NJBiz Features PS&S’s Marge DellaVecchia, Kris McCool & Jarka Vonder

Women breaking through glass ceiling at PS&S

Engineering, planning and surveying are three professions that historically have been male-dominated.

But PS&S, an architecture, engineering and environmental consulting firm based in Warren, is out to change all that with the recent senior-level promotions of Kris McCool, Jarka Vonder and Marge DellaVecchia, each now principals and vice presidents at the company.

PS&S’s Chief Executive Officer John Sartor said a culture of inclusion and diversity has been a part of the company since it started in 1962.

“It’s something that’s been in the company and, quite frankly, that’s always been the culture,” Sartor said. “My dad and his partners—that’s the way they always operated—and that inclusion has been maintained from back then. When I joined it was already there.”

Read more here: http://www.njbiz.com/article/20180806/NJBIZ01/180809902/women-breaking-through--glass-ceiling-at-pss

RE-NJ Highlights Our Latest Promotions

RE-NJ highlights our latest promotions featured in this summer's newsletter.

Summer 2018 Newsletter

FROM THE CORNER OFFICE

Recognizing our company’s best is an honor we always love to share in these newsletters. Earlier this year, we announced the promotions of 11 PS&S employees who became senior associates or associates.

Now we are thrilled to announce that eight PS&S senior-level managers have become Principals/Vice Presidents or Associate Principals. These eight men and women have all taken different paths to arrive at this moment, but all share several common bonds:  Professional excellence in their respective disciplines and an unwavering desire to succeed for our clients and for our company.

For more information, please contact Anthony Sartor at asartor@psands.com, or John Sartor at jsartor@psands.com.

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FOCUS ON: Senior Level Promotions

We are happy to announce the following promotions in our Warren-based family of companies and at our regional offices. Eight senior-level professionals have been recognized for their outstanding work and dedicated service for our clients. All promotions took effect on June 22, 2018.

Promoted to Principal and Vice President:

Kris McCool – Kris heads up PS&S’s Energy Services Group where she oversees many of  the company’s energy and utility projects. Since joining the company in 1997, Kris has worked on large-scale brownfield development projects, managed our Delaware Valley office and was involved in the launching of three PS&S affiliated companies: PS&S Global, WarrenPro, and AJS Cap.  Kris has a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Rhode Island.

Jarka Vonder – As a Director of Surveying, Jarka is responsible for execution and supervision of surveying projects including boundary surveys for residential and commercial development, ALTA/ACSM Surveys, right-of-way acquisition, GIS applications, control for aerial photography, topographic and wetlands survey. She has substantial experience in subdivision design and layout, deed research, and map filing laws. Jarka joined PS&S in 1987 and has an MBA from Farleigh Dickinson University.

Marge DellaVecchia - Marge joined PS&S in 2016 and is responsible for client contact, outreach, project liaison and governmental contacts in and around the Delaware Valley region.  As a planner she is also able to work with clients to bring together partnerships and creative solutions to a variety of challenges.

Prior to joining PS&S, Marge worked for Camden County for six years, most recently as the Deputy Director of the Municipal Utilities Authority. Her past experience in the public sector includes positions in state government with the Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency and the Department of Community Affairs, and 13 years in various roles in Cherry Hill Township. She is a graduate of Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.

Walter Fedick – Walt joined PS&S in 2017 to lead the PS&S Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection group where he manages multiple projects and works with both existing and new clients. Prior to joining PS&S, Walt spent 37 years at Roche, most recently as the Senior Manager of Engineering. He is a graduate of Stevens Institute of Technology, earning three Master’s Degrees and his Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering.

Bill Salmon – Bill joined PS&S in April of 2015 as a Senior Director of Land Development to spearhead the enhanced presence for civil engineering and land development in the Monmouth and Ocean county regions. In his career, Bill has developed expertise in project management, all aspects of engineering design and regulatory permitting with NJDEP, NJDOT, and county and municipal organizations, and has provided expert testimony with municipal and zoning boards. Bill grew up in Edison, NJ, and earned his degree in civil engineering at Youngstown State University in Ohio.

