NCE is excited to announce that Vivek Jha, P.E., has joined NCE as an Associate and our Southern California Operations Manager. Vivek is an expert in all aspects of pavement asset management, including pavement distress data collection and analysis, pavement design, and life cycle cost analysis. He has developed and managed pavement asset systems for more than 100 roadway projects and 30 airports, including creation of a GIS-based web application interface for users. “Based in NCE’s Fountain Valley office, Vivek will serve our Southern California clients and expand NCE’s asset management services,” said Greg Fasiano, NCE’s California Regional Manager. “Vivek’s engineering skills and dedication to clients make him a great addition to the firm.” Vivek earned an M.S. in Civil Engineering at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., and a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering at Sardar Patel College of Engineering in Mumbai, India.

NCE is excited to welcome Cord Hute as a Senior Biologist in NCE’s Watershed Science and Planning Practice. Cord has 26 years of experience in environmental planning, regulatory permitting, project management, and all aspects of biological surveying and monitoring. He has designed, implemented, and managed projects of all sizes throughout California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Cord has provided services to both the private and public sectors, including telecommunications, utilities, oil and gas, public transportation projects, and residential and commercial development. His expertise includes preparing environmental documents in compliance with CEQA and NEPA, as well as conducting environmental oversight and monitoring of construction projects, state and federal Endangered Species Act consultations, wetland delineation, permitting, and mitigation. “Cord is a tremendous addition to NCE and will lead our biological and permitting services in Northern California,” said Jason Drew, Principal and Watershed Science & Planning Practice Lead. Cord earned a B.S. in Environmental Science and Biology at the University of Dubuque, Iowa. He is a member of the Society of Wetland Scientists, the Society of Ecological Restoration, and the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the Wildlife Society.

NCE is delighted to welcome Sandy Wong, P.E., to our civil engineering team. Sandy has delivered more than 170 transportation projects to state, regional, and local agencies. Sandy brings to NCE over 27 years of expertise in transportation engineering, project management, and construction. His experience includes large capital projects such as interchanges and high-speed rail, as well as a wide variety of Caltrans projects across Northern California, including rehabilitation, safety, capacity increases, and traffic operations. He shares NCE’s commitment to work collaboratively with clients and to exceed their expectations. “Sandy will be instrumental in helping NCE deliver civil engineering services for the firm, with emphasis on clients within the Central Valley and west slope of the Sierras,” said Michael Leacox, NCE’s Director of Marketing. Sandy is a Professional Engineer in California. He earned BS degrees in Civil Engineering and in Engineering/Construction Management from the University of the Pacific in Stockton.

NCE pavement management experts are leading a four-part online workshop on StreetSaver^® software November 16-19, sponsored by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) ;

“We’re committed to helping our clients use this tool effectively,” said Margot Yapp, NCE’s president. Yapp, Lisa Senn, and Sharlan Dunn—all expert users and teachers of the computer-based program—will lead the training ;

In the workshop, NCE will teach users how jurisdictions define and manage pavement networks and how to use the features of StreetSaver^®, including:

• Entering data from street surveys and inspections.
• Updating maintenance and rehabilitation history.
• Setting up a budget needs analysis.
• Creating budget scenarios.
• Using GIS linkage and reporting tools.

StreetSaver^®, developed by MTC, is used by more than 300 public and private organizations nationwide—including all 109 cities and counties in the San Francisco Bay Area—to make informed decisions about managing street pavement and other assets. NCE routinely works with over 100 cities and counties to use StreetSaver^® in preparing workplans, informing decision-makers, and complying with funding requirements. In addition, NCE prepares the biennial California Statewide Local Streets & Roads Needs Assessment, which relies in part on StreetSaver^® to inform the public and policy-makers on the condition of the state’s local pavement network.
To register for the workshop, visit the StreetSaver^® Academy at https://streetsaver.com/academy/workshops.

The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County (RTC)’s $90M transformation of Virginia Street in Midtown Reno is substantially complete (see the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dq2rG0Hk5I). NCE led the overall design effort for RTC’s marquee complete streets project, which features new, wider sidewalks; new bus shelters; level bus-onboarding; bicycle improvements; associated roadway improvements; and welcoming landscaping and aesthetics.
The Virginia Street Bus RAPID Transit Extension Project extends the RTC RAPID service from the 4th Street Station to the University of Nevada and provides an accessible, pedestrian-friendly corridor. NCE provided support throughout the project, including:

• Prepared federal funding applications, encroachment permits, and environmental documents.
• Conducted agency and public information meetings and creating a related, interactive website for the project.
• Performed investigations and analyses of drainage patterns, geotechnical conditions, existing pavement, traffic patterns, right-of-way, topography, and utilities.
• Identified sustainable and feasible pavement rehabilitation and/or reconstruction alternatives and developed the recommended alternative.
• Provided transit station architecture and structural design.
• Designed landscaping and aesthetics improvements.
• Developed preliminary and final design plans and estimates for the preferred alternative.
• Performed Construction Manager at Risk support services, which included participation in value engineering and risk workshops, response to requests for information, and review of submittals.

