Veteran Dams Engineer Colin Young Moves to Freese and Nichols’ Tulsa Office

Freese and Nichols, Inc., has welcomed Colin Young, PE, to Tulsa as a Senior Project Manager and project lead for the firm’s dam-related work across Oklahoma.

During 26 years in the industry, Colin has worked on a wide spectrum of projects, from small dams to large multimillion-dollar rehabilitations. His expertise covers all facets of a project — planning, assessment, inspection, design and construction oversight.

In addition to bringing technical knowledge, he guides projects through skillful communication with all parties involved, from owners and general managers to contractors and maintenance technicians.

“Colin is a natural fit for us in Oklahoma,” said Water Resources Design Group Manager Victor Vasquez. “He has excellent skills as a project manager and technical lead, and he has a history of successfully leading projects in Oklahoma and building client relationships.”

Colin’s experience in Oklahoma includes extensive dam rehabilitation work for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. He currently is project manager for design and construction phase services of repairs to the Lake Ponca Spillway, multiple dam projects for the City of Oklahoma City and a major rehabilitation project on Eucha Dam for the City of Tulsa.

He joined Freese and Nichols in 2017 and moved to Oklahoma from Freese and Nichols’ office in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“Colin is a great resource to our Oklahoma clients, and we are thrilled that his family has decided to relocate here,” said Tricia Hatley, Freese and Nichols’ Oklahoma Division Manager. “His expertise strengthens our ability to serve clients as we continue to build our technical team.”

Colin’s experience encompasses dam inspections, dam assessments, design of repairs, rehabilitations and new dams, and construction oversight. He has particular expertise in geotechnical aspects of dam engineering. His work has covered all types of dams, including water supply, flood control, recreation, hydropower and wastewater (coal combustion residuals, industrial and municipal).

He is licensed as a Professional Engineer in 12 states, including Oklahoma. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Association of State Dam Safety Officials.

He received his master’s in civil engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and his bachelor’s in geological engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri University of Science and Technology).