WRA - Key Persons
Environmental Scientist, and a USF graduate with a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy. Specializing in wetland monitoring, maintenance, and delineations. I also work with listed species surveys, and GIS mapping. I really enjoy the ecology side of work, going out and enjoying nature.
Angie Padovani is the Office Manager for WRA. Ms. Padovani began working with WRA in 2018. Ms. Padovani possesses over 20 years of administrative experience with a background in staffing, sales, and safety programs. She is responsible for general office management, accounting, contract administration, billing, and providing administrative support to the WRA team.
Job Titles:
- Accounts Receivable / Permit Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Certified Environmental Scientist
- Senior Environmental Scientist
Auston Germano is a Certified Environmental Scientist (CES) with over 5 years' of ecological restoration and consulting experience. A graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University, Auston gained his experience working in the private sector as an ecological restoration technician and environmental consultant in South Florida before joining WRA's Tampa office in 2019. Mr. Germano's skills include GIS, wetland monitoring, wetland delineation, listed species surveys, exotic species removal, and land management. Mr. Germano also is a FDACS Licensed Pesticide Applicator and an FWC Authorized Gopher Tortoise Agent.
Job Titles:
- Civil Design Manager
- Senior Project Designer, CAD Manager
Mr. Sylvester is a Senior Project Designer for WRA. He has been practicing in the Tampa area since 2001 and has years of experience in land development. His areas of expertise include public and private utility planning, water resource and site development planning and design in residential, commercial, industrial and public works projects. Mr. Sylvester also has working experience as a construction materials tester and municipal inspector and currently manages CAD productivity. Brian has been working with WRA since 2009.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Civil Cadd Designer
Charles has 5 years of experience as a Cadd Technician in the Civil Engineering field. He has also worked on small and large-scale residential land development projects along with commercial land development projects. Charles will also work with the surveying department to create record drawings, and will assist with utility pressure testing and videoing.
Job Titles:
- Senior Environmental Scientist
Chris Stiegler joins the WRA team as a Senior Environmental Scientist in our Tampa office supporting projects throughout Florida. Chris, a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University, comes to WRA with 8 years of experience in the environmental market providing wetland monitoring and permitting services, listed species survey and permitting, seagrass survey and mapping, ArcGIS proficiency, and drone surveys. Chris is an FWC Authorized Gopher Tortoise Agent and has recently passed the FAA Remote Pilot test to commercially fly drones.
Mr. Mengel has more than 8 years of experience as a Cad Designer in the Civil Engineering field, working on small and large-scale residential and commercial land development projects. He has assisted in project coordination and design from the preliminary phase through construction completion, using his background in project design and preparation of construction plans and documents. Chuck also has considerable experience in creating site plan layouts, preliminary drainage, water, and wastewater system design, as well as landscape design.
Chuck joined the WRA team in 2016 at the Tampa, Florida office.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Team
- Principal
Job Titles:
- Civil Cadd Designer
- Civil Cadd Designer / Administrative Support
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Director of Survey Services
Mr. James D. Greer (Dave) is a Manatee County native with over 30 years of survey management for projects throughout Florida. Projects of interest include Survey Quality Control for the construction of a 6,500-acre stormwater treatment area in south Florida, Topographic and Right of Way Surveys for the design of 15 miles of force main in the City of Largo, Boundary, Topographic and Jurisdictional Delineation Surveys in support of the design for 7,000-acre project in Pasco County. Mr. Greer also has extensive supervision and certification experience of Subdivision Platting in Manatee, Sarasota, Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties.
Job Titles:
- Senior Administrative Assistant
Debbie started her career as a Bank Teller working for Bank of America where she held many different positions (Administrative Assistant, Procedure Writer, Operations Manager). Debbie retired from Bank of America after a 25-year tenure, and started her second career in 2014 working in the Accounting Department for a successful construction and engineering firm in San Francisco, California. In September 2021, Debbie decided to relocate across the country to move closer to her younger sister, and her two children in Tampa, Florida. Debbie joined WRA in July, 2022 and now is responsible for the accounts receivables.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Professional Engineer
Job Titles:
- CAD Designer
- Senior Civil Designer
Edward is a motivated, personable civil engineering designer/technician with experience in both project design and project construction on private and public projects of all scales. He has over 15 years of experience in many aspects of Civil Engineering, including CADD design, construction, surveying, inspections and permitting.
