Meet the Team

Alan Garcia

A graduate of San Francisco State University, Alan is a Project Engineer who brings to the team a deep interest in ADA accessible designs. Early experiences on construction sites with his dad inspired an interest in bringing building plans to life

  • and eventually led him to civil engineering. Now he gets to dive in on the design side and guide his projects through construction and see his ideas come to life. Having grown up in Marin and Contra Costa Counties, he values the opportunity to support projects that let him contribute to the vibrancy and economic vitality of his local communities for generations to come. In his free time, Alan enjoys exploring local hiking trails, basketball, and spending weekends cruising on his motorcycle.

Alisson Avancini, EIT

Alisson is a Project Engineer with specialized experience preparing designs and site improvements for public education campuses and mixed-use developments. He most enjoys opportunities to incorporate his deep interest in transportation engineering

  • and sustainable urbanism into his projects. In his free time, Alisson is a deep house music aficionado and loves listening to forgotten tracks from the 90’s.

Bob Birkeland, PLA

Public landscape architecture has been the focus and inspiration of Bob’s life and practice, and he has striven to create artful, meaningful places that balance design and sustainability with preservation and public access. With a background in East Asian Aesthetics, Bob focuses his practice on revealing the subtle harmony between the built environment and its natural surroundings.

Brian Gaitan, PLA

Bio coming soon!

Brianna Bright, EIT

Brianna is a Project Engineer specializing in the planning and design of residential and commercial developments. A Bay Area native, she is fascinated by the dynamic nature of water, and most enjoys hydrology and working

  • on hydraulic analyses on her projects. Especially when it comes to studying sea level rise and its effects on the future of public infrastructure. As one of the firm’s budding leaders, she is great resource to new staff and is recognized as an adept teacher among her peers. Outside of work, Brianna loves a good game of Ultimate Frisbee, reality tv cooking shows, and hiking with her awesome dog, Archer.

Bryan Hughes, sUAS Remote Pilot

Bryan is a Survey Technician with expertise in topographic mapping. He has a particular interest in surveying by drone and the value of incorporating orthomosaic photogrammetry into his work. Outside of work, Bryan enjoys kayaking, Fantasy Football, and playing his guitar.

Chris Ethier, PE

Chris is a Project Engineer with a background in land development and specializes in single family residential projects. He genuinely appreciates the intricacies involved with civil design and cites problem-solving and seeing all of the pieces of a project coming

  • together as his favorite part of the work. In his spare time, Chris enjoys photography, relaxing with a milk tea, and going on walks with his wife.

Adrian Duquette

Adrian is the newest member of our growing land surveying team! Combining a love of outdoors with nearly five years of surveying experience, he leads one of our field crews. In his spare time, Adrian enjoys working on cars and web development.

Denise Hartman

With 30 years of industry experience in finance and operational management, Denise is a leader of our Operations and Accounting departments, bringing keen eye and down-to-earth energy to our firm family. Always looking for new ways to throw some fun

  • into the day, she is often the mastermind of picnics, parties, and happy hours with the team. In her spare time, Denise hangs out with her pups, loves finding new places to ride her dirt bike, and enjoys spending time with her nieces, coaching their soccer team.

Diego Curiel, EIT

Bio coming soon!

Eric Leaf, LSIT

Bringing more than a decade of experience doing on the ground land surveying, Eric serves as our Party Chief. Comfortable behind a computer or a robotic total station, his versatility helps create collaborative work flows both in and out of the office. An avid outdoorsman, Eric is most at home exploring the desolate wilderness or kayaking off the coast.

Federico Viscarra

Federico is a Project Engineer who specializes in hydrology and enjoys incorporating green infrastructure and sustainable designs into public improvements. Kicking off new projects and doing deep dives into the opportunities

  • and challenges of a site are his favorite part of being an engineer. Before diving into a life of civil engineering, Federico was a software engineer and a graduate student. In his downtime, Federico likes to read manga, catch up on his favorite shows, and chill out with a good movie.

