ISTHMUS ENGINEERING - Key Persons


Aaron Bruinsma

Job Titles:
  • Design Engineer

Alex Lopez

Job Titles:
  • Design Engineer

Allison Futhey

Job Titles:
  • Senior Engineer

Amber Nord

Job Titles:
  • Senior Associate
Amber brings her foundation in roadway design, expertise in traffic engineering, and project management capabilities to face dynamically changing project conditions with resolve and discipline. In her time at Isthmus, she has led the Traffic team in the development of signing, pavement marking, and traffic control plans for more than 45 MnDOT projects across the state. Amber's proactive and organized project management style, approachable demeanor, depth of knowledge, reliable follow-through, and straightforward, clear communication are proven abilities she brings to her project leadership for traffic and transit projects.

Amy DeBruin

Job Titles:
  • Senior Associate
Amy is an experienced and accomplished transportation design engineer, working on a wide range and scale of projects for MnDOT, counties, and municipalities. She brings a strong attention to detail, in-depth knowledge of MnDOT design and plan delivery standards, and commitment to error-free and timely deliverables. In her Quality Manager and Project Manager roles, Amy combines her skills and broad perspective with an ability to connect teams together to achieve project goals. An authentic leader, she personally connects with her teams and clients, fostering a culture of continuous learning and open communication that leads to strong collaboration and consistently high-quality work. Over the past several years, Amy has worked closely with MnDOT Central Office on a series of staff support contracts providing more than 60 independent technical reviews.

Andrea Fastenow

Job Titles:
  • Associate
Andrea is a talented, experienced engineer who is committed to consistently developing and delivering high-quality roadway design. As an expert-level user of corridor modeling and related civil geometry tools, she is adept at leveraging CADD and BIM tools to support the design process from preliminary through final design. Andrea has a wide range of project experience that includes complex interchanges, rural highways, Complete Streets, roundabouts, reduced conflict intersections, and rest areas. She has been involved in all aspects of roadway design, including water resources, environmental documentation, traffic, signing and pavement marking, alignments, profiles, earthwork, cost estimates, utility coordination, and quality management. She enjoys being hands-on in her design work, allowing her to both further hone her skills and help emerging engineers incorporate modeling into their designs. A strong listener and keen observer of others, Andrea takes pride in passing along her experience to others and helping them deliver quality work.

Andrew Helmers

Job Titles:
  • Senior Engineer

Andrew Wall

Job Titles:
  • Design Engineer

Andy Wells

Job Titles:
  • Program Manager

Aria Adkins

Job Titles:
  • Graphic Designer

Avo Toghramadjian - COO

Job Titles:
  • Director of Operations
  • Program Manager for the Isthmus MnDOT GEC Program Team
Since 2019, Avo has served as Program Manager for the Isthmus MnDOT GEC Program Team, working in close cooperation with agency personnel and assembling and managing teams for a wide array of transportation design projects. Avo is an engaged and thoughtful leader who listens and strikes the perfect balance between being hands-on without getting in the way. The combination of his technical background and understanding of people allows him to put together the right team for every project. He supports the development of individuals and teams through mentorship, guidance, and support.

Ayub Muktar

Job Titles:
  • Design Engineer

Daren Ellefson

Job Titles:
  • Senior Engineer

Edgar Leon Gomez

Job Titles:
  • Transportation Planner

Edward Taylor

Job Titles:
  • Senior Engineer

Elizabeth Lewen

Job Titles:
  • HR Coordinator / Legal Counsel / Project Engineer

Elliot Troudt

Job Titles:
  • Senior Engineer

Esther Steier

Job Titles:
  • Design Engineer

Heath Oeltjen

Job Titles:
  • Senior Engineer
Heath is a dedicated and adaptable engineer with a wealth of experience in roadway design, 3D modeling, and CADD software configuration and administration. His proficiency in multiple software platforms and active use of 3D modeling tools in the design and delivery of complex transportation projects informs his perspective as a CADD and ProjectWise trainer and administrator - and vice versa. This was equally true in his previous roles as a Senior Highway Designer and CADD Application Specialist with the Missouri DOT and as a Senior Engineering Consultant with Bentley Systems. Heath set up, configured, and maintains the Isthmus ProjectWise file management system including managing custom workspaces. Heath enjoys working collaboratively with clients and stakeholders to design and deliver effective solutions.

