Meet Our New Principals and Associates

Freese and Nichols has elected nine new Principals and 18 new Associates. Principals and Associates are leaders of the firm who have made proven contributions in technical expertise, business development and management.

Principals

Shad Comeaux is a manager in the Urban Planning and Design group in our Pearland office. He has been with Freese and Nichols for 14 years, with 21 total years of experience. Shad is an accomplished planner for both municipal and higher education clients and is a technical expert in the field of campus master planning.

Erin Flanagan is a manager in the Water/Wastewater Treatment group in our Dallas office. She has been with Freese and Nichols for 17 years, with 20 total years of experience. She has broad experience, capable of managing both water and wastewater projects, as well as complex multi-discipline projects outside her specialty area. Erin has unique strengths in drinking water and wastewater treatment with a national-level resume for wastewater screen design and is a trusted advisor to municipal water utilities and river authorities.

Jim Keith is a manager in the Stormwater Engineering group in our Dallas office. He has been with Freese and Nichols for eight years, with 20 total years of experience. Jim has a very strong technical resume, including remapping of FEMA floodplains in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and original H&H modeling for Trinity River Vision Central City Bypass Channel. He is a trusted advisor to many municipalities across North Texas as well as state and federal agencies.

Krista Bethune Melnar is the Stormwater Practice Leader and Group Manager of the Stormwater engineering group in our Austin office. She has been with Freese and Nichols for three years, with 22 total years of experience. Krista has significant experience leading large scale flood disaster resilience programs and she has national level expertise with FEMA programs, policies, and standards.

Marc Miller is an engineer in the Water Resource Design group in our Atlanta office. He has been with Freese and Nichols for 10 years, with 27 total years of experience. Marc has national level expertise in geotechnical engineering with unique strengths in earthen/concrete dams, levees and earth retaining systems. Marc serves as our Senior Technical Professional for geotechnical engineering, and has written many papers and presented often at ASDSO.

Adam Payne is a manager in the PMCM group in our Dallas office. He has been with Freese and Nichols for 13 years, with 17 total years of experience. Adam is currently Assistant PM for the $1.4B Bois d’Arc Lake Program for NTMWD and PM for its construction phase services. He has extensive experience with dams, and has also served as construction manager for treatment, transportation and utilities projects.

Chad Simmons is a manager in the Water/Wastewater Treatment group in our Fort Worth office. He has been with Freese and Nichols for eight years, with 22 total years of experience. Chad excels technically with unique expertise in biosolids design and led our largest biosolids thickening and drying project for Fort Worth’s Village Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Cory Stull is a manager in the Stormwater Engineering group in our Houston office. He has been with Freese and Nichols for nine years, with 13 total years of experience. Cory is a regional technical expert in the field of advanced H&H Modeling, and under his leadership, Freese and Nichols has helped implement the MAAPnext program for Harris County Flood Control District.

Chuck Wolf is the Assistant Division Manager for the Southeast Texas region in our Houston office. He has been with Freese and Nichols for two years, with 23 total years of experience. Chuck has national level expertise with Collaborative Project Delivery and chairs our CPD Committee. Chuck is also a Professor of Practice in Civil & Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M University.

Associates

Bret Calvert is a Construction Manager in Lubbock, and has been with Freese and Nichols for 11 years.

Aaron Conine is a Transmission and Utilities Engineer in Fort Worth, and has been with Freese and Nichols for nine years.

Tom Dixon is an Environmental Scientist in Austin, and has been with Freese and Nichols for seven years.

Andrew Franko is a Water/Wastewater Master Planning Engineer in in Fort Worth, and has been with Freese and Nichols for 12 years.

Scott Haberstroh is a Water/Wastewater Engineer in Raleigh, and has been with Freese and Nichols for five years.

Will Hackett is a Water/Wastewater Engineer in Atlanta, and has been with Freese and Nichols for three years.

Jim Heydorn is our Georgia Engineering Group Manager in Atlanta, and has been with Freese and Nichols for two years.

Garrett Johnston is a Stormwater Engineer in Austin, and has been with Freese and Nichols for 11 years.

Brent Millar is our PMCM Group Manager in in San Antonio, and has been with Freese and Nichols for six years.

Justin Oswald is a Stormwater Engineer in Fort Worth, and has been with Freese and Nichols for 13 years.

David Paine is a Transportation Planner in Austin, and has been with Freese and Nichols for seven years.

Jeremy Rice is a Hydrologist in Tulsa, and has been with Freese and Nichols for 14 years.

Kendall Ryan is a Water/Wastewater Master Planning Engineer in Pearland, and has been with Freese and Nichols for nine years.

Chance Sparks is an Urban Planner in San Marcos, and has been with Freese and Nichols for three years.

Chris Trevino is our Transportation Design Group Manager in San Antonio, and has been with Freese and Nichols for two years.

Jessica Vassar is a Water/Wastewater Master Planning Engineer in Austin, and has been with Freese and Nichols for 15 years.

Greg Vowels is a Transportation Design Engineer in Fort Worth, and has been with Freese and Nichols for four years.

Adam Young is our Mechanical and Plumbing Group Manager in Fort Worth, and has been with Freese and Nichols for 14 years.