Helen Coale

Recognized as the firm’s “welcome ambassador,” Helen manages our Human Resources department where she brings an intuitive and compassionate interest in the needs and career goals of our staff

  • to everything she does. She has a particularly keen eye for benefits coordination and enjoys guiding new hires through the benefits pathways to help them get the most out of amenities offered by CSW|ST2. Having managed an integrated team in a past life, Helen brought her matter-of-fact and positive attitude to CSW|ST2 nearly 25 years and has been with the firm ever since. She still remembers how welcome she felt on her first day and strives to bring that warmth to the team every day; being able to help new and existing employees optimize their benefits and settle in here at CSW|ST2 is just one of many highlights to her job. In her downtime, Helen tends to her beautiful gardens, hangs out with her book club, and spends time with her husband and two daughters.

Irish Pellas, EIT

Irish is a Project Engineer and applies her deep interest and expertise in sustainable mobility and multi-modal methodologies to her transportation projects. As a graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a denizen of San Francisco, she is

  • fascinated by transportation planning conundrums, applied Complete Streets principles, and geeks out on trip generation. But her fascination is rooted in a desire to design and construct a sustainable future. So whether it’s a gap closure or retrofitting a cycle track, Irish loves promoting alternative modes of transportation and sustainable designs through her work. When she’s not diving into plans or making her coworkers laugh, she can be found reading, gaming, and catching up on her favorite reality tv shows. She also likes to get crafty and has been known to let loose with a bout of needlework now and then.

Jason Van Tighem, EIT

Jason started with the firm as an intern while studying civil engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, eventually joining the team is a Project Engineer with an interest in water modeling and hydraulic analysis. The best part of his job is getting to work

  • on so many different types of projects, across various industries, and collaborating with clients and design teams to make project visions come to life. Jason is interested in podcasts and is an incredibly gifted painter, his lively artwork adds a much appreciated splash of color to our Novato office!

Jed Diaz, PE

Jed is a Project Engineer with specialized experience designing Complete and Green Street projects. Being a Bay Area native, Jed really enjoys supporting local infrastructure projects that serve the cities and communities he grew up in.

  • A few of his favorite recreational activities include running, basketball, and exploring local hiking trails.

Jonathan Torres

Jonathan is a Survey Technician helping lead the firm’s land surveying department. He is currently working towards his Land-Surveyor-in-Training certification through the Land Surveying and Civil Engineering Program at SRJC. Jonathan brings a calm, jovial energy to everything he does and enjoys spending time outdoors fishing, hiking, and camping.

Joseph Gebre

Joseph is a Project Engineer supporting street and infrastructure improvements in the public sector. His favorite aspect of the work is improving accessibility and safety along bicycle and pedestrian facilities. In his free time, Joseph likes to paint, skateboard, and spend time with his family. 

Josh Woelbing, PLS, sUAS Remote Pilot

Josh found his way to CSW|ST2 as an intern nearly 20 years ago, and now leads our Survey Department. Born and raised in Sonoma County and a graduate of Santa Rose Junior College’s well-known Land Surveying and Civil Engineering Program,

  • Josh developed his surveying skills under the tutelage of one of the firm’s founders, John Stuber. In 2018, he established CSW|ST2’s drone surveying program and has since found innovative and efficient ways to blend conventional survey methods with new emerging technologies. With his genuine interest in the field, Josh is a leader in local CLSA chapters and currently serves as the Marin County CLSA president. He has also collaborated with the Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BPELS) as a member of the PLS Exam Development Committee. Josh lives and breathes his craft and appreciates being able to see the fruits of his effort in the communities where he grew up and is raising his own family. In his off time, Josh indulges in a diverse range of hobbies and interests. But he particularly enjoys spending time with his kids, gardening, gunsmithing, and believe it or not, reading about surveying.

Julia Harberson, PE, QSD/QSP, LEED AP

Julia is a Senior Project Manager who specializes in incorporating green infrastructure and stormwater management into public and private land developments. A Bay Area native, Julia recognized her interest in infrastructure

  • design as a teen on a trip to Europe, where she found herself intrigued by the complexities of ancient waterways and sewer systems. A veteran of the Air Force, she began to hone that interest during her service, ultimately studying engineering at the University of Portland. She found her way to CSW|ST2 as an intern more than 15 years ago and now leads a team of engineers on a range of public and private infrastructure projects. As the project lead in coordination with telecommunication firms and fiber installation, Julia is able to blend her fascination with low impact development with new technologies in green infrastructure. A skilled generalist, Julia also supports clients with streetscape improvements, higher education modernizations, and commercial redevelopments. Julia loves the outdoors and can be found hiking through Sonoma County, trail running, or adventuring through Europe. She’s also a keen home baker with a flair for patisserie, and her French macarons are well-respected and coveted by her workers.