Ed has worked on both small projects and large scale projects for many clients including private, public, governmental and municipal. And although his primary responsibilities are project design and preparation of construction plans and documents, Ed also has experience in project management duties as well. Several health care projects include; St Joseph's Hospitals North and South, Morton Plant Hospital, and Lakeland Regional Medical Center. Other notable Hillsborough County projects include; Oscar Cooler sports complex, Summerfield Park and William Owen Pass Park for the Parks and Recreation Dept., and several projects for the school board, Spoto High School, Frost Elementary, and Rampello Elementary. Ed has Extensive experience in both utility design and permitting and in storm water and drainage design and permitting and Also brings experience in transportation and roadway design.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Construction Engineer
Ms. Sisson graduated from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign earning a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with a primary focus on Construction Management. After graduating she went on to work as a field inspector for large transportation projects owned by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Illinois Tollway for two years. During this time, Emily also received her E.I.T. certification. She now assists the WRA team with all aspects of projects from the design phase to construction management, including quality assurance during plans production. Emily coordinates preconstruction meetings and field testing, ensuring that projects come together in the field as they were designed and permitted in office. Emily also manages project close out prior to Certificate of Occupancy, including maintenance bonding, final inspections, record drawing compilation, certifications and other key steps to ensuring final agency acceptance.
Job Titles:
- Civil / Landscape Designer
Mr. Walker is a CAD Designer with more than 7 years' experience, working on commercial and residential land development projects preparing construction and landscape drawings. Prior to joining WRA, Mr. Walker had experience in management, training, and used Auto CAD Civil 3D for earthwork and civil design. Mr. Walker graduated from ITT Technical Institute with an Associate of Applied Science Degree and is passionate about teamwork and site planning.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Project Engineer
Mr. Parker is from Western Kentucky and attended Murray State University where he received a B.S. in Civil and Sustainable Engineering and his E.I. certification. During his time at Murray State, Jase was his ASCE chapter's president, as well as a Senator for the Engineering Department. His work experience includes land development from the planning and design phase through the construction phase.
Jenny Crihfield has been with WRA since March 2019 and we have enjoyed having her be a part of our team as our Administrative Assistant. She brings 20 years of administrative experience in construction, staffing, and manufacturing. Jenny has fully taken over our day-to-day office responsibilities at the Manatee/Sarasota office and is a valuable asset to our team.
Jessica DeCastro is a graduate of Appalachian State University, with a B.S. in Biology: Ecology, Evolution,
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Senior Construction Engineer
Mr. Jenks is a Senior Construction Engineer, working on commercial and residential engineering projects from the design phase to the construction phase. He will be overseeing the development of construction projects, providing quality assurance and compliance throughout all phases of development. Prior to joining WRA, Mr. Jenks worked as a project manager for the residential home industry. Mr. Jenks graduated from the University of Florida with a BS degree in Civil Engineering.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Senior Project Designer
John possesses extensive experience in site development including all phases of permitting and project coordination. Some of his projects have included youth sports parks, city and county parks, and multi-family housing developments. He also has a background in museums and public interest projects such as the Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Art, Tampa Museum of Arts, the Children's Museum and Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. John has been instrumental in the design of utility systems to include water, waste water, storm water, and reclaimed water. John O'Meara spent 4 years in the Navy before returning to Tampa. He started with WRA in 2013.
Mr. O'Meara has over 15 years of CADD design experience. He has been practicing in Tampa since 1999.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Team
- Principal
- Project Manager and Lead Engineer on Projects
Mr. Cimino is Project Manager and lead engineer on projects including residential, commercial and industrial land development, stormwater management and flood control, water and wastewater infrastructure, roadway design, and environmental systems including impact justification and mitigation. Mr. Cimino's responsibilities include all aspects of client development, project due diligence, conceptual planning, engineering design, local, state and federal permitting, and construction management. Joe has extensive experience in forensic engineering studies and provides expert witness services. Joe has specialized experience as a Military Training Range Design Specialist, and has been actively involved in various aspects of planning, design and construction management for more than 30 training facilities throughout the United States, including small arms qualification ranges, squad and platoon battle courses, urban warfare facilities, and large-scale tank ranges. Mr. Cimino graduated from the University of South Florida in 2003 with a M.S. in Civil Engineering and a Bachelors degree in Environmental Science and Policy. Joe has been with WRA since 1999.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Project Engineer
Ms. Cheyney graduated from the University of Akron in 2021 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. During her studies she worked as a civil engineering co-op for 2 years. After completing her bachelor and receiving her E.I. certification, she went on to work as an environmental engineer where she performed landfill design and stormwater management. At WRA, Ms. Cheyney assists the team with engineering design including stormwater management, utility layout, and plan development.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Member of the Executive Team
Mr. Farrell is responsible for directing WRA's engineering related business and overseeing major engineering projects. Since 1978, Mr. Farrell has actively been involved in the conception, design and permitting of civil engineering projects throughout the U.S. as both a private sector engineering consultant and a government official. He has served on numerous professional associations and committees to further the advancement of new civil and environmental techniques for effective engineering design and regulation. Prior to WRA, Mr. Farrell served as the Assistant Executive Director of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. As part of his duties as COO of the District, Mr. Farrell was directly responsible for developing new rules for regulating wetland and stormwater management systems and developing new alternative water supply sources for Florida including reclaimed water and seawater desalination projects. Mr. Farrell graduated from West Virginia University with a BS and MS degrees in Civil Engineering and earned an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.
