Biographies

Our Ownership and Management

Principals:

Steve Theno, PE, President and Principal Mechanical

Steve has been practicing mechanical engineering since 1978. He is a graduate of the University of Washington and is registered to practice mechanical engineering in Alaska. He is PDC's Principal Mechanical Engineer and leads the Complex Facilities design group. He is an avid outdoors man; pilot (holding a float plane operator's license since his teens), fisherman, and skier.

Dennis Bogren, PLS, Vice President and Principal Survey

Dennis has been a Professional Surveyor in the state of Alaska since 1984 and has more than thirty years of surveying experience. He attended Michigan Technological University, Michigan State University, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Dennis is PDC's Principal Surveyor and leads the firm's Surveying and GIS group.

Royce Conlon, PE, Vice President and Principal Civil/Environmental

Since joining PDC in 1990, Royce has become a key Project Engineer in projects ranging from preparation of environmental assessments, environmental site audits, locations studies, design study reports, assembly of construction plans, specifications, as well as construction administration and negotiations. Along with solid engineering skills, one of Royce's key strengths is her ability to work with public involvement facets of environmentally sensitive project. Royce is a key member of PDC's Transportation Team. She is also the Chairman of our Board of Directors. Royce received her BSCE from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1987 and is registered to practice Civil Engineering in Alaska.

Ron Gebhart, PE, Vice-President and Principal in Charge of Fairbanks Operations

Ron has been practicing civil engineering since 1970. He is a graduate of the South Dakota School of Mines and is registered to practice civil engineering in Alaska and South Dakota. Ron is PDC's Principal Civil Engineer and leads our Transportation and Utilities Groups. He is active in community affairs, bow hunts, and trapshoots.

Jim Loftus, PE, Vice-President and Principal Structural

Jim has been practicing structural engineering since 1972. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of California at Santa Clara, and a Master of Science in Structural Engineering from the University of Washington. He is registered to practice structural engineering in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, and California. Jim is our Principal Structural Engineer and leads the firm's Industrial Engineering Group.

Senior Associates:

Matt Emerson, PE, Structural Engineer, Senior Associate

Matt began his structural engineering career with PDC in Fairbanks in 1997 and now manages our Anchorage Structural Engineering department. Before becoming a structural engineer, Matt spent 15 years working in the construction industry. This construction background contributes to his practical structural designs and his ability to develop good working relationships with architects, facility user groups, and contractors. Matt's designs include concrete, steel, and timber designs for commercial and industrial structures. He is experienced with renovations of existing structures along with seismic bracing and support of mechanical and electrical systems. He serves as the Project Manager for many of PDC's assignments ranging from architectural to industrial projects.

Mike Goulding, PE, Electrical Engineer, Senior Associate

Mike is a Project Electrical Engineer with PDC. From 1977 to 1983, Mike served in the US Navy as a Nuclear Electrician on board a nuclear submarine. He received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1990. A 20-plus year resident of Alaska, Mike joined PDC in 1992. His work experience includes designs and construction support for airport facility upgrades, power generation, commercial and institutional building electrical systems and retrofits of a coal-fired power plant, hospital and remote facilities. In 2005, he became the head of our Fairbanks Electrical Engineering department.

Keith Hanneman, PE, Civil Engineer, Senior Associate

Keith graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Civil Engineering in 1985 and joined PDC the following year. In 1990, he became licensed to practice civil engineering in Alaska. Throughout his career, Keith has continued to take graduate studies in Arctic Engineering and Arctic Hydrology and has become a recognized authority in the analysis of thermal regimes within structural embankments. Keith is a key member of both our Utility and our Transportation Groups. He manages the design and construction administration of building, utility, transportation, and drainage projects throughout Alaska. His utility projects include studies of water and sewer system expansions, and design of sewer replacement and expansion. He manages design for drainage for large storm sewer systems, as well as transportation design projects ranging in size from street reconstruction to major highway design.

Chris Hodges, PE, Electrical Engineer, Senior Associate

Chris graduated with honors from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1998 with a BSEE and joined PDC immediately thereafter. Chris has become a key member of our Facilities, Transportation, and Utilities design teams, with both design and project management responsibilities. His design experience includes electrical systems for power generation/distribution, lighting, fire alarm systems, and telecommunication.

