Yves Pollart Joins HRG as Senior Quality Engineer

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Yves PollartHRG is pleased to announce that Yves Pollart has joined the firm as a senior quality engineer in the water and wastewater group. He will manage the group’s quality standards and communicate best practices to the design team across all offices. He will also provide technical guidance and support to project managers.

Pollart has almost 40 years of experience in both the public and private sector as an engineer. Over the course of his wide-ranging career, he has worked in city government and managed the construction and day-to-day operation  of Pennsylvania’s  first virtual natural gas pipeline system. However, the majority of his experience is as a consultant, assisting water and wastewater utilities with regulatory compliance and the design and construction of infrastructure. Projects have included biological nutrient removal, combined sewer separation, industrial pretreatment, filtration, chemical and physical treatment, sludge dewatering, and more.

Pollart is a licensed professional engineer and certified contractor. He has also been board certified by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers.

 

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

Staci Hartz Honored Among Women of Impact

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Staci Hartz a Women in STEM Award

Staci Hartz was one of 10 honorees at the Whitaker Center’s Women of Impact: Women in STEM Awards Luncheon today.  Hartz is a project engineer in the water and wastewater service group at Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc (HRG).  She was recognized in the Women to Watch category.

The Women to Watch award goes to an individual who is under 40 years old and has already achieved significant success in the STEM field.

Staci was nominated for the award by Justin Mendinsky, the water and wastewater group manager at HRG. “Staci does exceptional work,” Justin says, “and she is very driven.  She’s also passionate about inspiring others toward a career in STEM. She frequently serves as a mentor to new employees, and I know she will continue to accomplish great things in the industry.”

Staci Hartz with Justin Mendinsky at the Women in STEM Awards Luncheon

Staci Hartz and Justin Mendinsky

As an engineer serving water and wastewater utilities, Staci has a direct impact on the health of local communities. She has helped several communities with failing water systems make the necessary improvements to comply with water quality requirements.  Her responsibilities include planning and designing water and wastewater systems, performing calculations and hydraulic modeling for water systems, and preparing permit applications for treatment, distribution, and storage facilities.

HRG celebrates Staci Hartz' Women in STEM Award

Jason Fralick, Erin Threet, Chris Hartz, Staci Hartz, Justin Mendinsky, Bob Grubic, and Andrew Kenworthy (Photo courtesy of the The Whitaker Center)

ABOUT THE WOMEN OF IMPACT AWARDS

The Women of Impact: Women in STEM Awards recognize women that have made an impact in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.  The award luncheon benefits the Whitaker Center’s Girls in STEM Initiative, which empowers girls to know they are strong enough to change the world.

 

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

Erin Threet Featured in National ENR Top 20 Under 40 List

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Engineering News-Record magazine has published its 2019 Top 20 Under 40 list, and our very own assistant vice president Erin Threet is on the list!

Engineering News-Record is a weekly magazine with close to 50,000 paid subscribers that covers news in the architecture, engineering and construction industry. In addition to its national publication, it also publishes nine regional editions.

Each of these regions selects 20 outstanding professionals based on their education, industry experience, leadership and community service. Erin was featured in the Mid-Atlantic region’s list in February.

From this pool of regional winners, ENR selects 20 as the “best of the best” across the nation.

Erin received news that she was selected for this prestigious honor in April, and it was a great way to start the week as she opened her email one Monday morning.

“I was surprised and excited and flattered all at once,” Erin says.

But the excitement was only beginning.

In June, ENR invited Erin and the other honorees to New York City for an awards luncheon and photo shoot. Erin describes the exhilarating experience in the video below:

Erin loves New York City and even dreamed of moving there after college. Though she has been there before, she said she got to see a few parts of the city on this trip that she’d never seen in previous visits.  In particular, a rooftop used for the photo shoot provided an amazing view of the Empire State Building, she says.

