Press Release

GEI Elects Seven New Vice Presidents

March 4, 2014

William H. Walton, F.ASCE, P.E., S.E., senior vice president and geostructural practice leader located in GEI’s Chicago office, has more than 34 years of experience as a licensed civil and structural engineer in 19 states. A member of GEI’s board of directors, Walton’s expertise includes geotechnical and structural design and construction of tailing dams, hydroelectric facilities, embankments, landfills, steel mills, power plants, wind turbines, and building foundations. He has conducted work in the Far East, Mideast, Africa, and South America and is a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved independent consultant for dam safety inspections and probable failure mode analyst. Walton is an elected Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (FASCE) and is a former chairman of the Geotechnical Group in Illinois. In addition to being appointed to the Chicago High-Rise Building Committee for his work on updating the 2000 Chicago Building Code, he was also recognized as the Illinois Civil Engineer of the year in 2010 by ASCE, and received the Stephen Salisbury award for being the top civil engineering graduate in his class at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he holds a bachelor’s degree. He received his master’s degree in agricultural engineering from Cornell University.

William Rettberg, P.E., senior vice president, branch manager, and water resources practice leader located in GEI’s Oakland, Calif. office, has more than 42 years of engineering and management experience in a wide range of water resources and environmental projects. A member of GEI’s board of directors, Rettberg’s wide ranging experience includes: pipelines and penstocks, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Part 12D dam safety inspections, dam rehabilitation, hydroelectric projects, water supply, flood control levees, tunnels, pump stations, canals, waste impoundments, permitting and licensing, and special projects. Over the last ten years, Rettberg has inspected more than 200 significant and high hazard dams throughout California, the U.S. for power companies, water districts, and other dam owners.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Colorado.

Ginger G. Gillin, vice president and environmental practice leader located in GEI’s Portland, Ore. office, has more than 31 years of experience as an environmental scientist. As a project manager and project scientist, Gillin’s assignments have involved hydroelectric licensing, relicensing, and license compliance, fish passage, environmental permitting, ecosystem restoration, fisheries monitoring, and environmental document preparation. She is a certified fisheries professional and holds a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Colorado and a master’s degree in wildlife biology from the University of Montana.

Jeremy Pratt, vice president and environmental practice leader located in GEI’s Seattle, Wash. office, has more than 38 years of experience in the water and energy fields. Pratt’s focus is on developing and growing consulting practice groups and managing large-scale, controversial projects such as the recent 50-year federal energy regulatory commission (FERC) hydro license issued to Okanogan PUD. For more than 30 years, Pratt has led a series of large water and energy projects meeting the requirements of FERC hydro licensing, NEPA, CEQA, SEPA, the major federal permitting processes, and environmental compliance in many Western states. He works with project applicants and local stakeholders concerned with the development, use, protection or environmental management of their sites, communities, and resources. Pratt’s project experience includes hydroelectric and thermal generation, transmission lines, pipelines, dam removal, watershed planning, water supply planning, and natural resources economics and management. He is a trained senior facilitator who has met the stringent requirements for listing on the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution National Roster.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Evergreen State College and a master’s degree in environmental and energy studies from Washington State University.

Mark M. Scott, P.E., vice president and Rocky Mountain area manager located in GEI’s Denver, Colo. office, has more than 31 years of experience in wide-ranging areas such as: leadership,  water resources, water system planning and management, environmental permitting and remediation, construction services, information management, public outreach, and management consulting throughout the Rocky Mountains region, United States and overseas.  Scott is a licensed professional engineer in Colorado and California, has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif., and a master’s degree in management information systems from Colorado Technical University.

John T. Finn, P.E., vice president and environmental practice leader located in GEI’s Ithaca, N.Y. office, has more than 31 years of experience in environmental consulting and program management specializing in manufactured gas plant (MGP) remediation, and remediation of contaminated sediments. Finn’s accomplishments include excellent client relations and regulatory negotiations, as well as success leading high-performance, multidisciplinary teams. Finn is a licensed professional engineer New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Washington, and Georgia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from University of Connecticut and a master’s degree in biological and environmental engineering from Cornell University.

Edward O’Rourke, vice president of business development in GEI’s Boston, office, has more than 25 years of comprehensive experience in sales management and business development in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. He is responsible for helping the firm expand its relationships throughout its East region, encompassing more than 15 offices and hundreds of staff from Florida to Maine. O’Rourke previously owned an environmental consulting firm that was acquired by Dames & Moore. A graduate of Long Island University CW Post Campus, O’Rourke is an engaged member of numerous professional associations including the Urban Land Institute, NAIOP, the Environmental Business Council, the International Facilities Management Association (IFMA) Boston Chapter, and the Society of College and University Planners (SCUP).

About GEI:
GEI’s multidisciplinary team of engineers, scientists, and planners deliver integrated water resources, environmental, ecological, geotechnical and waterfront engineering solutions to diverse clientele nationwide. The firm has provided a broad range of consulting and engineering services on over 50,000 projects in 50 states and 22 countries. For more information on GEI, please visit www.geiconsultants.com.

Media Contact:

Leann Gebhardt
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400 Unicorn Park Drive
Woburn, MA 01801
lgebhardt@geiconsultants.com