Bill Hrinko, PE, Structural Engineer, Senior Associate

Bill graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering, and received his Masters of Science Degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1992. Since joining PDC in 1996 he has become a key project structural engineer. He develops designs using steel, concrete, wood, and masonry.

Greg Lyall, Senior Project Manager, Senior Associate

Greg joined PDC as a mechanical designer in 1979. Greg manages some of PDC's most challenging, sophisticated projects from firing ranges, to hospitals, to scientific laboratory facilities. Greg is a member of our Complex Facilities Team. Greg's formal schooling in biological sciences at San Diego State University has provided him the science tools needed to understand system requirements for scientific facilities. This background, coupled with his focus on project management, has resulted in mastery of technical, communication, and organizational skills demanded by more complex mechanical/electrical design projects.

Robert Posma, PE, Electrical Engineer, Senior Associate

Robert Posma's experience with PDC began in 1981 as a student intern. Since then he has taken on increasing responsibility in the areas of engineering analysis and computer modeling, electrical engineering design, project management, and software design and development. Robert has been instrumental in implementing and updating PDC's CADD system, conducting training seminars, and providing custom programming, and he has overall responsibility for coordinating Electrical Department design production. Robert is a key member PDC's Facilities and Complex Facilities Teams. Robert earned his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering and Master of Engineering, Computer & Systems Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1984 and '85. In addition to keeping up with an array of electrical engineering subjects, ranging from lighting to power control to fiber optics, he has become nationally recognized for his development with AutoCAD computer-aided design and drafting programs.

Pat Reinhard, PE, Structural Engineer, Senior Associate

Pat combines his many years as a carpenter and construction superintendent with his engineering education, and plays a valuable role in our projects. He returned to school after his work in construction and graduated with honors from the University of Alaska in 1986. His interest and abilities in the computer applications of structural engineering have contributed to the development and use of many new programs in the office. Pat's design specialty is in analysis and detailing for renovations. He provides designs for schools, housing units, offices, shops, warehouses, and industrial facilities. His designs are characterized by careful consideration of existing construction conditions. Pat has become a key member of our Industrial and Facilities teams.

Ken Risse, PE, Civil Engineer, Senior Associate

Prior to his engineering career, Ken worked on construction projects throughout Alaska, from roads to the Trans-Alaska pipeline. Since joining PDC in 1993, he has become a lead civil engineer on a number of transportation projects ranging from bike paths to airports. Ken is highly proficient with AutoCAD, and serves as the chair of PDC's Eagle Point software committee. Ken graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering.

Matt Stone, PE, Civil Engineer, Senior Associate

Following his graduation from UAF in 1997, Matt served four years as an Army officer with the Corps of Engineers. After leaving the Army as a Captain, Matt returned to Alaska and joined PDC in 2002. At PDC, Matt has worked on numerous highway, railroad, and site design projects. He leads PDC's effort to develop and offer traffic engineering services. His work experience with PDC has included planning, engineering design, and project management.

Jim Vail, PE, Civil Engineer, Senior Associate

Jim joined PDC in 2004. He graduated from the University of Washington in 1970 and has over thirty years of experience in engineering design and project management. His experience includes site work, roads, parks, trails, water and wastewater utilities, surface drainage, environmental cleanup and permitting. Jim is a Senior Project Manager specializing in multidiscipline assignments.

Associates:

Karen Brady, PE, Civil Engineer, Associate

Karen joined PDC as an intern in 2001 and spent that summer as Resident Project Representative for a water main construction project in North Pole, Alaska. In December 2001 she graduated from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and accepted a full-time position at PDC. Karen has become a key part of PDC's Utility team, involved in planning, design, construction administration, and project management. She works closely with municipalities on water and sewer projects from the conceptual planning stage through construction administration. Her work includes hydraulic modeling of water and sewer systems; thermal heat loss calculations for pipelines and storage tanks; master planning for sanitation facilities in rural villages; and design and construction administration for water system expansion projects. As part of the Utilities Privatization effort, she is the Lead Engineer for the characterization of two Army Post water and sewer systems.

Craig Fredeen, PE, Mechanical Engineer, Associate

A resident of Alaska for over 30 years, Craig received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University in 1996. He has extensive design and construction experience in HVAC, plumbing, controls, fuels, and fire protection systems on an eclectic mix of projects including commercial, institutional, utility, residential, and industrial facilities. He is also a certified LEED accredited professional. Craig's projects have allowed him to experience most of Alaska first hand in arctic, sub-arctic, and marine climates. This brings him a better understanding of how projects impact the community and the end user.

Matt Leistico, PE, Mechanical Engineer, Associate

Matt joined PDC in 2001, after working in the fields of hydraulic engineering, forensic engineering, and education facility HVAC design. Matt received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University in 1999. His work experience includes design and construction support on airport facility upgrades, fire protection, hospitals, laboratories, fuel systems, and project management.

Jason Millam, PE, Structural Engineer, Associate

Jason graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics. He served five years as an Army officer in the infantry, stationed at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. After leaving the Army as a Captain, he interned with PDC part time as a drafter in 2001 while concurrently working as a graduate student at UAF. He received a Masters of Science degree from UAF, publishing a research article on Prestressed Concrete Bridges with the Transportation Research Board. Jason has worked with PDC full time since 2003. He serves as Lead Structural Engineer on many projects.

Craig Ranson, PLS, Surveyor, Associate

Craig began his surveying career in Bolivia, serving two years as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer working on potable water projects in rural communities. After gaining additional surveying experience on the East Coast, Craig joined the PDC team in 2003. He travels Alaska extensively, conducting and managing both remote and urban GPS and conventional survey projects for airports, roads, and utilities. He has a B.S. in Surveying Engineering from the University of Maine in Orono and a B.A. in Latin American studies from the University of Nebraska. While his home is in Alaska, his sports heart is always with the Nebraska Huskers.

Danny Rauchenstein, PE, Mechanical Engineer, Associate

Danny is a LEED accredited professional, helping to guide the industry towards highly efficient, green design and construction. He is a lifelong resident of Alaska and a key Project Mechanical Engineer at PDC. He received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1998 and joined the PDC team in 2001. Danny's work experience includes the design and construction support on laboratories, medical facilities, power generation, and heat generation and distribution.

Brian Riggan, PE, Electrical Engineer, Associate

Brian joined PDC in 1997 after graduating from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. Brian's design experience includes electrical systems for power generation/distribution, lighting, fire alarm, security and telecommunication. He has participated in the design and construction of a wide range of projects, including laboratories, airports, hospitals and clinics, power plant controls and infrastructure, emergency power generation, railroad facilities, fueling systems, oil field equipment, military facilities, legal case investigations, energy audits, and site assessments.

Retired Founders:


Robert Boswell, PE, began his electrical engineering career in 1967 at a firm in Fairbanks that he later (1973) became owner of. He merged his firm with PDC in 2001 and provided leadership as Principal Electrical Engineer in the Fairbanks office until his retirement in 2004.

Mark Fryer, PE, founded the Anchorage portion of PDC in 1976 and grew it to a 20-person firm by 1991. He is a registered Mechanical Engineer. Prior to starting his company, Mark worked for the University of Alaska and the State of Alaska as an engineer and planner.

Jim Pressley, PE, has been practicing electrical engineering since 1970. He is a graduate of the University of Texas - Arlington and is registered to practice electrical engineering in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, and Guam. In addition to Jim's administrative role in the Anchorage office, he headed up PDC's Facilities Design Group.

Gary L. Rice, PE, came to PDC (then known as RoEn Design Associates) in 1983. Prior to that, he was City Engineer and Chief Utility Engineer for the City of Fairbanks. Mr. Rice retired from PDC in 2007 as a Principal Civil Engineer, primarily responsible for civil utility and infrastructure work in southern Alaska.

Thomas Rosadiuk, PE, PLS, founded the Fairbanks portion of PDC in 1976 and nurtured it to a 20-person firm by 1991, when he initiated the merger with a similar-sized Anchorage firm - Fryer Pressley Engineers - to form FPE/Roen Engineering, Inc. Tom holds registration as a Mining and Civil Engineer as well as a Registered Land Surveyor.


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