L.A. FUESS PARTNERS - Key Persons
Aaron Ford joined L.A. Fuess Partners in 2000 and has served as a principal with the firm for more than 15 years.
He has a knack for structural engineering, especially in terms of common sense constructability and his ability to hone in on ideal structural solutions. With his degree in Architectural Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and over 21 years of experience designing a wide range of building and structure types, he is known for his attention to detail and masterful handling of complex projects.
Aaron's project portfolio includes Mission Critical & Institutional projects throughout the United States. His diverse project experience coupled with his enthusiastic devotion to getting projects done right, and emphasis on personalized client service, make him a valuable asset to any team.
Education
University of Texas at Austin / B.S. Architectural Engineering 1999
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Principal
- Associate Principal, Director of BD
Alan Owen graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor's in Architectural engineering in 1993 and joined L.A. Fuess Partners shortly after in 1996, where he was immediately recognized for his strengths in CAD drafting and design. He has since served on the firm's production support team as a key member and has been instrumental in the firm's successful office integration of various CAD technologies as they have evolved over the last two decades- including the firm's current use of BIM/Revit software.
Alan was recently promoted to Associate Principal and assigned new corporate responsibilities within business development, where his technical expertise, natural charisma, and multiple long-standing industry relations are being leveraged in support of marketing LAFP's Structural Engineering and BIM service lines.
Education
Oklahoma State University / Bachelor of Architectural Engineering, 1993
Amir Mesgar has been with L.A. Fuess since 2000 and is one of the leading partners responsible for the successful establishment and operation of the L.A. Fuess Boston branch office. He is also one of the firms lead technical advisors, particularly for seismic design.
His project experience is diverse and features multiple high-rise residential projects; many of the firm's projects located in high-seismic zones; two very large aviation projects; and most recently, several local residential projects.
His ability to comprehend and solve technically challenging engineering problems has allowed Amir to become a trusted partner by the many architectural clients he serves. He's also an avid learner who shares his passion for learning by serving as an Instructor of Structures at Boston Architectural College.
Brian began his structural engineering career with L.A. Fuess Partners in 2009 and now serves as an Associate Principal. Brian has assisted in the structural design and construction administration of a number of high-profile projects in North Texas, including the 42-story Museum Tower, in Dallas and the 560,000 sq. ft. Nebraska Furniture Mart store in The Colony, Texas.
His design experience includes the Granite Park IV office tower in Plano, higher education facilities at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, and parking structures for corporate and healthcare clients.
Education
The University of Texas at Austin / B.S. Architectural Engineering 2007 / Summa Cum Laude
The University of Texas at Austin / M.S. Civil Engineering 2008
Caleb Duncan, a holder of degrees in both Architectural Engineering as well as Architecture, began his career with L.A. Fuess Partners in 1998, and quickly demonstrated the value of his dual degree studies through his mastery of the project design process and his knack for staying ahead of the project curve. Now a principal of the firm, he is known among the firm's clients as a structural engineer who anticipates cross-discipline coordination issues and contributes meaningfully to the solution of both architectural and structural design challenges.
Caleb's responsibilities within the firm at L.A. Fuess Partners extend to both recruiting and marketing activities, however his primary motivation is the success of each of his projects. Caleb's careful attention to the needs of each project team has earned him the respect and admiration of peers and clients alike.
Education
The University of Texas at Austin / B.S. Architectural Engineering 1997 with Honors
The University of Texas at Austin / Bachelor of Architecture 1998 with High Honors
University of Texas graduate, Cheryl Stewart, joined L.A. Fuess Partners in 2012 and now serves as an Associate Principal who performs a leading role in the daily operation of the firm's Austin office.
With over a decade of experience, she excels at both structural engineering and project management challenges and has extensive experience in a wide variety of project types that includes K12 schools, major healthcare facilities, large corporate office developments, religious facilities, and retail and entertainment developments. Cheryl also possesses excellent communication and time management skills that allow her to deliver high-quality projects on time and on point with our clients' needs.