Job Titles:
- Director of Environmental Services
Job Titles:
- Civil Engineer
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
Matt is a licensed FL Civil Engineer new to the Tampa area as of mid-2018 with 8 years of professional Civil project experience throughout the south and central Florida regions. Matt graduated from the University of Florida in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Coastal Engineering. During his tenure at UF, Matt was an active member of the Florida Blue Key Leadership Honorary, Theta Chi Fraternity, and the University Hockey Club. Matt also served for years as the Vice-Chair and Chairman of Student Government Productions.
Matt is originally from Illinois but moved to Florida with his family in the late eighties where he grew up in the Naples area. After graduating from UF, Matt returned to southwest Florida to work for a full-service civil design firm he had interned with the prior summer. Over the course of the next 6 years, Matt served in a range of design, consultation and project management roles, earning his Professional Engineering licensure along the way in 2016. Later that year, with an itch to try something new, Matt left Florida for the bay area of northern California to work on a mobile application development project with former college colleagues before joining a Civil design firm in San Francisco. A couple years later, wanting to be closer to family, Matt took advantage of an opportunity to resume his professional career in Florida and moved to the Tamp Bay area.
In his free time, Matt loves staying active at the gym, playing golf, and loyally following his hometown Chicago sports teams, especially the Blackhawks.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Project Engineer
Mr. Booker graduated the University of Vermont with a BS in Civil Engineering. After graduation, he worked in the Geotechnical Section for the Vermont Agency of Transportation where he produced site condition reports and assisted in sub-surface foundation design for bridges and culverts. Michael then moved to the Roadway Design Section where he assisted in design and plan set development. During this time, Michael also received his E.I.T. Certification. Now at WRA, Michael assumed the role of Project Engineer where he assists with projects from the design and planning phase through the construction phase.
In his time at UVM, Michael was also the president of the sailing team at which time they reached a national ranking of 13th. He is still an avid sailor and travels around the world to compete in various events.
Mr. Osborne has over 14 years of experience in land development design and permitting in the expanded Tampa Bay area, ranging from residential subdivisions to institutional and commercial developments. More recent experience include design and permitting of Military Training Facilities through the United States Army Corp of Engineers and Naval Facilities Engineering Command in Texas, Colorado, North Carolina and Afghanistan.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Professional Engineer
Mr. Brett French is a Professional Engineer (Florida PE 83383, Civil Engineer / Water Resources) with eight years of progressive experience (as of 2020). He has successfully completed various types of projects related to water resources such as: flooding complaint investigations; drainage improvements; transportation drainage design; grading and drainage design for site development; watershed modeling; FEMA "No-Rise" Certifications; Scour Analyses; Mine Hydrology & Hydraulics; and has successfully obtained construction permits amongst the various municipalities and government agencies within Florida. Mr. French holds the position of Manager of Water Resources at WRA Engineering where he oversees the approach and execution of the stormwater analyses for site development projects. His expertise includes identifying site development opportunities related to stormwater such as combining floodplain compensation with required wetland mitigation, preserving onsite wetlands that can supplement stormwater treatment and attenuation requirements, and utilizing existing topography and groundwater conditions to efficiently place stormwater ponds and minimize costly earthwork.