Promoted to Associate Principal:

Joe Barry – Joe has 37 years of professional experience, and originally joined PS&S in 1986 as a Project Manager in the Civil Engineering department. He held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility, moving from project management to Department Management to Project Controls for the firm. He returned to PS&S in late 2015 after six years with the Port Authority of NY & NJ as Senior Project Controls Manager for the $15 billion World Trade Center Construction Program (WTCC), which included 1 WTC (the Freedom Tower), the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the WTC Transportation Hub and other ancillary projects. Joe received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from NJIT.

Mark Chmielewski – Mark is a senior project manager who joined PS&S in 2002. Mark has a broad range of experience with a variety of building types including offices, education, higher education, mixed use, pharmaceutical research laboratories, manufacturing facilities, industrial and parking structures and multifamily residential/light commercial.  He has been involved in all phases of architectural services from planning and programming to design development and construction documentation through construction administration. He also has a strong knowledge of Westchester County, from the geography to the building stock. Mark graduated from NJIT with a degree in Architecture.

Chris Gulics – Chris joined PS&S in 2015 and is the company’s Senior Director of Environmental Regulatory Compliance. Chris has over 22 years of experience in management of water, stormwater and wastewater permitting services as well as with the NJDEP Air Quality Management Regulations. In addition to his technical expertise, Chris has a comprehensive understanding of the environmental regulations governing hazardous materials/wastes and their impact on the environment. Chris grew up in Woodbridge and went to Rutgers where he graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Science with a concentration in Water Resources.

PS&S in Lohud.com

Lohud.com features PS&S’s work on Phase 3 of the Yonkers Saw Mill River Daylighting Project

Grand Opening in Atlantic City

PS&S was a VIP guest at the grand opening of the Wheel at Steel Pier on Monday, June 11 as hosted by Anthony Catanoso, the President & Owner of Steel Pier.

The PS&S Structural Design team of Glenn Kustera, George Reichert and Marge DellaVecchia were in attendance and treated to the breathtaking sunset views atop the wheel.

PS&S engineers were integral to the development of the Wheel – by providing the technical expertise to create a path forward for the construction of the Observation Wheel atop the existing Steel Pier structure.  In doing so, the PS&S team eliminated the need to build an adjacent pier for the 485,000 pound observation wheel, saving its owner millions of dollars and the prospect of a lengthy and uncertain permitting process. 

The Wheel will be a year-round attraction to Atlantic City’s Boardwalk and economy further supporting the ongoing revitalization of this iconic New Jersey city.

Honoring Jersey City’s Best

The NJCU Foundation celebrated Jersey City’s Impact Makers at the first Jersey City Leadership Awards Dinner on June 7th. PS&S’s Ronald Weston and Steve Maravelias joined 150 attendees at Liberty House to celebrate four people whose work has transformed Jersey City: Mayor Steven Fulop, Angelo Genova, Esq. of Genova Burns, Panepinto Galleries Founder Stefania Panepinto and the late Thomas Stanton, Jr.

John Sartor on Bloomberg Radio

PS&S Sponsors NJ Chapter of the American Institute of Architects

PS&S is pleased to be a Gold-level sponsor of AIA Newark & Suburban Architects chapter, where Vice President and Civil Engineering Principal, Lisa DiGerolamo, PE delivered a compelling presentation titled “CIVIL DISCOURSE: What Architects need to know about Civil Engineering & Site Plan Approvals” to over 70 Northern New Jersey architects. Also attending the May 24th AIA event, held at The Madison Hotel in Morristown, NJ, were Fred Mundt from PS&S’s Civil Engineering group, and Ron Weston, PS&S Vice President who is also serving as the 2018 President of AIA Newark & Suburban Architects.

PS&S Employees Mentor in Yonkers

Two PS&S Yonkers-based architects spent the 2017-2018 school year mentoring a group of Yonkers High School students, volunteering their time by participating in the ACE Mentor Program.

Leonardo Afanador and Michael Calvi worked with ACE, a national program for high school students who are interested in Architecture, Construction, and Engineering. The ACE Mentor Program looks for mentors who are practicing professionals in their respective fields to share their professional experience and expertise with high school students.

In addition to working in Yonkers, both Leonardo and Michael are Yonkers residents who believe in giving back to their community. Michael, who also grew up in Yonkers, participated in ACE as a high school student, and the program was instrumental in his becoming an architect. Leonardo was born in Colombia and came to the United States at the age of nine. He agreed to mentor to help introduce minority students to potential professional opportunities they may not have considered otherwise.