Education
University of Texas at Austin / B.S. Architectural Engineering 2008
University of Florida / M.S. Structural Engineering 2011
Chris Joined L.A. Fuess Partners as a Principal in 2022, bringing both operational and technical expertise to the firm. With over 20 years of structural design experience and an impressive portfolio of high-rise structures, he is a key addition who further enhances the firm's ability to serve our clients in the Austin area and beyond.
Known by clients and peers alike as a thoughtful problem solver and collaborative leader, Chris is able to provide calm and clarity under the most challenging project conditions. Whether it is a complex building design or meeting an aggressive project schedule, his structural expertise and ability to manage multiple projects in design and under construction always shines through.
Education
The University of Texas at Austin / B.S. Architectural Engineering 1999
Chris has been with L.A. Fuess Partners since 2006 and now serves as a Principal and Team Leader for the firm. His broad range of experience includes mission critical facilities, commercial and medical office buildings, parking structures, and auto dealerships. Over the last 14 years, he has built quite an impressive portfolio of local high rise office buildings, including One Legacy West, The Link and several of the most recent additions to the Granite Park campus in Plano. Whether a project calls for a complex mix of specialized structures or a commitment to meeting an aggressive project timetable, his structural expertise helps the entire design team succeed.
Education
Texas A&M University / B.S. Civil Engineering 2004
Texas A&M University / M.E. Civil Engineering 2006
Dan Velte joined L.A. Fuess Partners in 2003 and has served as a Team Leader since 2015. His eighteen plus year career includes a broad range of project types and is highlighted with numerous award winning educational facilities, and several elaborate, architecturally-exposed structures for religious settings.
Dan is a long-standing asset to the L.A. Fuess team who continues to lead and deliver high-quality projects that keep our client's calling on us again and again. Whether a project calls for a complex design or a commitment to meeting an aggressive project schedule, his structural expertise and ability to juggle multiple jobs in design and construction always shines through.
Erin Janacek has been with L.A. Fuess Partners since 2004 and is now an Associate Principal that serves as an Engineering Team Leader for the firm. Her broad range of project experience includes numerous local commercial office and corporate headquarter projects.
Erin is an exemplary structural engineer who is known for the commitment and efficiently buildable design concepts she brings to every project.
Education
University of Texas at Austin / B.S. Architectural Engineering 2004
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Vice President
- Principal at L.a. Fuess Partners
Jason is a Principal at L.A. Fuess Partners with 23 years of structural engineering design experience. He is known among the firm's clients as a structural engineer who can successfully navigate precision design demands and aggressive project schedules-especially when it comes to the special design and detailing requirements associated with mission critical projects. In addition to mission critical, Jason also has experience with low and mid-rise office buildings, parking garages, movie theaters, schools, auto dealerships, regional malls, hospitals, and aviation facilities. He uses his varied experience with each different project type to provide alternate insight and solutions to different project challenges.
Education
Texas A&M University / B.S. Civil Engineering 1995
Texas A&M University / graduate coursework 1995-1997
Jeff is an experienced Project Manager that began his structural engineering career at L.A. Fuess Partners in 1998 after graduating from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. Now an Associate Principal with the firm, he brings to each project an experienced eye for careful coordination of structure with other design disciplines and a knack for communicating the impacts of structural engineering decisions on the success of the project.
Jeff has significant experience which includes both new and renovated structures in project types ranging from movie theaters & entertainment venues, community recreation centers, public safety facilities, multi-family residential, aviation to educational facilities.
Education
Texas A&M University / B.S. Civil Engineering 1997
Lance Munger has been with L.A. Fuess Partners since graduating from Texas A&M University in 2001, and now serves as a Principal and Team Leader with the firm.
His broad experience in multiple project types includes aviation, K-12 facilities, healthcare, municipal and commercial buildings. . A stand-out engineer who is known for the energy, enthusiasm, and positive approach that he brings to every project, he is an asset on any project team.
Education
Texas A&M University / B.S. Civil Engineering 2001
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Founder of L.a. Fuess Partners, Inc
Born and raised in Bryan, Texas, Walter Wilcox graduated from Texas A&M University with Bachelors (1981) and Masters (1982) degrees in Civil Engineering. After a brief stint designing wood trusses for Alpine Co., Walter began a 36-year career as a structural engineer with L.A. Fuess Partners, where he designed hundreds of major structures including airports, schools, churches, hospitals, office and residential towers, and historic building renovations.
