Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced that Dr. Emily Poynter Jenkins, Ph.D., PE, has been appointed to serve as a Member of the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO). Emily is the Water Resources Group Lead and a Civil Engineering Manager in Farnsworth Group’s Champaign office. She specializes in sustainable and ecological designs to manage stormwater and improve water quality.
ORANSCO was established to control and abate pollution in the Ohio River Basin and represents eight states (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia) as well as the federal government. It operates programs to improve water quality in the Ohio River and its tributaries, including setting wastewater discharge standards, performing biological assessments, monitoring the chemical and physical properties of the waterways, and conducting special surveys and studies.
Jenkins earned her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, her Master of Science in Ecological Engineering from the University of Maryland, and her doctorate from the University of Illinois.
Farnsworth Group, a national full-service engineering, architecture, and survey firm, is pleased to announce Laura Weber as the new Vice President of Human Resources. With nearly 20 years of experience in all areas of HR — including operations, benefits, employee experiences, onboarding, compensation, and payroll — Laura brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our organization.
Prior to joining Farnsworth Group, Laura held HR leadership roles at Cardinal Financial as Vice President, Human Resources, and at Archwell Holdings, also as Vice President, Human Resources. She has led HR teams of more than 35 people supporting over 2,000 employees, and served on executive leadership teams offering an important role in strategy and guidance. Laura is experienced in succession planning, employee engagement, and retention strategies — areas where she’s made a significant impact in her past roles. She also has been successful creating and implementing development programs that enhance employee skills and support career growth and is particularly focused on enriching employee engagement and recognizing that our people are the Company’s most valuable asset.
Laura holds a BS in Psychology from the University of Illinois and a Master of Science in Industrial/Organizational-Social Psychology from Illinois State University.
Farnsworth Group, a national full-service engineering, architecture, and survey firm, is pleased to announce the appointment of Scott Throm, PLS, CFedS, as the new Survey Group Leader.
Scott Throm brings over 25 years of experience in the survey industry, having started as a staff surveyor and advancing to leadership roles managing numerous survey teams nationwide. He is a multi-faceted professional, well-connected throughout the survey and construction community, with a passion for developing strategic solutions, employee growth, business development, and client management. Scott will be relocating from Arizona to our Denver office and will join Farnsworth Group as its newest Principal.
Scott comes to Farnsworth Group from Aztec Engineering, where he served as Vice President and Field Services Practice Leader. In that role, he led a team of 26 professionals and spearheaded business development initiatives across transportation, environmental, energy, and renewable markets. Scott is a licensed Professional Land Surveyor in Colorado, Arizona, and California and a Certified Federal Surveyor – an esteemed credential awarded by the Bureau of Land Management. He holds a degree in Civil Engineering from Michigan State University and a BS in Project Management from Colorado State University.
Please join us in welcoming Scott Throm to the Farnsworth Group team. We look forward to the continued success and growth of our Survey Department under his leadership
Farnsworth Group is excited to announce that Three exceptional individuals were named to the role of Principal.
These three leaders truly embody the spirit of Farnsworth Group through their dedication to advancing our mission, upholding our core values, and enriching our dedication to people, passion, and performance, among many other contributions.
Please join us in recognizing Darin Amsberry (Denver), Wade Ross (Peoria), and Jeff Chermely (Denver) for their accomplishments in leadership in the Company now and in the future.
Darin Amsberry, PE
Darin joined Farnsworth Group in 2012 and serves as Director of Process Engineering. Darin is passionate about designing high-purity facility systems and providing great experiences for his clients. Darin has spent most of his career designing process systems for semiconductor fabrication clients. He has significant expertise in ultrapure water, wastewater treatment, process chemical, process mechanical, and controls systems. Darin has experience in large-scale renovations and upgrade projects as well as greenfield new construction projects. He helps guide and lead Farnsworth Group’s work with Micron, leading a full-service team on a relationship that began more than 10 years ago. He earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Kansas.
Wade Ross, PE
Wade joined the firm last November to serve as Director of Mechanical Engineering. He was recently named Group Leader for the Building Systems Engineering Group leading MEP, Commissioning, and Asset Management. Wade is a Mechanical engineering professional with nearly 30 years of experience dedicated to successful construction projects. He has a diverse design background working in numerous market sectors including healthcare, federal, educational, manufacturing, and critical operations centers. He joined Farnsworth Group after serving as Mechanical Section Leader for HDR in Dallas. Previously he was at IMEG for more than 20 years where he served in Dallas as Project Executive and Principal for four years and prior to that in the Quad Cities (Illinois/Iowa) for 17 years. Wade earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University.