The PS&S professionals worked with the students on a project where they took a former industrial building and turned it into a sports complex and theater space for the community.

Volunteering on Long Island

PS&S Vice President and Principal-in-Charge of our New York Offices Keith Samaroo pitched in to help out Long Island-based Moonjumpers on May 11. The day-long event helped support the Girl Scouts of Suffolk County with site improvements, building repair and landscaping at Camp Sobaco in Yaphank, NY.

Supporting the Waterfront Alliance

“Cities on the Edge” is the theme for this year’s Waterfront Conference on May 8th, hosted by the Waterfront Alliance. PS&S’s work on the Saw Mill River daylighting project will be a focus of a panel discussion on urban restoration and waterfront development featuring Executive Vice President Joe Fleming. PS&S is a sponsor of the event which will take place aboard the Hornblower Infinity.

PS&S Supports NJIT’s Newark College of Engineering (NCE)

The PS&S team was happy to support and participate in NCE’s 20th Annual Salute to Engineering Excellence. PS&S was honored with NCE's Outstanding Industry Partnership Award recognizing its long and proud history with NJIT.

Nearly 15% of company employees have a degree from the Newark-based school including Executive Vice President Joe Fleming who was one of the evening’s featured speakers. General Counsel Renard Barnes was also appointed to serve on the NCE Board of Visitors.

PS&S Supports the Cooper Red Hot Gala

PS&S is proud to once again support The Cooper Foundation’s Red Hot Gala, helping to raise a record-breaking $2.1 Million to support Women’s health.

More than 1,000 people attended the eighth annual event on April 27th in Philadelphia. The PS&S team in attendance included Kyle Rutherford, Kris McCool, John Sartor, Marge DellaVecchia and Steve Ewing.

2018 Engineers Week

For the second consecutive year, the PS&S team helped celebrate National Engineers Week, a yearly event designed to raise awareness and showcase the marvels of engineering. PS&S helped sponsor the event at the Liberty Science Center which was hosted by The North Jersey Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Over the two days at the LSC, more than 300 children aged 5-13 participated at the PS&S table working on an augmented reality sandbox. This interactive table uses sand and 3-D visualization applications to create a virtual topography which is projected on a large screen so the kids could watch their experiments come to life.

Erika Bocian led the PS&S team and was joined by Rita Exposito, Brian Liebeskind, Pietro Di Tillio, Chris Zuidema, Kristin Baltadonis, Leonardo Afanador, David Marko and Gregory Ranft. Special assistance was provided by Erika’s son Ethan who helped make the PS&S table the place to be!

PS&S Welcomes Camila Israel

Camila Israel has joined PS&S as a Project Manager in the company’s Yonkers, New York regional office. She brings nearly 20 years of professional experience in environmental engineering and consulting services in both the United States and Latin America and specializes in site investigations, remedial action plans and environmental permitting and compliance.

Camila was raised in Bogota, Colombia and came to the United States in 2000 after obtaining her degree in Chemical Engineering from Universidad America in Bogota. Once in the States, Camila worked for an international engineering and consulting firm in West Palm Beach, Florida supporting the water resources and civil engineering group. In 2005, Camila moved to NY to work for Nova Consulting and since has provided  environmental and engineering consulting services to a variety of clients that includes small and large developers, property owners, major oil retail and insurances companies.

PS&S is delighted to add Camila to our outstanding team in Westchester, where she can add her expertise to a wide variety of projects including major redevelopments in New Rochelle, the Yonkers waterfront and Phase 3 of the Saw Mill River Daylighting.

South Jersey Biz Names Dr. Emily Cooperman as one of "2018 Women to Watch"

Congratulations to PS&S’s Dr. Emily Cooperman on being named one of South Jersey Biz’s Women to Watch for 2018.

PS&S Receives ACEC Engineering Excellence Award

The American Council of Engineering Companies of New Jersey (ACECNJ) recognized PS&S with its Distinguished Award in Engineering Excellence at its 47th Engineering Excellence Awards Banquet. The honor was awarded for PS&S's work providing design and engineering services for the renovation and addition to building B9 at Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Hopewell, NJ campus. The project consisted of 40,000sf of renovations and a 13,000sf addition to an existing R&D laboratory building. Along with architecture and mechanical, electrical, and piping design, PS&S also provided the geotechnical reporting and the structural engineering.