The Virginia Street Bus RAPID Transit Extension project – the first of multiple projects stemming from the Virginia Street Corridor Investment Plan – finished ahead of schedule and under budget.

Working with our agency and industry partners, NCE is adapting to the current coronavirus outbreak by moving a full-day workshop scheduled for April 28 to an online format. Each of the four 1-hour webinars will be given on successive Tuesdays starting April 28, 2020, and will cover topics on cement and concrete properties as well as paving mixtures and construction adapted from information in Integrated Materials and Construction Practices for Concrete Pavement: A State-of- the-Practice Manual
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Mike Carlson, civil engineer, joins NCE after a 32-year tenure with the Contra Costa County (County) Public Works Department. Mike most recently served as a Deputy Director of Public Works and was responsible for the Flood Control Division, Clean Water Program, Transportation Engineering, Environmental Services, Engineering Services and the Real Estate Division. Prior to that, he was Division Manager for Flood Control, Transportation, Engineering and Construction, including the Materials and Testing Laboratory. Throughout his career, Mike has developed successful relationships with his peers throughout the state, the regulatory community, the environmental community, non-profit organizations, and local citizen groups, to ensure projects meet the needs of all stakeholders. He has also served as an active participant and leader in the stormwater and flood-prevention communities in the Bay Area and statewide. He chaired the County Engineers Association of California Flood Control Committee. As chair, he established goals to develop a reliable funding source for flood protection and stormwater by modifying State legislation to allow stormwater to become a utility similar to drinking water and sewer. Because of his broad experience, Mike is a valuable addition to the NCE Team and can provide broad support to many of our service lines.

NCE fostered its long-standing relationship with transportation professionals by chairing sessions and presenting research results at the Transportation Research Board’s 99th Annual Meeting, January 12–16 in Washington, D.C. Eight NCE staff participated in order to share their insights about pavement learned during the past year and to bring news about the latest developments back to local clients. NCE staff presented results and information on the following topics:

• Field Evaluation of Experimental Concrete Surface Wear Mitigation Treatments on I-80 in California
• Experimental Investigation of Pothole Patching Materials
• Assessment of California’s Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement Practice and Performance

More than 13,000 researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and other transportation professionals from around the world attended the meeting.

NCE is pleased to welcome John Welsh as a new Principal Engineer in our Reno office’s Infrastructure Group. He brings more than 40 years of expertise in roadway engineering, airport design, facility planning, and water resources management across the western U.S.

Mr. Welsh is a registered Professional Engineer in both Nevada and California, a registered Water Rights Surveyor in Nevada, and a Professional Land Surveyor in California. John has been recognized by his peers on many occasions, including being named the 2011 Civil Engineer of the Year by the American Society of Civil Engineer’s Truckee Meadows branch. He earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Mr. Welsh takes pride in finding creative design solutions for airports, streets, highways, utilities, storm drainage, sanitary sewer systems, flood control structures, mass grading, pavements, and development projects.

 “John’s extensive experience – particularly in the Truckee Meadows, Tahoe Basin, and eastern Sierra Nevada regions – will enhance our capabilities to serve these areas,” said NCE Regional Manager Kevin Senn. “He shares NCE’s commitment to providing high-quality products and excellent client service. He will also be a great mentor for younger staff.”

NCE is excited to announce the addition of Matthew S. Gaber, RLA, to lead NCE’s new Landscape Architecture service area. A licensed Landscape Architect in the state of California, Mr. Gaber brings a wealth of professional experience across the United States and beyond. Prior to joining NCE, Mr. Gaber worked at SWA (a large, international design firm) and led a Landscape Architecture studio in Berkeley, Calif. He specializes in providing creative design solutions at complex sites, typically working with diverse communities and satisfying extensive agency permitting requirements.

Over the course of 30 years designing and implementing projects, Mr. Gaber has gained a unique perspective on the practice of landscape architecture. Throughout his career, he has sought work that is environmentally and socially responsible, with a strong focus on client service and relationships. Under Mr. Gaber’s leadership, the Landscape Architecture Studio within NCE will focus on collaboration with NCE’s existing service areas, expanding the scale and scope of NCE’s built work while utilizing the deep technical expertise of NCE professionals. Mr. Gaber is currently leading the permitting, design and implementation of a variety of projects, including an extension of the Bay Trail in San Jose, Calif., which features overlooks and new watershed plantings along the Guadalupe River; the renovation of the streetscape and front gateway at UC Berkeley’s International House; and a new medical school campus with a teaching hospital in Elk Grove, Calif.

A life-long learner, Mr. Gaber earned a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design in 1987 and a Master of Landscape Architecture from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design in 1995.

An avid gardener, he can be found most weekends exploring nurseries, walking throughout the East Bay studying the built landscape, or working in his constantly evolving garden with his wife and three children.

NCE is pleased to announce that Michael Leacox, PG, CEG, has assumed the role of Director of Marketing at NCE.

“Mike’s 32 years in the business and 17 years with NCE have given him a comprehensive knowledge of the firm’s capabilities in civil and pavement engineering, environmental sciences, and watershed science and planning. He has worked with our clients across multiple disciplines and thoroughly understands their needs. His new position will allow him to capitalize on that background and promote NCE’s unique skillset with cities and counties.” says CEO Margot Yapp.