While in New York, the honorees were split into four groups to collaborate and discuss industry issues. Erin was selected for Team Productivity.  She and her fellow “think tank” members discussed alternate project delivery methods like design-build, integrated project delivery, advanced work packaging, and workface planning.

Some of the alternative project delivery methods are not allowed under current municipal bid regulation in Pennsylvania, so Erin enjoyed learning about processes she hasn’t used before.

The group also talked about the importance of communicating with clients and facility owners to help them understand why certain decisions are made and how those decisions directly benefit the project.

They also discussed the need to educate the general public about the value of infrastructure. “Something like the Got Milk campaign of the 90s,” Erin said. “This is something I’ve thought about before, so it was interesting to see that others across the country are also thinking about the issue.”

Team Productivity shared a lot of innovative ideas and best practices, and Erin said she is already applying what she learned on behalf of her clients.

(You can read more about Team Productivity and their panel discussion in this feature from Engineering News-Record magazine.)

The Top 20 Under 40 honor from ENR is just one of many Erin has received over the course of her career. Like many influential leaders, Erin believes success is all about the grind:

With that in mind, Erin returns to work with a fresh perspective but the same commitment to every day tasks that has produced great results this far: “I just want to keep on keepin’ on,” she says. “I want to continue to grow HRG and our staff here, so that we can serve clients well into the future. [And I want to] do that while maintaining a good work-life balance with the kiddoes and hubby at home.”

You can see more of Erin’s thoughts on the ENR honor, the people she got to meet as part of this experience, and the individuals who’ve helped her get where she is today in the videos below:

Michael Hess Joins HRG as Senior Project Manager

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Mike Hess, P.E.Michael Hess has joined Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) as a senior project manager in the firm’s civil group. He will be responsible for providing municipal engineering services to clients throughout Central Pennsylvania and managing complex water quality projects.

Mr. Hess is a licensed professional engineer with broad-ranging experience serving both the public sector and the private sector. He has assisted residential and commercial developers with site design and permitting, and he has assisted municipalities with stormwater management, water quality, transportation infrastructure, plan reviews, and regulatory compliance.  He has also managed multi-disciplinary projects for government agency clients at both the federal and state level.

HRG assistant vice president Ed Ellinger is glad to welcome Hess back to the HRG team: “Mike worked with us early in his career, and we are so happy to have him back representing our clients. They will benefit greatly from his diverse skill set in all aspects of municipal engineering, particularly stormwater management, which is an increasingly important issue to local communities these days.”

 

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is an employee-owned, nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has offices in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit our website at www.hrg-inc.com.

 

 

Ginny Loaney Promoted to Land Development Group Manager

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Ginny LoaneyHerbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is pleased to announce that Virginia Loaney has been promoted to Land Development Group Manager in our Pittsburgh office.

Loaney joined HRG in 2016 as a landscape architect and has 15 years of experience in the healthcare, education, recreation, government, commercial and residential markets.

In her new role as group manager, Loaney will take on additional supervisory and business development responsibilities, striving to expand the presence of HRG in the land development market and build lasting relationships with clients and teaming partners.

HRG Assistant Vice President Jim Feath says, “Ginny skillfully balances rigorous engineering standards with creativity and collaboration to achieve her client’s aspirations. She brings diverse stakeholders together to achieve the most complex goals, thanks to her outgoing, conscientious personality and brilliant, purposeful approach to planning and design.”

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services.  The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.  For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

Saville, Turner, and Kirsch Join HRG

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Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is pleased to announce the addition of three professionals to our State College office team: Mark Saville, Alan Turner, and Steve Kirsch.

Saville and Turner both join the Geomatics division.

Saville is a licensed professional land surveyor with extensive experience in the higher education market.  He has contributed to a wide variety of improvements to the campus residence halls, arboretum, classrooms and athletic facilities at Penn State University, and he is well-versed in all phases of site development (including comprehensive campus utility infrastructure, roadways, site grading, stormwater and regulatory agency approvals).  His experience also includes healthcare facilities, hospitality, community streetscapes, senior living, retail, commercial office space and residential subdivisions.