The project is an example of architectural and engineering design that is “inspired by the science."

PS&S Wins Landscape Architectural Design Award

PS&S’s work for “AVE at Florham Park,” recently received a Merit Award from the New Jersey Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (NJASLA) in the Landscape Architectural Site Design category.

The “AVE at Florham Park” is a 265 unit flexible-stay rental community situated on 11 acres on the former home of Exxon’s engineering division in Florham Park, NJ. Craig Cartmell was the project lead for our Landscape Architecture team which provided schematic design through construction administration and project close out for the latest development at The Green at Florham Park, a 268-acre master-planned development.

Proud to sponsor the New Jersey Future Redevelopment Forum

PS&S was proud to sponsor the New Jersey Future Redevelopment Forum on March 9 in New Brunswick as experts discussed how municipalities should plan for our state’s future growth.

WINTER 2018 NEWSLETTER

From the Corner Office

Doug Conant, the former Chief Executive Officer of Campbell Soup Company, is a business leader known for his focus on people. His motto has faithfully been, “To win in the marketplace, you must first win in the workplace.” We completely agree with Doug’s “people-first” approach, and so to kick off our first newsletter of 2018, we are focusing on our company’s most important resource: our employees.

We are always particularly happy when we get to recognize the people who have earned promotions by spotlighting them in our newsletters. We want our community to know who is moving up and succeeding in our company and this month, you will read about 11 stand-out employees who are becoming senior associates and associates. These 11 men and women are a large part of the reason we are so confident now and for the future of our companies.

We will also shine a spotlight on our new Senior Director, Rich Crane. Rich brings his wastewater expertise to our Water Resources team expanding our capabilities in that crucial area.

We are clearly growing and expanding as 2018 begins, and we look forward to watching these talented professionals help our company strengthen and prosper.

For more information, please contact Anthony Sartor at asartor@psands.com, or John Sartor at jsartor@psands.com.

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Focus On: Employee Promotions

We are happy to announce the following promotions in our family of companies at our Warren HQ and at our regional offices. Eleven professionals have been recognized for their outstanding work and dedicated service for our clients. All promotions took effect on January 1, 2018.

Promoted to Senior Associate:

Kristin Baltadonis – This is the second promotion for Kristin who joined PS&S in 2011. She is an environmental scientist with more than 14 years of experience in many aspects of environmental and remediation investigations. She works mostly in the Environmental Sector and handles some licensing and permitting in the Science and Tech Sector. Kristin, who grew up in Massachusetts, went to college in North Carolina and lives in Morristown, works mostly with New Jersey’s public utilities. Her favorite project has been uprating a pipeline in northern NJ for a utility client.

Helena Dimitrov –  Helena has held multiple roles in her 20+ years at the company. Currently, Helena is the Senior Business Analyst at AJS BIS, where she analyzes projects and works with clients on project workflow management, strategy and consultation. Her roots are in information technology, where she maximized profits for the company by helping to implement the conversion of the financial project control systems. A Hillsborough, NJ resident, Helena earned a BA in Political Science from Rutgers.

Dennis Fox – In his 10+ years at PS&S, Dennis has served as a Project Manager/Structural Engineer for the design of a wide range of projects from small renovations to large commercial, educational, institutional and industrial facilities. A Rowan University graduate, Dennis handles a variety of responsibilities including project management, design support and mentoring junior engineers.

Adam Lazer – Adam joined PS&S after graduating from the University of Rochester in 2002 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He left briefly to join a client’s firm but returned in 2015 and now serves as the Client Lead for that same company. Adam is a project manager supporting design and construction services for PS&S’s pharmaceutical clients.

Tom Maleski – Tom rejoined PS&S in 2016, returning to take a position as a Building Information Modeling (BIM) Manager. Tom is being promoted to Senior Associate in the Building Services group, working on a variety of projects, specifically training and mentoring on BIM technology. Tom received his degree in Civil Engineering from NJIT and previously worked at PS&S as a structural designer.