Mr. Leacox joined NCE in 2003 as a Principal, working out of the company’s Sacramento office. As Director of Marketing, Mr. Leacox will lead NCE’s ongoing commitment to put clients first and to offer the company’s full range of services to meet client needs. He will collaborate with existing and potential clients to develop and propose solutions for large-scale and small-scale federal, public, and private projects.

“NCE is full of exceptional talent and resources. My goal is to support the staff as they deliver projects to clients, while at the same time helping the firm succeed,” Mr. Leacox says.

Mr. Leacox received his BS in Geology from UC Davis in 1984. He is a member of the Civil Engineers Association of California, American Public Works Association, and Groundwater Resources Association.

NCE welcomes and is excited to add long-time friends and collaborators André G. Jadkowski, PE, Thomas M. Palmerino, PE, and Andrea Valentine formerly with A-N West, Inc. to our team. Andre, Tom, and Andrea add experience and technical skills that are great assets to our clients and NCE. They bring a depth of experience providing civil and structural engineering services to public agencies and private clients throughout the San Francisco Bay Area with over 35 years of successful projects involving the design of streets and highways, bikeways, trails, bridges, city parks, residential and commercial developments, and storm drainage and flood control facilities. Some of their recent clients include the Cities of Pinole, El Cerrito, Richmond, San Pablo, Los Gatos, and San Jose; the Town of Corte Madera; and Contra Costa County. They can be reached at NCE’s Richmond office at (510) 215-3620. Brief introductions to each follow:

André G. Jadkowski, PE
Principal Engineer

Mr. André Jadkowski, PE is a project manager and principal-in-charge with over 35 years of experience in civil and structural engineering projects related to bike and pedestrian trails, streets, roads, parking areas, site development, and utilities. His experience includes water resources, including storm drainage, flood control, pumping stations, sanitary sewers, and water distribution systems. These projects ranged from preliminary studies to feasibility reports to design to construction support services. His responsibilities include planning, engineering studies, analysis, design, surveying, inspection, computer applications, specifications, and cost engineering. André earned his BS in civil engineering from the University of the Pacific in 1982 and holds professional civil engineering licenses in the States of California (#42314), Nevada (#11619), and Arizona (#29609).

Thomas M. Palmerino, PE
Senior Engineer

Mr. Thomas (Tom) Palmerino, PE is a practicing general civil engineer with over 46 years of experience and has worked on transportation projects in Northern California since 1980. Over that time, his roles have ranged through project management, planning, analysis and design, construction inspection, and post-construction claims. His experience with civil and structural engineering projects includes culverts, retaining walls, pump stations, and pipeline relocations. His experience in transportation-related structures includes creek crossings and highway crossing of various bridge types, including cast-in-place and precast concrete structures and steel structures. Tom earned his BE in civil engineering from Manhattan College in New York in 1971 and holds professional civil engineering licenses in the States of California (#29562) and Arizona (#20001).

Andrea J. Valentine
Senior CADD Technician

Ms. Andrea Valentine is a CADD drafter with nearly 40 years of experience providing layout and drawing of civil and structural plans, control lines, profiles, sections, and details based on engineers’ sketches and markups. She works with engineers to provide lot line adjustment boundaries; develops, implements, and updates CADD standards; and sets up and maintains drafting records and documentation. Her program experience includes AutoCAD, Bentley Microstation, and Microsoft Word and Excel. Andrea earned her BA in theory and practice of art from Northwestern University in 1974 and has taken various drafting, graphic arts, solar design, technical math, cartography, natural sciences, and computer training courses at various San Francisco Bay Area colleges.

NCE is pleased to announce that Margot Yapp, PE, will succeed Claude Corvino as President and Chief Executive Officer of NCE when he retires on June 1, 2019. Ms. Yapp currently serves as Vice President of NCE.

“Margot brings a unique set of technical skills and a thorough understanding of public policy at the state and local levels. Her passion for our staff and commitment to our clients is completely in line with our firm’s guiding principles,” says Corvino.

Ms. Yapp joined NCE in 1994 and opened the firm’s first California office. She has been prominent in pavement design and management projects and successfully led the biennial California Statewide Local Streets and Roads Needs Assessment study, which provided the Governor and Legislature with the data needed for new transportation funding.

“My personal goal has always been to make sure that the work I do is meaningful and that it contributes to the community by improving people’s lives. Joining NCE was an opportunity for me to realize that goal, as it allowed me to work with public agencies in the important field of transportation,” she says.

“As an engineering and environmental firm that focuses on transportation and infrastructure,” she continues, “NCE is ideally situated to have a huge positive impact on our communities. Our talented men and women offer practical solutions and are committed to making things happen. I am honored to be part of this team, and consider it a privilege to lead them to an exciting future.”

Ms. Yapp received her BS and MS in Civil Engineering (Pavements) from Oregon State University, and her MPP from UC Berkeley. She is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Public Works Association and the Transportation Research Board.