Jessie Maran

Jessie is a process-oriented strategist with over twenty-five years of experience in urban design, as well as communications and public engagement for built environment projects. In addition to her work to expand engineering thinking toward holistic community relationships, Jessie is an experienced visual communications specialist.

  • Over her career, she has led the development of public engagement communications for a wide range of urban design, planning, and engineering projects with a focus on community collaboration in alternative transportation

Kirk Bovitz, PE

Kirk has been a part of the CSW|ST2 family for 25 years and currently leads the firm’s higher education projects.  Joining the firm as a graduate of Chico State University, Kirk learned his craft under the mentorship of firm founders.  Now he leads a team of

  • engineers in serving higher education clients on a range of projects, ranging from site improvements to new facility designs. Experienced with various project delivery methods and DSA coordination, Kirk focuses on helping his clients find the most cost-effective and timely solutions to challenges, and enjoys finding ways for them to amplify and optimize design opportunities. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and loves playing sports. An avid Sharks fan, Kirk played a lot of hockey himself once upon a time and is no stranger to taking a few laps around a hockey rink himself.

Kristine Pillsbury, PE, QSD/QSP, QISP

Kristine has spent over twenty five years at CSW|ST2 creatively engineering site improvements and stormwater management solutions for public and private development projects. A graduate of UC Davis, she particularly enjoys

  • grading design and is one of the firm’s leaders in hydraulic analysis. Kristine is recognized for her thoughtful and skillful approach to mentoring, as well as her enthusiasm for creating collaborative learning environments. She even spearheaded “Enginuity”, the firm’s inaugural engineering-themed summer camp for employees’ children. Outside of the office, Kristine enjoys vacationing along the California coast with her family, volunteering with local STEAM programs, and exploring beach sand and soil samples through her microscope.

Linda Schmid, MBA

As CSW|ST2’s Chief Financial Officer, Linda draws on more than twenty years of operational management experience in A/E/C to guide our firm towards profitability and sustainability. She is constantly inspired to evolve better strategies, design more

  • efficient financial management processes, and nurture sustainable company cultures.

    Prior to coming to CSW|ST2, Linda served as COO and CFO of Sherwood Design Engineers and BKF Engineers, respectively, where she drove strategy, planning and accounting initiatives to help grow these firms. The best part of her job is collaborating with the next generation of industry leaders and fostering an environment that encourages professional growth, socially and environmentally sustainable methodologies, and profitability.

    Well-known throughout the industry for her keen attention to trends and creative problem solving approaches, Linda also volunteers as a leader in the San Francisco CREW chapter, where she has an opportunity to support the professional development of women in the industry. When she’s not leading dynamic teams or mentoring Nextgen leaders, Linda loves artisanal baking and taking a really good nap.

Lorenzo Jimenez

Lorenzo is a Project Engineer focusing on mixed-use and residential developments and higher education modernizations. A conscientious Bay Area resident, Lorenzo understands the value of reliable and sustainable infrastructure

  • and enjoys collaborating with design teams to find practical solutions. Outside of work, he loves taking the odd road trip and exploring new hiking trails in San Francisco.

Manjot Sandhu

Manjot is a Project Engineer with a special interest in the modernization of public infrastructure, with a particular focus on fiber optics for major telecom and technology providers. He appreciates that the opportunities and

  • challenges of each project are unique, and most enjoys working collaboratively with clients to arrive at cost-effective solutions that support their vision and goals. Besides loving his job, Manjot also enjoys playing soccer and exploring hiking trails throughout the Bay Area.

Marcia Vallier, PLA, ASLA

Marcia leads the firm's landscape architecture practice, bring more than 35 years of award-winning experience as a landscape architect and urban planner. She excels at giving voice to diverse communities and lending her compassionate approach to holistic design to the landscape architectural practice at every scale.

Mark Kneeshaw

Bio coming soon!

Michael McMahon, EIT

Michael is a Project Engineer with a special interest in green infrastructure designs. He finds his work genuinely thought-provoking and one of his favorite things to do is come up with unique and creative solutions to tricky design challenges. 