 

Promoted to Associate:

Scott Caporizzo – Scott joined PS&S in 2013 after graduating from Lehigh University with a degree in Environmental Engineering. Based in PS&S’s Yonkers office, Scott works in the Environmental Department, providing services for projects requiring site assessment/remediation and regulatory compliance. As a field supervisor, Scott observes and documents various remedial action implementations such as in-situ soil and groundwater treatment, sediment excavation, and engineering controls installation. He enjoys playing an integral role at a regional office, contributing to a close-knit group of people.

Fred Chen – Since 2015, Fred has been an integral member of the PS&S MEPF team. He has more than 10 years of experience in the engineering consulting industry and has served as Lead Engineer in charge of electrical engineering and design quality control of the department. Fred was born in Queens, NY, and now lives in Middlesex Borough, having graduated from Union College in 2007 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. His most memorable project was a resilience project for the Bergen County Utility Authority focusing on water pollution. PS&S was instrumental in obtaining federal funding to fix equipment damaged by Superstorm Sandy so that the base could be replaced from the bottom up to avoid future damage.

Agnes Dzierzanowski – Agnes is the heart and soul of the PS&S Land Project Controls Group. Since joining the company in 1993, Agnes has been responsible for the project opening and billing procedures, working with all of our Land project managers. Agnes’ dedication and attention to detail for our billing and budgeting processes have been essential to the success of this group.

Angela Gonzalez – For the past four years, Angela has been an architect in the PS&S Building Group after working as a sole proprietor and consultant. Currently, she is the project architect for Millville High School, a multi-phase renovation and addition in Millville, NJ. Angela earned her undergraduate degree in Environmental Design from Miami of Ohio and a Masters of Architecture from Virginia Tech. Originally from Ossining, NY, Angela now lives in Mendham, NJ.

Adolf Montana – A 20-year PS&S veteran, Adolf is a LEED accredited Civil Engineer who is responsible for design work related to all aspects of site development. In particular, Adolf is responsible for site layout, roadway design, grading, storm and sanitary design. In one of his early projects, he helped develop the roadway design for the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. A CCNY graduate and resident of Monroe, Adolf is currently working on the design-build Hudson County School of Technology set to open later this year in Secaucus.

Darlene Silva – Darlene is a member of our Wall regional office where her responsibilities include performance of environmental feasibility analyses, wetlands delineations and permit applications. Her experience includes projects subject to the Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act as well as projects subject to New Jersey Pinelands Commission jurisdiction. Darlene also prepares Environmental Impact Statements for submission to New Jersey municipalities. A graduate of Paul Smith’s College with a degree in Ecology and Environmental Technology, Darlene has been at PS&S since 2014.

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Employee Spotlight: Rich Crane

Rich Crane has joined PS&S as a Senior Director in the company’s Water Resources Department.  He will be based in the Company’s Wall, New Jersey, regional office.

Rich has 37 years of experience in feasibility studies, planning, process mechanical design, contract administration and project management for wastewater treatment plant and pump station design and related construction projects.  He began his career in the wastewater field by working on various projects for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection including several large treatment facilities which treated between 125-350 million gallons of wastewater per day.  Rich was involved in the design, startup, training and construction administration of wastewater treatment facilities in all five NYC Boroughs.

Rich was hired to strengthen PS&S’s wastewater capabilities, and the decision is already paying dividends.  He has a long and successful relationship with the South Monmouth Regional Sewerage Authority (SMRSA) having designed both their original cogeneration system installation and the cogeneration system upgrade.  PS&S was just recently awarded a construction phase services contract for the system upgrade project.  The PS&S team is proud to continue that relationship.

“I have known about PS&S and its capabilities for years,” Rich commented. “I wanted to join this team not only because of the strength of the company’s water resources group, but because of the level of talent throughout the company. Add in the wide variety of projects and the diverse client base, and the decision to join PS&S was a no-brainer.”

Rich and his wife Alberta have three adult sons and reside in Freehold Township. Outside the office, Rich believes in giving back by working with the next generation of engineers. He has served as an instructor for Rutgers University helping recent graduates study for the hydraulics portion of the PE exam.

“Rich brings PS&S’s wastewater capabilities to a new level,” said John Vena, PS&S’s Associate Principal in charge of the company’s Wall Regional Office. “His expertise increases our opportunities to secure larger and more significant projects in the area of wastewater treatment, pumping stations, solids handing facilities and cogeneration.”

For more information, please contact Rich Crane at rcrane@psands.com.