He succeeded the firm's founder, Larry Fuess, as LAFP's President and CEO in 2004. As President, Walter oversaw steady growth and expansion of the firm, from 30 employees in 2004 to more than 80 when he retired, with offices in both Dallas and Boston. After transitioning out of his role as President in 2019, he continued to serve as CEO until he retired in April of the following year. Walter's contributions to the success of L.A. Fuess Partners cannot be overstated. He was a standout at managing computer systems, leading the firm through multiple technology advances in engineering design, drawing, and management software. He was a master of both complex structural design and the demands of running a successful engineering practice. His devotion to mentoring of up-and-coming firm leaders was instrumental in the firm's continued success and enviable position in the structural engineering marketplace.
Walter's most notable engineering achievements included major, award-winning aviation structures, and high-rise office towers. He was the lead structural engineer on DFW Airport's International Terminal D, and the project manager for Sacramento Airport's new Central Terminal B in California. His later work included twin high-rise office towers for Liberty Mutual in Plano, Texas, and guiding the design of a multi-tower mixed use development for KDC in Dallas.
Larry Fuess dedicated much of his life to structural engineering and to building a firm with a vision based on trust, professionalism, and excellence of service. He instilled that vision in the professionals with whom he worked - aiming for the highest standard of service to clients. His creative ideas contributed to the design process and the construction documents produced.
L.A. Fuess Partners is a Structural Engineering firm specializing in the design of commercial, residential, institutional, and industrial buildings. Lawrence A. Fuess founded the firm in 1979 with a vision based on trust, professionalism, and excellence of service. Guided by that vision throughout its history, L.A. Fuess Partners pursues innovative design solutions that contribute to the overall success of each project and benefit all project team members.
Larry Fuess dedicated his life to Structural Engineering, and to building a firm with a vision based on trust, professionalism, and excellence of service.
Luc Dewailly began his structural engineering career with L.A. Fuess Partners Inc. in 2006 and now serves as an engineering team leader.
Over the last 14 years he has built an impressive portfolio including a variety of high-profile projects in the DFW area, including Legacy West, a massive mixed-use development incorporating retail, entertainment, office, residential, and parking components in Plano, Texas, the West 7 th University mixed-use development in Fort Worth, Texas, Dallas' Love Field Modernization and Expansion Program, the 33-story Bleu Ciel condominium, and the recently completed Rolex Headquarters.
Education
Ecole Speciale des Travaux Publics, Paris, France / Master's Civil Engineering 2005
Texas A&M University / M.E. Structural Engineering 2006
Marcos Zamora has been with L.A. Fuess Partners since graduating from Oklahoma State University in 2001 with a B.S. in Architectural Engineering that emphasized Structural Engineering. A dedicated structural engineer who is known for his extraordinary technical expertise and diversity of building design experience, he is a leader at L.A. Fuess Partners in both knowledge and experience in the design of structures subjected to high wind / tornado conditions as well as earthquake forces.
Having broad experience in a wide range of project types - from high-rise hospital bed towers and low-rise medical facilities of numerous types, to multiple K-12 facilities of varied sizes and complexities, a Command Center at DFW International Airport, and elaborate architecturally-exposed structures in religious facilities - Marcos is an asset on any project team.
Education
Oklahoma State University / Bachelor of Architectural Engineering, 2001 / Chi Epsilon Honor Fraternity/ Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society
Mark Peterman joined L.A. Fuess Partners in 1984 and is currently a Principal, Director, and Vice President of the firm. While he now serves in various management roles with L.A. Fuess Partners, the primary focus of his career continues to be the structural design of buildings.
Variety and complexity are consistent themes across Mark's many projects. Highlights include Museum Tower in Dallas, Southern Methodist University's Robson and Lindley Aquatics Center, The Greer Garson Theater, South Dallas Police Substation, CityPlace West Village, The Joule Hotel Expansion, The Woodlands Mall, major additions to Plano Medical Center, and extensive work with historic buildings, including reconstruction of the heavily fire-damaged Hill County Courthouse.