Mr. French received his Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Engineering from Florida Gulf Coast University and his Master's Degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of South Florida. He is an avid outdoorsman and can typically be found fishing the flats within Tampa Bay during his free time.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Director of Survey Operations
- Is Director of Survey Services
Mr. Robert Flanary is Director of Survey Services, including the direction of quality control and technical procedures as well as client relations the day-to-day project management of all surveying and mapping projects as well as Survey CAD drafting, computations and client contacts using state-of-the-art surveying equipment including real-time (RT) global positioning systems (GPS) equipment using Virtual Reference Station (VRS) networks which eliminates the need to set up a conventional GPS base station, wireless robotic total stations with data collectors. With over 30 years of surveying experience, Mr. Flanary has an extensive background in all types of surveying projects such as Boundary, Topographic, Record drawing, Control Networks, Right-of-Way, Construction, Environmental and Hydrographic surveys providing survey services to local, State and Federal agencies.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Permitting & Zoning Coordinator
Nikki comes to WRA from Manatee County Building and Development Services where she served as the Supervisor of Zoning. While with Manatee County she reviewed preliminary and final Site Plans to ensure the Manatee County Land Development Code (MCLDC) was being
satisfied and reviewed building permits. Prior to her work with the county, Nikki was an office manager of a construction company. Before deciding to go back to her construction roots, she was a Pre-School teacher for fourteen (14) years.
Nikki obtained a Certified Supervisory Manager Certification and a Certified Public Manager Certification from Florida State University. Nikki will be managing permitting aspects for WRA projects in Manatee County and surrounding counties.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Professional Engineer
- Senior Professional Engineer
Ms. Ruff has nine years of professional experience in civil engineering design, including site layout, grading, and permitting through SWFWMD, SFWMD, FDOT, the City of Tampa, and Pasco, Hillsborough, Sarasota, and Manatee Counties. She specializes in stormwater management and hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, including ICPR, SWMM, HEC-RAS and other software programs.
Paul Looney has 41 years of professional experience, 31 years as an ecologist. His environmental project experience includes: wetland delineations, wetland permitting, and wetland creation and restoration; investigations of threatened and endangered wildlife and vegetation species; coastal ecosystem restoration; coastal zone management investigations; Section 7 consultations and biological assessments (USFWS and NMFS); essential fish habitat assessments; NEPA documentation including Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), Environmental Assessments (EA), Categorical Exclusions, and all supporting documentation.
Paul has thorough knowledge of state and federal coastal zone and wetland management regulations and a specific knowledge of federal regulations and acts, including the National Environmental Policy Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, Coastal Barrier Resources Act, Coastal Barrier Improvement Act, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, Rivers and Harbors Act, Clean Water Act, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, and the Oil Pollution Act.
His areas of natural resource expertise include marine biology, fisheries ecology, coastal processes, seagrass ecology, botany, plant ecology, ecosystem management, wetland ecology, coastal, marine, and freshwater wetland restoration, mitigation banking, wetland restoration planning, aquatic weed control, and remote sensing, including aerial and satellite imagery interpretation. He has experience in issues related to water quality, air quality, and hazardous waste.
He has completed wetland delineations and evaluations in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Virginia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. His permitting experience includes Section 404 (USACE) and Florida ERP (FDEP, SWFWMD, SJRWMD, SRWMD and NWFWMD). He has completed assessments using several standardized systems (WRAP, UMAM, HGM, WAP) and developed project specific evaluation techniques where required.
His expertise is environmental regulatory compliance includes Water Quality investigations for Waste Water Treatment Plant permit compliance in Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi (WQBEL, DIZ, and Mixing Zone investigations). He has completed NEPA projects for the Navy, Marines (NAVFAC SE, ATL, and Europe) and Air Force (ACC and AFCEE) in the United States and Europe. He has worked on hazardous waste projects for the USEPA (Region 4 and 6). Paul has also participated in projects under contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Sacramento, Fort Worth, Jacksonville, Savannah, Norfolk, Vicksburg, New Orleans, and Mobile Districts. He has also completed formal and informal coordination with the USCG for bridge permitting.