Heather Redetzke

Job Titles:
  • Senior Associate

Jason Tschida

Job Titles:
  • Senior Engineer
  • Leader in the Use of Bentley Corridor Modeling
Jason is an innovative leader in the use of Bentley Corridor Modeling tools for the iterative 3D design of complex roadways, including intersections, crossovers, and ADA-compliant pedestrian facilities. He brings strong documentation skills, an intuitive understanding of 3D design, and a solid understanding of the fundamentals of project development to his work. With a knack for making the complex appear simple, Jason is also a skilled trainer. He has provided design support and CADD training for MnDOT, counties, and colleague firms. Reliable and responsive, Jason is driven by continuous improvement and creating efficiency in repeatable project tasks to help prioritize resources for more unique and complex project needs. His foresight and enthusiasm paved the way for the development of the Isthmus Modeling & Visualization service area. Jason was instrumental in developing workflows that integrate drone-collected imagery and 3D design data to produce and update immersive reality exhibits.

Jessica Burmaster

Job Titles:
  • Communications Specialist

Justin Konen

Job Titles:
  • Associate

Katie Johnson

Job Titles:
  • Senior Design Technician

Katie Toghramadjian - CEO, President

Job Titles:
  • CEO
  • President

Kristin Bahr

Job Titles:
  • Finance Manager

Laura Butler

Job Titles:
  • Controller

Lilly Kieckhafer

Job Titles:
  • Design Engineer

Luke Schneider

Job Titles:
  • Design Engineer

Meredith Lis

Job Titles:
  • Senior Engineer

Michael Zmuda

Job Titles:
  • Senior Engineer

Michelle Gerrity

Job Titles:
  • Senior Associate
Michelle's project leadership is rooted in her strong technical abilities. A recognized expert in ADA design, Michelle has managed the ADA-compliant design of 900+ pedestrian quadrants and 100,000+ linear feet of sidewalk. Holding MnDOT pre-qualification for both levels of Geometric Layouts, she is a proficient user of PowerGeopak and OpenRoads design tools and Primavera P6 scheduling. Her extensive experience on MnDOT projects includes alternatives analysis through final design on projects ranging from complex interchanges to urban reconstruction. Project partners appreciate Michelle's approachable leadership style and regularly rely on her and her project teams to accommodate quick turnaround requests. With a quick wit and sense of humor, she brings an engaging and fun energy to her project teams, our internal team, and the emerging engineers she mentors.

Nina Myszkowski

Job Titles:
  • Design Engineer

Paul Polta

Job Titles:
  • Design Technician

Ronald Dee

Job Titles:
  • Senior Engineer

Ryan Kearney

Job Titles:
  • Design Engineer

Sebastian Brauer

Job Titles:
  • GIS Analyst

Shan Morgen

Job Titles:
  • Design Engineer

Stephanie Rathburn

Job Titles:
  • Senior Water Resources Engineer
Stephanie is a Senior Water Resources Engineer with a deep and broad range of engineering design experience and technical expertise. A registered PE in five states, she has worked on complex and unique transit, roadway, and site development projects across Minnesota and beyond. Stephanie has provided oversight of drainage design deliverables, performed technical reviews of construction plans, prepared Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans, prepared Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) floodplain mapping revisions, performed hydraulic modeling and reporting for bridges and bridge sized box culverts, and coordinated survey requests for inplace drainage systems. Stephanie is committed to sharing her technical knowledge to help support and develop other engineers. As the lead of the Isthmus Water Resources team, she provides guidance and training for drainage engineers and cross-trains roadway engineers in drainage design.

Toni Karlsson

Job Titles:
  • Administrative Assistant & IT Specialist

Trang Tran

Job Titles:
  • Senior Engineer

Yuxuan Li

Job Titles:
  • Project Engineer