I served in the U.S. Army Reserves for over 20 years originally enlisting as an infantryman and later serving as an engineer officer. As a second lieutenant, I served as the battalion civil engineer for a combat heavy (construction) battalion of 640 soldiers. I oversaw the activities of 6 soldiers responsible for the QA/QC of all construction completed by the battalion including design surveying, construction surveying/staking, and construction materials testing. I then served as a platoon leader and company executive officer (XO) for a pipeline construction company of 170 soldiers. As the company XO, I planned and oversaw construction of 12+ mile long pipelines to convey fuel for military operations. I then served as a company commander for a firefighting detachment of 23 soldiers for 3 years with overall responsibility for all personnel, logistics, operations and training for this highly technical team of soldiers. Following this command, I served as the S-1 or battalion personnel officer for a combat heavy (construction) battalion before being hand selected by the brigade deputy commander to command the Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) for the brigade during their deployment for Operation Iraqi Freedom. I took command of the 130-soldier company 3 months prior to their deployment to Iraq. I provided maintenance, personnel, and logistics support to the Brigade headquarters which acted as the Multi-National Corps – Iraq (MNC-I) C-7 or engineer section. The brigade’s brigadier general was in charge of all engineer operations within Iraq. As such, my civilian and military bridge experience was called upon numerous times to inspect, evaluate and recommend repairs for critical bridge structures that were damaged or destroyed by enemy insurgents. Upon my return from Iraq, I served as the S-4 or battalion supply and logistics officer for a combat heavy (construction) battalion. In June 2009, I was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army Reserves.

For the Harris County Toll Road Authority, I completed the 90% structural drawings for the Beltway 8 East at US90A and Tidwell Road bridges. I designed two major bridge layouts for these highway overpasses and completed a cost analysis to determine the optimal change over height from retaining wall embankments to bridge structures. The complex geometry of the US90A overpass involved a super elevated cross slope along a horizontal curve with entrance and exit ramps at both ends of the bridge structure which caused the bridge width to vary along its entire length. In addition to standard bridge layouts over roadways, the US90A overpass also provided the grade separation over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks that parallel US90A.

At J. F. Thompson, I was the structural engineer for numerous projects. I designed seven new bridges for a multi-level interchange at the intersection of the proposed Westpark Tollway and the existing Beltway 8 for the Harris County Tollroad Authority. I also designed mechanically stabilized earth (MSE), cast-in-place, soil nail, and drilled shaft retaining walls at the interchange. For the Harris County Civil Courts Building, I designed a reinforced concrete structure for use as a pedestrian tunnel under the streets of downtown Houston. For NASA, I designed a 2,000-square foot, one-story CMU building to house a radio tower communications facility. For the City of Houston’s East Water Purification Plant, I designed three valve vaults and two mechanical screen systems out of reinforced concrete. The valve vaults varied in size up to 40-foot by 50-foot in plan view by 20-feet deep. For Texas A&M University, I analyzed the 87-year old 4-story YMCA building on the Texas A&M University campus to ensure the building could carry the required loading due to planned renovations. I recommended and designed the strengthening for a portion of the structure to preserve the historical aspect of the building, but recommended the majority of the structure be demolished and I designed the proposed concrete structural frame for the building addition.I also served as project manager for numerous civil engineering projects at J.F. Thompson. These projects included the reconstruction of Kirby Boulevard for Harris County and the North MacGregor Drive Storm Sewer Relief Project for the City of Houston. The Storm Sewer Relief Project entailed the installation of 3,350 linear feet of 162-inch diameter storm sewer pipe installed by tunneling. This project involved the installation of the largest storm sewer transmission line by tunneling in the City of Houston’s history and was the first tunnel installed in the City of Houston by the use of an Earth Pressure Balance Machine.

While at Walter P. Moore, I worked primarily in the Technical Resources Management department which was the predecessor to the current Structural Diagnostics department. I was also cross trained in the Civil Engineering department. My responsibilities included conducting structural due diligence reviews and condition assessments; designing structural repairs, modifications, and renovations; performing load analyses of existing structures (ranging from single-story to 44-story buildings, bridges, tunnels and stadia); designing a major thoroughfare bridge; and designing commercial site developments.I conducted over forty structural due diligence (pre-purchase) reviews while at Walter P. Moore. These reviews consisted of analyzing as-built construction drawings, conducting site visits to determine the overall structural condition of the property, writing reports documenting all deficiencies found, and prescribing general repair procedures. In addition to performing due diligence reviews, I also conducted structural and civil condition assessments for over fifty buildings and fifteen surface parking lots. The condition assessments included determining the current structural condition of the property and writing reports recommending detailed repair procedures. I followed up due diligence reviews and condition assessments by designing structural repairs for over forty separate facilities. This design process consisted of compiling structural repair specifications, analyzing loading conditions, and detailing the repair procedures.