GEI Consultants Launches New Washington, D.C. Office

October 19, 2007 —

BOSTON, Mass. and WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 19, 2007 – GEI Consultants, Inc., one of the nation’s leading geotechnical, environmental, water resources, and ecological science and engineering consulting firm, announced today that it has opened a new office in Washington, D.C. and hired Dr. Giovanni (John) Bonita, P.E., P.G. to launch and manage the office.

The Washington, D.C. office enables GEI to better serve public and private sector clients located within the Washington Beltway. GEI’s best known Washington area project is the design of the excavation support system that protected the historic Capitol Building during the construction of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, the largest project in the Capitol’s 212-year history and approximately three-quarters the size of the Capitol itself. Other geotechnical projects in the area managed by GEI include Kenilworth Terraces in Washington, D.C.; Tuscany Landing in Alexandria, Virginia; and, the Arbors at Arundel in Hanover, Maryland.

“Having already completed a number of successful projects in the D.C. area over the years, it was a natural step for us to open a new office to service the region,” said Tom Kahl, P.E., GEI’s senior vice president and regional manager. “We’re delighted to attract a person of John’s caliber to our firm. He will play an instrumental role in projecting GEI’s traditional strengths in underground engineering into a growing urban market.” A resident of Washington, D.C. with more than 15 years of experience, Dr. Bonita has extensive experience in complex underground structures, retaining systems, geological and geophysical investigations, and deep foundations.

Over the course of his career he has worked on many high-profile projects where he has used traditional and advanced analytical techniques to recommend and design support of excavation methods and foundation systems, including major public works projects with difficult engineering challenges.

Prior to joining GEI, Dr. Bonita was the manager of the GeoStructures Group for Weidlinger Associates in Washington, D.C. During this time, he worked on projects at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.; King Street Station in Alexandria, Virginia; and the World Trade Center Bathtub in New York City. Previously, he worked for Schnabel Engineering Associates.

A registered professional engineer and geologist in several states, Dr. Bonita is an Adjunct Faculty member of the Civil Engineering Department at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He has also served as a faculty member in the Engineering Geology department at Radford University. A member of the Deep Foundations Institute, Dr. Bonita currently serves on the Soil Nail and Tailback Committee as well as the Slurry Wall Committee. Additionally, he is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Association of Groundwater Scientists and Engineers, the National Groundwater Association, and the Geological Society of America.

Dr. Bonita holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from Franklin and Marshall College and a master of sciences degree in hydrogeology from the University of Kentucky. He received a master of sciences degree and his PhD in civil engineering from Virginia Tech.

For more information about GEI services or its new DC office, please contact: Giovanni (John) Bonita, PhD, P.E., P.G. 1511 22ND Street, NW Suite #51 Washington, DC 20037 Phone: (301) 717-3999 gbonita@geiconsultants.com

About GEI Consultants, Inc. GEI's staff of multi-disciplined engineers and scientists deliver integrated water resources, dam engineering, geotechnical, environmental and ecological solutions to diverse clientele nationwide and locally. Over its 37-year history, the firm has provided a broad range of consulting and engineering services on over 25,000 projects in 50 states and 22 countries.

Media Contact: Susan Shelby, CPSM Rhino Public Relations 978.468.1528 susan@rhinopr.com