity and inclusion, and the robot revolution in ENR’s cover story.

WSB welcomes accomplished engineering leaders

Industry experts Shelly Hanson and Klay Eckles bring their combined experience to the firm’s growing municipal team

Minneapolis, Minn. – Fast-growing Minneapolis design and consulting firm WSB has hired local engineering experts Shelly Hanson and Klayton (Klay) Eckles to join its municipal services team. Eckles and Hanson bring a wealth of knowledge to WSB after long-term careers as city engineers at the City of Woodbury and the City of Bloomington, respectively.

“Both Shelly and Klay have made significant impacts in the engineering industry and are well-known for their dedication to engineering excellence,” said WSB Vice President of Municipal Services Lee Gustafson. “I’m confident their expertise will elevate the service we provide to the communities we support and continue to help us build internal momentum throughout WSB.”

Hanson retired from the City of Bloomington in 2018 as the city engineer. She worked on countless projects that shaped the landscape of the city for 24 years. Her most notable projects include the restoration of the Old Cedar Avenue bridge, the Lindau Lane corridor in the South Loop district and securing funding for phase one of the I-494 and I-35W interchange improvement. Hanson was the first woman to be named the City Engineer’s Association of Minnesota (CEAM) Engineer of the Year in 2014. Hanson has paid special attention to helping women advance in the fields of public works and engineering throughout her career.

“I’m excited to join a firm that works together to discover thoughtful and creative solutions to infrastructure challenges,” said Hanson. “The diversity of projects is what I most loved about my job in Bloomington and I’m thrilled I can continue to focus on new challenges with WSB.”

Eckles has worked in the public sector for over 30 years in four different communities throughout the Twin Cities. He was the engineering and public works director for both the City of Woodbury and the City of Stillwater. Eckles is well-known for his environmental consciousness and received the Charles Walter Nichols Award from the American Public Works Association for outstanding and meritorious achievement in the environmental field. He brings significant experience in infrastructure and comprehensive planning, site master planning, facility expansion projects, interagency partnerships agreements and long-term capital planning.

“The firm’s commitment to sustainability and innovation is something that fits with my own vision,” said Eckles. “A big-picture approach to shaping communities is something I embrace and I am looking forward to helping drive that forward.”

Hanson and Eckles will assist WSB’s municipal services team in high-level strategy, business development and special projects related to water reuse and small cell infrastructure readiness.

Q&A with Bill Tointon – Celebrating 50 Years

Bill Tointon is a Senior Planner at WSB focusing on our Land Development efforts in Rochester.

Throughout his career, Bill has been involved in the design of approximately 25,000 acres of land for residential, commercial, industrial and redevelopment projects. He has served the Rochester community with their land development needs for 50 years.

Q: Congratulations on 50 years! When you reflect on your career to date, what stands out as the most memorable or impactful moment?
A: I would say the most significant part of my career is that I was able to maintain a 96 percent ratio of success in obtaining project approvals from governmental political bodies including city councils, county boards, planning commissions, environmental boards, and township boards.
It’s difficult for me to highlight one specific memorable project since they have all impacted me in different ways. If I had to choose I would say working on the Mayo Woodland project definitely stands out. It took three years to approve special zoning to complete the project. Once approved, it was featured in the New York Times and on the Paul Harvey News. The media called it an innovative project in America’s heartland and it involved the heirs of the world-famous Mayo family, often called America’s physicians.

Q: Is there something you wish you would’ve known when you first started that you learned during your career?
A: It takes a significant level of effort to be successful in the practice of private development – more than I had expected. It’s important to be optimistic, place emphasis on accuracy, and also be very articulate. I often say to colleagues, “Being 90 percent accurate is not a passing grade in the private development industry.”

Q: How have you seen the industry change over the last 50 years?
A: I would say the largest change that I’ve noticed is the continual decrease in the number of private development firms and individuals that are willing to take on the risks associated with this industry. Throughout the last five decades, I’ve experienced all stages of the economic cycle. The companies that have survived these cyclical changes have good investors or have been very fiscally responsible.

Q: How have you changed over the last 50 years?
A: Over the years I’ve realized how important relationship building is. When you’re working with clients, you’re not just doing a “job.” Elements of our business can be incredibly personal. I’ve been lucky to build longstanding relationships with clients and colleagues throughout the years. I didn’t realize how important this was when I first started out.

Q: In what direction do you see this industry heading?
A: The private development industry players are constantly changing. Unfortunately, the clients you have today may not be in business five or ten years in the future. The level of sophistication in the industry is increasing along with the acceptance and understanding that modern technology is the new normal. Lately, I’ve noticed a shift into private developers focusing on more niche markets. I think the future looks bright for private development. I’ve witnessed many changes throughout the years – some bad, but most good.

Q: How has the Rochester community impacted your professional career?
A: The diversity of the Rochester community has allowed me to broaden my career and be more innovative when applying new design criteria. What’s unique about the community is how involved and hands-on the governmental bodies are here. They often participate in design critiques and really embrace new ideas and creativity.

Q: You’ve worked on several projects in Rochester throughout your career. What has surprised you about the changing landscape?
A: The city has surprised me. It’s changed so much. Rochester went from a small size community in the heartland of the Midwest to a metropolitan city center with high-rises and a booming downtown. The economic momentum here is motivating. It’s been impressive to witness.

Q: What advice would you give someone who is new to our industry?
A: The best advice I can give someone entering this industry is to be persistent in your approach to problem solving and don’t take no for an answer. Create your own style and embrace it. I would also tell them that teamwork is necessary and not an option. Surround yourself with people you trust and that you can depend on. It will make your career enjoyable and give you tremendous support.