  • Outside of work, Michael can be found gaming, reading, and spending quality time wandering all throughout the great outdoors.

Michael Vidra, PE, QSD/QSP, LEED AP

Mike is Senior Project Manager and the head of our Pleasanton office. A graduate of Chico State University, he credits his fascination with infrastructure to a lifelong interest in the way things work. There’s a saying around the office, “when a good civil

  • does their job right, you’d never even know they were there” and Mike takes that ethos to heart. A people person at his core, he really enjoys getting to know his community through his work, and values the privilege of seeing public parks, trails, and streetscapes he’s worked on almost everywhere he goes. Mike specializes in a range of project types, specifically multi-use trails, K-13 modernizations, and mixed use residential developments. When he’s not hard at work, Mike is spending quality time with his close-knit family. He can be found coaching his daughter’s soccer team, hanging out at a playground with his kids, or going camping with his family.

Paul Stevenson, ASLA

Paul is a registered landscape architect with 23 years of experience whose portfolio of impeccable and analytical design includes public recreational facilities, mixed-use housing, K-12 and higher education campuses, and master planning. With a watchful eye on the future and the positive impact our industry can have, he is specialist in green infrastructure planning and design, and enjoys any opportunity to optimize water efficiency and sustainability through his work.

Richard Souza, PE, QSD/QSP

Rich is a Senior Project Manager and leads the Point Richmond office. A graduate of UC Davis, Rich began his career in construction management before coming to CSW|ST2. Learning under the watchful eye of one of the firm’s founders, Diet Stroeh, Rich

  • developed specialisms in wastewater facilities management and succeeded Diet as the firm’s thought leader on the subject. His favorite projects involve utility design and coordinating complex street enhancements throughout the Bay Area, but he is also well-known as an expert in the rehabilitation of pump and lift stations. In his downtime, Rich enjoys a good game of Ultimate Frisbee, swimming, and going for runs through his favorite stomping grounds. During the 2020 shelter-in-place, he also rose to prominence (at least among his coworkers) as a TikTok star, producing videos for his team that served as a perfect antidote for a serious case of the Mondays.

Robert Stevens, PE, TE, LEED AP

Robert brings an array of skills and experience to his role as President and CEO of CSW|ST2. He credits his unique approach to consulting with having a multi-disciplinary background that includes experience with telecommunication startups,

  • A Bay Area native who takes an active role in his supporting his community, Robert tries to take a 360 degree view to the issues and challenges facing Bay Area communities.

    As he supports and guides our design teams in the urban redevelopment, transportation, and public works sectors, Robert always challenges staff to think about what makes a consultant firm relevant, and what it means to be a civil engineering firm in the 21st century. And he enjoys helping clients realize their visions, because he believes that the future of A/E/C lies in mentoring the next generation of engineers and planners, and supporting their vision for the future of our communities.

    In his spare time, Robert enjoys spending quality time with his old sports cars and looking for projects to work on around his house. He recently tried his hand at husbandry, where he found himself constructing a chicken coop in his backyard to house his family’s first rescue chicken.

Tamra Swipes

Tamra is the Accounting Administrator and oversees the firm’s day-to-day accounting functions, focusing on cost-saving measures and streamlining operations. She brings years of experience managing accounts for construction and architectural

  • firms throughout the Bay Area. Through these experiences, she brings a range of valuable skills and proficiencies to the CSW|ST2 team. She has been instrumental in streamlining the firm’s accounting department, and enjoys problem-solving and finding new ways to optimize operations and procedures. Having lived in Marin County most of her life, Tamra appreciates opportunities to volunteer in her community and some of her favorite programs support veterans and Marin’s senior community. Tamra is also a State of California Notary Public.

Tetiana Solovarova, LSIT

Tetiana is a Survey Technician providing topographic mapping support to our design teams. She most enjoys historical research for Boundary surveys. In her off time, Tetiana likes to prepare gourmet multi-course meals and hang out with her Maltese, Dolly.

Wayne Leach, PE, QSD

Wayne is a Senior Project Manager with over two decades of experience in planning and design in the disciplines of land development and public infrastructure. He particularly enjoys collaborating with clients to get projects entitled. 

  • Outside of work, Wayne would love to skydive as soon as he’s mastered his fear of heights. In the meantime, he stays grounded with baseball and insightful documentaries.