Turner has 30 years of experience in land surveys and construction stakeout, including boundary and topographic surveys, ALTA land title surveys, site utilities and hardscape surveys, building baseline control, and as-built surveys. He is skilled as a technician and as a crew chief, managing staff, schedule and budget to provide the highest level of service to his clients.

Kirsch will join the firm’s Land Development group as a team leader.  He is a licensed professional engineer with a wide range of experience in all aspects of civil infrastructure design and permitting including stormwater management, erosion and sedimentation controls and land development permitting.   His projects include residential communities, higher education and medical institutions, as well as sports and recreational facilities.

HRG President Jason Fralick is excited for the contribution these individuals will make to the team, saying “Mark, Alan and Steve are excellent leaders and client driven professionals. They will provide a great compliment to our current technical capabilities in the State College area and offer strategic insight into new and growing markets for HRG.  They will do an excellent job guiding our clients and our team toward future success.”

 

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.

HRG Opens a New Office in King of Prussia

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Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is opening a new office at:

630 Freedom Business Center, 3rd floor
King of Prussia, PA 19406

HRG's new King of Prussia office

The civil engineering firm has six other offices in Pennsylvania and an office in West Virginia.  It is ranked as one of the Top 500 Design Firms by Engineering News-Record, and its projects have been honored by the American Council of Engineering Companies, Pennsylvania Highway Information Association, Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, Pennsylvania Water Environment Association, and more.

The firm currently serves as the consulting engineer for West Goshen Township, the West Goshen Sewer Authority, Northwestern Chester County Municipal Authority, Kutztown Borough, and Pottstown Borough Authority. The firm also recently designed a pedestrian tunnel for the Delaware Canal Towpath under Conrail tracks in the Delaware Canal State Park.

“HRG has been serving clients in Chester, Bucks, and Montgomery County for many years,” company president Jason Fralick says.  “This location in King of Prussia will bring us closer to our clients there, and we’re looking forward to growing our team with the talented professionals that call southeastern Pennsylvania their home.”

Edward A. Ellinger, P.E., will serve as acting assistant vice president (AVP) for the new office in addition to his role as AVP in HRG’s Harrisburg office. Cory J. Salmon, E.I.T., is being promoted to water and wastewater team leader and will be the first employee to work in the office on a full-time basis. Salmon has an undergraduate degree from Temple University, an MBA from Penn State University, and five years of experience in the planning, design, and construction of water and wastewater systems.  While attending Temple, he served as an assistant varsity wrestling coach at St. Joseph’s Preparatory School and grew a deep appreciation for the Philadelphia area’s culture, particularly its historical landmarks, restaurants, and sports teams.

“I am excited to help HRG expand its presence in this area that I love so much,” he says.

 

ABOUT HRG

HRG offers a full range of planning and design services related to roads, bridges, water and wastewater systems, municipal engineering, community planning, land development, water quality, and environmental compliance.  The firm also provides financial planning, analysis, and grant administration services.

It was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.  For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

 

Jeff Mikesic Promoted to Transportation Practice Area Leader

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Jeff MikesicHerbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is pleased to announce that Jeffrey A. Mikesic, P.E., has been promoted to practice area leader for the firm’s Transportation Group.

He will have four areas of primary responsibility: vision and strategy, professional development of staff, project delivery, and business development. As the leader of the Transportation Group, he will monitor technical and regulatory trends related to roads, bridges, traffic management, rail and aviation for the firm’s public and private sector clients. He will translate those trends into a coherent strategy for meeting client needs, and he will empower staff to execute that strategy through communication, culture, and professional development initiatives.  He will also ensure projects are delivered in conformance with the firm’s Quality Management Plan and will continue to serve as project manager for key clients and complex projects.  In addition, he will support business development activities across HRG’s entire service area.

