The Mannik & Smith Group, Inc. Names New Associates

Maumee, Ohio (January 2020) – The Mannik & Smith Group, Inc. (MSG) has announced a new Associate Program to recognize senior-level professionals who have demonstrated leadership in technical, business development and/or project management excellence. Candidates are nominated by MSG Shareholders and elected by the Board.

Headquartered in Maumee and recognized as one of the Top 50 Design Firms in the Midwest and one of the Top 500 Design Firms in the US by Engineering News Record, MSG has a staff of more than 350 professionals across 14 office locations. A multi-disciplined engineering, surveying and environmental services firm, MSG serves hundreds of public and private clients each year.

The inaugural group of Associates includes the following:

Brahim Benhamida, PhD, PE, Geotechnical Operations (Shareholder and Senior Associate)

In his position as Chief Geotechnical Engineer, Brahim oversees geotechnical field investigations, performs geotechnical analyses and design, and provides geotechnical recommendations, consultations, and constructability reviews. He has conducted geotechnical design and overseen the construction of various water and wastewater treatment plant improvement projects throughout southeastern Michigan, Ohio, and Toronto, Canada. He has also been involved with the geotechnical investigation for numerous transportation projects. Recently, he served as the geotechnical engineer of record for the $400 million, 13-story ProMedica Toledo Hospital Generations of Care Tower project. Brahim has 34 years of experience in the engineering field as a consultant and educator and uses his education, research, and experience to help establish and lead quality assurance and quality control procedures on MSG projects.

Brad Bice, Construction Engineering and Inspection Operations

Brad has 25 years of experience, including 18 years with MSG, and provides a wide variety of management services in his role as a Group Manager for MSG’s Michigan Construction Group. He is responsible for establishing and overseeing project budgets, maintaining construction and project schedules, communicating with clients, contractors and local residents, and providing construction engineering and inspection services to clients.

Beth A. Braun, PS, Survey Operations

In her position as Director of Michigan Survey, Beth leads surveying staff throughout the Midwest region and is responsible for technical strategy, quality control, project scheduling, data calculations, drawing preparation, and equipment selection. She has 19 years of experience in land surveying including boundary, topographic, American Land Title Association (ALTA) surveys, easement preparation, right-of-way surveys, and construction layout.

Daniel M. Capone, Geoenvironmental Operations

A Senior Project Manager with 36 years of experience, Dan manages and conducts environmental and hazardous waste investigation projects for a variety of clients including remedial investigation studies; environmental site assessments, ecological studies; removal and remedial actions (including sediment dredging projects); and emergency responses to chemical, biological, and radiological releases and oil spill emergencies. Dan has provided technical assistance to the US EPA’s Emergency Response Branch for over 30 years and continues to grow MSG’s support to the EPA in Region 5 as a subcontractor under the Superfund Technical Assistance and Response Team (START) Contract.

Patrick L. Etchie, AICP, Transportation Operations

Pat specializes in Project Funding Strategies and Planning Services at MSG and has been with the firm for nearly 27 years. In his position, Pat works with clients to identify funding sources, as well as innovative funding strategies, for infrastructure improvements. In the past 20 years, he has helped clients obtain more than $175 million in funding for projects throughout Ohio and Michigan. Pat also develops transportation feasibility studies, safety studies, comprehensive planning documents, and environmental NEPA documentation.

Rachel L. Gregg, Human Resources

Rachel serves as Vice President of Human Resources and has been with MSG for nearly 17 years. She manages a team of HR staff members and is primarily responsible for the 401(k) Program, Payroll, Employee Retention, Employee Development, and Employment Policies/Law. This year, Rachel is also heading the MSG Leadership Development Program, which helps to promote leadership and career growth within the firm.

John M. Havrilla, CHMM, Geotechnical Operations

John serves as Director of Compliance Management Services at MSG and has 30 years of experience. In his position, John provides guidance on certifications and registrations, including International Organization for Standardization (ISO) audits. He also supports industrial clientele with regulatory compliance obligation management, as well as completing environmental, health and safety compliance audits.

Christopher A. Riharb, PE, Geoenvironmental Operations

Chris serves as a Senior Project Manager, Geotechnical Engineer and co-located Owner’s Representative Project Manager at MSG and has 10 years of experience including nine years with MSG. In his position, Chris manages geotechnical and industrial operations, which include geotechnical engineering, industrial owner’s representative management, and geo-environmental services. An experienced civil engineer, he also provides multi-disciplinary services to industrial, automotive, commercial, energy, and governmental clients.

Matthew S. Pesci, CPG, Geoenvironmental Operations

Matt serves as a Senior Environmental Project Manager at MSG and has 20 years of experience, including seven years with MSG. In his position, Matt is responsible for a wide variety of environmental projects and has extensive experience planning, coordinating, and completing environmental site investigations and remediation at petroleum release sites, brownfield redevelopment sites, and Superfund sites. Matt has also been involved in the planning and remedial design of the removal of orphan underground storage tanks and petroleum impact site remediation. He recently helped ten communities obtain more than $1.5 million in funding through Ohio’s Abandoned Gas Station Cleanup Program to address abandoned, blighted former gas station sites.

Beth A. Thornton, PE, Transportation Operations

Beth specializes in Transportation Project Management and Roadway Design and manages projects involving multiple disciplines to meet the needs of complex highway, roadway and bridge improvements. She has 24 years of experience in the public and private sectors and was instrumental in working with MSG shareholders in the expansion of services and the opening of an office in West Virginia.

Randy L. VanTilburg, PE, Civil/Municipal Operations

Randy has 20 years of experience and provides a variety of leadership to the MSG Columbus office in his role as the Office Operations Manager and as the Group Manager for the Columbus Civil & Municipal Engineering Group. He is responsible for overseeing project teams by assigning workload, preparing budgets, schedules, and phasing plans for multiple infrastructure design projects and studies for both private clients and municipal and county clients.

Jason M. Watson, PE, Transportation Operations

Jason specializes in Transportation Project Management and has 21 years of experience in the engineering industry. He manages projects ranging from local let roadway reconstruction to the design and management of tasks on major design-build projects across the US. Jason has extensive experience with the design and management of multi-disciplined transportation projects including complex highways, roadways, geotechnical and structural projects. He is also responsible for the management and quality control and assurance of the MSG Roadway Group for the state of Ohio.

Christopher M. Zangara, PE, Civil/Municipal Operations

Chris serves as a Senior Project Manager and as Operations Manager of the MSG’s Monroe, Michigan, office. Chris has 26 years of experience, including 24 years with MSG, and has provided design assistance and managed hundreds of projects throughout southeastern Michigan and northwestern Ohio. In his position, Chris manages day-to-day operations in Monroe and coordinates work with engineering and technical staff in various offices throughout the company. He also manages the bridge team in Michigan, performing structural engineering design, inspection, and load ratings for bridges, foundations, retaining walls, and other transportation-related projects. Chris provides oversite and development of hydraulic modeling and permitting in accordance with Michigan Department of Transportation and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy permit requirements.

MSG provides Civil, Structural, Geotechnical and Transportation Engineering; Environmental Consulting Services; Comprehensive Planning, Permitting and Funding Strategy Assistance; Landscape Architecture; Surveying; and Construction Engineering, Inspection and Materials Testing throughout Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia.