DES ENGINEERING - Key Persons


Al Thomas - Founder

Job Titles:
  • Founder
As the founder of DES Engineering and a pioneer of the electrical URD industry within Alberta, Al Thomas moulded DES Engineering into what it is today. His innovative and progressive ideas helped shape the electrical URD industry and many of the practices that are still undertaken to this day. Al dedicated his time to providing the highest level of engineering service to clients throughout Alberta with the bottom dollar always in mind. Not only was he an extremely well versed business man and engineer, Al had no limit to his generosity. He practiced it daily within his own business and believed strongly in helping those in need. Through his great success, he was constantly helping others through sponsoring charitable events and a multitude of generous donations. He will forever always be in our hearts and will be missed. Thank you Al.

Dan Hamilton - President

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Leadership Team
  • President
  • President and Senior Director of DES Engineering Ltd.
Dan Hamilton is the President and senior director of DES Engineering Ltd. With a start in the Electrical Contracting business in 1982 his drive and passion has led him through to become one of the industry leading electrical consultants in the land development industry. Throughout his 39 year tenure Dan has devoted his time to creating and maintaining strong professional relationships with his clients. In 2015 Dan received the Spirit of UDI award for his commitment to meeting customer and industry demands and presently chairs the Shallow Utility Committee for UDI in both the Greater Edmonton Chapter and Alberta Division.

Evan Zukiwsky

Job Titles:
  • VP - Greater Capital Region Land Development
With over 30 years of experience in the power industry, Evan brings a diverse skillset to the industrial, commercial and residential power distribution sectors, including strong technical and project management skills which were honed from extensive field experience. Evan has managed the shallow utility design and construction in land development projects in over 45 municipalities throughout Alberta, involving a variety of technical standards and utility requirements. He also has extensive experience related to sport field, recreational and specialty lighting applications. As a Vice President - Greater Capital Region Land Development and a Senior Shallow Utility Consultant at DES, Evan's primary focus is to foster and maintain strong professional relationships with our clients and understand and meet their unique needs. He also sits on the Shallow Utilities Committee of UDI Edmonton Region, as well as UDI Technical Committees for St. Albert and Beaumont.

George Vailas

Job Titles:
  • Vice President of Transportation
George Vailas is Vice President of Transportation at DES Engineering. For over a decade he has specialized in roadway lighting, area lighting and traffic signal systems; and has been involved with a large variety of projects from large scale P3s to commercial parking lots. He is IMSA Traffic Signal Design Level II certified and an accredited member of IESNA, ITE, APEGA, and APEY. Over the course of his career, he has developed extensive knowledge of various municipal and provincial design standards, specifications, and processes. George received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alberta and is a Professional Engineer registered in Alberta.

Ron Reisdorf

Job Titles:
  • VP - Edmonton Land Development
Ron Reisdorf is Vice President of land development in Edmonton with DES Engineering. Ron graduated from NAIT as an Electrical Engineering Technologist and has received his C.E.T. and P.L. (Eng.) designation. After graduation, Ron started his career at Magna IV Engineering where he began design in power substations, school fire alarm system, industrial power distribution systems for a couple of years however the launch of his career really started when he joined the land development division. Since 1999, Ron has designed and coordinated the shallow utility servicing of thousands of single family residential lots and street lighting hundreds of kilometers of roadways within the City of Edmonton. This experience has given him a deep appreciation for the importance of cooperation between developer, municipality and utilities. Design and financial efficiency play a paramount role in Ron's commitment to reliable customer service relations.

Ryan Hamilton

Job Titles:
  • Electrical Engineer and Vice President of Land Development in the Greater Capital Region With
  • VP - Greater Capital Region Land Development
Ryan Hamilton is an Electrical Engineer and Vice President of land development in the Greater Capital Region with DES Engineering. He began in the electrical contracting industry, gaining practical field experience, while pursuing his degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Alberta. Upon graduating and earning first prize overall in the 4 th year Electrical/Computer Engineering capstone design project, he transitioned into the electrical consulting industry aimed at Land development. Since 2011, he has managed many projects throughout northern Alberta in a variety of different municipalities, with a variety of scopes. He presently sits on the UDI New Horizons committee as Treasurer, which acts as an advocacy group for young and mid-career professionals in the development industry. With technical and practical experience on hand, Ryan has a focus on client management and sustaining professional relationships, holding true to the core values of DES Engineering Ltd.

Thomas Kyle

Job Titles:
  • Vice President of the Utility Distribution Consulting Team With
  • VP - Utility Distribution Consulting
Thomas Kyle is Vice President of the Utility Distribution Consulting team with DES Engineering and specializes in underground and overhead power distribution systems. Thomas brings over a decade of experience in commercial, industrial, and residential power systems to the Utility Consulting Services department of DES Engineering. His active involvement on projects ensures a quality, professional, and practical design for our clients. Thomas received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alberta and is a Professional Engineer registered in Alberta.