Mikesic joined HRG in 1998 as a CADD technician. Over the next six years, he attended classes nights and weekends to obtain his civil engineering technology degree from Point Park University. Thanks to that strong work ethic and commitment to personal growth, he steadily earned increasing responsibility at HRG through several promotions. He was named a staff professional in 2005 and a project manager in 2012, and he most recently served as a team leader before being promoted to practice area leader.

“Jeff exemplifies the ideal employee-owner at HRG. He has always looked for new ways to grow and contribute to HRG’s success, and this has made him a very valuable member of the team.  He will be an exceptional leader for the Transportation Group because his experience gives him unique insight into the role every member of the group plays.”

 – Andrew Kenworthy, Chief Operating Officer

 

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

 

Staub, Feath Discuss Demographic Shifts and Impact on Local Government

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Township News demographic shifts coverOur assistant vice presidents Tim Staub and Jim Feath are both featured in the March 2019 issue of Pennsylvania Township News magazine cover story, offering some insight on how municipalities can adjust policy and prepare for the needs of an aging population.

According to the article, 235 township residents in Pennsylvania turn 65 every day, and older adults are projected to outnumber adults for the first time time in U.S. history by 2035.

“Just how well-positioned is your community to allow them to age in place?” Tim asks.

He offers a number of ideas for making sure your township can retain residents as they age:

  • promoting walkability with sidewalks and connections between neighborhoods and amenities
  • incorporating universal design elements into construction standards that help residents stay in their home
  • permitting multi-generational living arrangements such as shared housing and accessory dwelling units

The key, he says, is to make your zoning and construction codes flexible enough to accommodate the changing needs of your community.

Jim Feath discusses how to provide recreational facilities that meet seniors’ needs, but he also recommends analyzing local population trends before making any significant changes. Some municipalities are seeing an influx of young families. Township officials will want to provide facilities that meet the need of their individual community, not just chase trends. (HRG can help and often provides this service as part of a larger comprehensive plan or comprehensive recreation plan.  Two of our clients — Cranberry Township and Dover Township — are also featured in the article, sharing the ways they proactively plan for their communities’ evolving needs.)

 

Erin Threet Honored as One of Engineering’s Top Young Professionals

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Erin Threet is being honored by Engineering News-Record (ENR) magazine as one of the Top Young Professionals in the construction and design industry.  She is profiled alongside the other honorees in the February issue of ENR’s Mid-Atlantic edition.

Erin Threet receives a plaque from company president Jason Fralick

Threet is an assistant vice president and project manager in our water and wastewater service group.  She joined the firm after graduating from Bucknell University in 2006 and enjoyed a rapid rise through the ranks, being promoted to office manager just six years later.  During her time managing the Lewisburg office, its annual revenue has increased by more than 200%. She accomplished this feat while managing the design and construction of millions of dollars in water and wastewater system improvements for a diverse array of public and private sector clients.

Threet actively participates in the industry as a member of the American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Federation.  She is also a board member for the Pennsylvania Water Environment Association and former president of its local chapter, the Central Pennsylvania Water Quality Association.

She has earned numerous accolades for her work to advance these organizations and the sanitary engineering profession, including the Rising Tide Award from the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Water Works Association and the Ted Moses High Hat Award from the Pennsylvania Water Environment Association.

She is also an active member of her church counsel and missions committee, and she regularly volunteers her time to various community service initiatives.

HRG President Jason Fralick says:

“Erin’s energy and enthusiasm are inspiring to all of us at HRG.  Employees want to work with her, and our clients want her working on their projects.  I couldn’t be more thrilled to see her receive this honor.”

 

ABOUT ENGINEERING NEWS-RECORD’S TOP YOUNG PROFESSIONALS PROGRAM

Engineering News-Record is a weekly magazine with close to 50,000 paid subscribers that covers news in the architecture, engineering and construction industry. In addition to its national publication, it also publishes several regional editions.

Each year, the regional editions recognize 20 industry professionals as the “best of the best.”  Applicants are evaluated on their education, industry experience, leadership, and community service.

The Mid-Atlantic edition focuses on Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C.

 

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.