He has experience in large scale natural gas transmission location investigations including wetland, species, and ecological impacts throughout the southeastern United States. He is a certified Scuba diver who has performed underwater natural resource damage assessments for the NPS.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Member of the Executive Team
Mr. Hubbell is responsible for water resource planning and related projects throughout the U.S. for WRA. This includes alternative and traditional water supply planning and development for governments, agriculture, industry and the developer community. Hubbell has practiced in the field of water resources since 1975. His career has focused on water resource engineering, environmental planning and alternative dispute resolution of environmental issues. Hubbell was formerly Executive Director of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) for over eight years and worked at the agency for a total of nineteen years. Prior to SWFWMD, he worked with a national environmental consulting firm for four years. He holds a B.S. in Hydrology and Water Resource Management from the University of Maryland and completed the Program for Senior Executives at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Hubbell is a certified mediator and is trained and experienced in public facilitation.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Project Engineer
Mr. Wright received his BS in Land and Water Resource Engineering from the University of Florida. Before joining WRA as a Project Engineer, he worked in multiple regions of Florida for the S. Florida Water Management District.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Project Manager
Richard C. Kelley is a Project Manager, working on both residential and commercial land development projects. He has more than 20 years of experience in the Civil Engineering Project Management field. Mr. Kelley specializes in Stormwater Management Design and Permitting as well as Water, Wastewater and Transportation design. In addition, Richard has successfully navigated both the re-zoning and land use amendment processes. The majority of his project design and permitting experience is throughout the Tampa Bay area Counties including Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Sarasota and SWFWMD. Mr. Kelley has also designed and permitted many projects in various cities, including Tarpon Springs, Clearwater, Pinellas Park and St. Petersburg. His projects range in size from one acre sites or smaller, to hundred plus acre residential master planned developments. Mr. Kelley received his Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland.
Richard Looney is a graduate of the University of West Florida with a Bachelor's Degree of Science in
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant
- Administrative Support
Rita Garrison is responsible for providing high-level administrative support for WRA. As well as managing the day-to-day administrative tasks to keep the office running smoothly, Mrs. Garrison conducts research, prepares statistical reports, handles information requests, as well as all clerical functions such as preparing correspondence, greeting clients, arranging conference calls and scheduling of meetings. Mrs. Garrison began working with WRA in May 2007 and continues to be a very valuable employee of the firm.
Ryan Johnson is a graduate of the University of Tampa with a degree in Marine Science-Biology and a minor in sustainability. Ryan has been involved with shark and ray field research in Clearwater Florida. Ryan's research continued to analyze the spatial distribution of cownose rays and how their local migration pattern might be influenced by shark populations in Pinellas County. His research paper Spatial Distribution of Cownose Rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) Within St. Joseph Sound, Florida, will be published in the 2020-2021 issue of Acta Spartae at the University of Tampa. Ryan has also worked with Mission Blue (an international organization dedicated to inspire ocean exploration and protection) to create GIS maps for the new Florida Gulf Coast Hope Spot. This work was ultimately presented to legendary oceanographer, Dr. Sylvia Earle.
Along with ArcGIS experience, Ryan has conducted seagrass surveys; has been involved with Florida Red Tide mitigations projects and relocated gopher tortoises.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Professional Engineer
- Senior Professional Engineer
Mr. DePaolis has over nine years of professional experience in project management and regulatory review. His design experience includes plan design and preparation, stormwater management, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, grading, pavement, construction management and inspection in addition to permitting through SWFWMD, FDEP, and the Army Corps of Engineers.
In addition to Mr. DePaolis' professional consulting duties he is also an active member of professional organizations such as the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Public Works Association. For his education, Mr. DePaolis attended the University of Florida where he graduated in 2007 with a BS in Civil Engineering and later in 2016 a MS in Environmental Engineer Sciences. He has been with WRA since 2016.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
Mr. Roberts is an active member and former section chair of the Florida American Society of Landscape Architects (FLASLA). He holds a BSLA from Mississippi State University.
Job Titles:
- CAD Designer
- Senior Civil Designer
Mr. Kanoza has over 19 years of CAD design experience including assisting in major roadway design, large-scale drainage basin studies, and water and wastewater distribution systems. He has also assisted in the coordination and design of numerous residential and commercial development projects from the preliminary phase through construction completion and considerable experience in coordinating projects, creating site plan layouts, preliminary drainage system design, final water and wastewater design, earthwork calculations. Mr. Kanoza has also worked on various projects for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) and the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) within the U.S. and worldwide. Mr. Kanoza joined WRA in 2012.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant
- in 2014 As an Administrative Assistant
Tish Darias joined WRA in 2014 as an Administrative Assistant. She brings over 25 years of administrative experience in construction, development and engineering industries. Along with assisting the WRA engineers in the production, coordination and finalization of documents and proposals, Mrs. Darias also keeps the team up to date with daily precipitation reports and assists the office with administrative support.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Project Engineer
Mr. Beattie grew up in northwest Missouri and graduated from Kansas State University where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. After gaining his degree, he worked in the commercial land development sector primarily working on site layout, utility design, permitting, and site grading and drainage. As a project engineer with WRA, he works on a variety of projects from the design and planning phase through construction.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Engineers and Project Managers Team
- Project Engineer