Education
Rice University / B.S. Civil Engineering 1981
University of Texas at Austin / M.S. Civil Engineering 1983
Richard Ballou joined L.A. Fuess Partners in 2017 and brings over 30 years of structural engineering design experience to the firm, along with an impressive portfolio of high-rise structures that includes both office and residential buildings.
Beyond his high-rise expertise, Richard is also accomplished in a variety of other project types including parking structures, K-12 and higher education, healthcare, seismic analysis and structural diagnostics. As one of the firms newest Principals, he is a valued addition who serves as a great resource to both clients and peers when it comes to solving complex construction and structural engineering issues.
Education
University of Texas at Austin / M.S. in Engineering, Structural Emphasis
University of Texas at Austin / B.S. in Civil Engineering
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Principal
- Project Manager
Ryan Sieber is an experienced Project Manager that began his structural engineering career at L.A. Fuess Partners in 2010 after graduating from MIT with a Master of Engineering degree. He has designed structural systems utilizing concrete, steel, and wood for a wide variety of project types including higher education, office, retail and mixed-use, multi-family residential, and historic renovation and adaptive re-use projects.
Now an Associate Principal at the firm, he is responsible for managing the successful completion of projects from design through construction, and he aims to deliver high-quality projects that are on point with our clients' needs and creative visions.
Education
Northeastern University / B.S. Civil Engineering 2009
Massachusetts Institute of Technology / M. Eng. Structural Engineering 2010
Scott began his career at L.A. Fuess Partners shortly after graduating from Texas A&M with a Master's Degree in Structural Engineering in 1995. After helping manage the structural design of several complex projects, such as DFW Airport's Terminal D, Scott was promoted to Associate Principal in 2003 and became an Engineering Team Leader in 2004.
His in-depth design experience coupled with his strong interest in technology made him the ideal fit for his current position as LAFP's BIM Director, which he took on in 2008. As such, Scott has been charged with leading and managing all of LAFP's BIM processes and standards, including in-house training and support, and marketing of all LAFP BIM services.
Education
Texas A&M University / B.S. Civil Engineering 1992
Texas A&M University / M.S. Civil Engineering 1994
Sue Ingram joined L.A. Fuess Partners in 1996 and is now an Associate Principal and Team Leader with the firm. Throughout her 29-year career, she has worked a broad range of facility types, but considers education facilities to be her specialty, with fifty school projects, including her most recent and largest project to date, Waxahachie High School, a 478,403 SF, $110 M "double High School" that also includes a CTE on the same campus.
Sue is quickly becoming an emerging leader in the field of Storm Shelter design and peer review through her role on the Structural Engineers Association of Texas (SEAoT) Tornado Shelter Design Practice Committee; a committee which performs code review and has made over 200 recommendations for code improvement as it relates to specific challenges related to storm shelters pursuant to IBC 2015, Section 423.
Education
University of Texas at Arlington / B.S. Architecture 1992 (Summa Cum Laude)
University of Texas at Arlington / M.E. Civil Engineering Structures 1996
Job Titles:
- Admin Building ( the Harrison )
Travis Piesker has been with L.A. Fuess Partners since 2000 and now serves as a Principal and Team Leader for the firm. Having broad experience in a wide range of project types - from the expansion and renovation of Dallas' Love Field Airport, and Love Field's new 5,000-car parking structure, to his work on the recently completed 550,000 sq. ft., 4-story expansion of Southwest Airlines' corporate headquarters facility - Travis is an asset on any project team. Whether a project calls for a complex mix of specialized structures or a commitment to meeting an aggressive project timetable, his structural expertise helps the entire design team succeed. The contributions he makes stem in large part from his thorough grasp of engineering design, constructability and structural economy combined with a knack for communicating the impact of structural engineering decisions on the project as a whole.
Education
The University of Texas at Austin / B.S. Architectural Engineering 2000
Job Titles:
- President
- President of L.a. Fuess Partners, Inc. 2004 - 2020
Walter's 36-year career as a structural engineer with L.A. Fuess Partners included the design hundreds of major structures including airports, schools, churches, hospitals, office and residential towers, and historic building renovations.