Jeff Chermely, AIA
Jeff joined Farnsworth Group in January as a Principal and serves as Group Leader for the Architecture team. He is located in the Denver office, where he also serves as Center Manager. Jeff is a licensed architect with over 20 years of experience and has delivered award-winning projects in a wide variety of markets including corporate office, education, healthcare, sports, and life science. Jeff served as Technical Director at the Perkins & Will Atlanta, GA, office for 15 years before moving to Denver where he was Director of Operations for nearly four years providing leadership of more than 90 employees. This wide range of experience, complemented with advanced degrees in business and construction, allow Jeff to manage complicated projects from concept to construction closeout. Some of his notable projects have included Project Manager for Interface Headquarters, BMW Site Operations Center, and Blackrock iHub. Jeff earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Tennessee, an MS in Building Construction from Georgia Institute of Technology, and an MBA from Emory University in Atlanta.
Bloomington, Illinois – Farnsworth Group, a national engineering, architecture, and survey firm, is pleased to announce the hiring of Charles Keefer, AIA, NCARB, as a Principal of the firm. Keefer will assume responsibility to further advance the firm’s collective focus of achieving successful projects through careful planning, effective communication, efficient execution, and collaborative teamwork.
Keefer is a licensed architect with over 20 years of experience leading multi-disciplined engineering and architecture project teams. He graduated from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, earning a Bachelor of Architecture degree. He later obtained an MBA from the University of Charleston. Throughout his career, Charles has served in multiple roles guiding multi-discipline project teams while developing best practices and programs for project management and execution.
“I am excited to take on this role with Farnsworth Group to enhance our focus on project management and ensure we are delivering projects of exceptional quality and value to our clients,” said Keefer. “The firm has a strong foundation and commitment to project management guidelines and training programs, and I see this as an opportunity to take our processes to the next level.”
Karen Jensen, President & CEO, adds, “I am thrilled to add Charles to our fantastic team here at Farnsworth Group. He brings a passion for all things project management, and I believe his energy and fresh ideas will propel us to perform even better, collaborate more efficiently, and delight our clients with exceptional projects.”
BLOOMINGTON, IL … October 5, 2023 … Farnsworth Group, a national full-service engineering, architecture, and survey firm, announced today that it has acquired Sterling Design Associates (SDA), a 7-person planning, civil engineering, and landscape architecture firm located in Littleton, CO.
The addition of Sterling Design will further complement Farnsworth Group’s civil engineering and planning capabilities in Colorado and introduce landscape architecture to its full-service disciplines in the Western region.
“Sterling Design aligns seamlessly with Farnsworth Group’s mission and culture, and we eagerly anticipate the integration of this top talent joining our team,” said Farnsworth Group President & CEO Karen Jensen, PE. “Their track record of delivering exceptional client service, their experienced design team, and their unwavering commitment to a ‘client-first’ philosophy are all qualities that resonate closely with Farnsworth Group.”
Sterling Design was established in 1998 and claims a client mix that includes commercial retail centers, restaurants, office/warehouse projects, K-12 education, as well as urban redevelopment, parks and recreation facilities, and military base campus projects. With the resources of Farnsworth Group, Sterling Design will be able to offer its clients a full spectrum of engineering and architectural services while Farnsworth Group benefits from Sterling’s expanded capabilities.
“We believe this partnership is a natural fit due to Farnsworth Group’s renowned surveying expertise and architecture in Denver, seamlessly complementing our civil and landscape architecture services within the Denver community,” said Wayne Sterling, Sterling Design Associates founder, owner and principal. “We highly value the growth opportunities it presents for our existing team members, and we’re confident that the unique skills brought by our seven professionals will make an immediate impact at Farnsworth Group.”
Sterling Design will assume the Farnsworth Group name and brand, with employees relocating to the Company’s Denver office location in the Denver Tech Center.
Farnsworth Group is thrilled to announce the appointment of four exceptional individuals to the position of Principal within our organization.
These individuals embody Farnsworth Group as they have demonstrated a commitment to advancing our mission, representing our core values, enhancing our “people, passion, and performance” identity, and so much more.
Please join us in recognizing Scott Janssen (St. Louis, MO), Amanda Occhi (Colorado Springs, CO), Bob Ridgway (Waukee, IA), and Ryan Uebinger (Champaign, IL) for their accomplishments and leadership in the Company now and in the future.
Scott Janssen, PE
Scott joined Farnsworth Group in 2012 and serves as Senior Engineering Manager in the Energy & Utilities Telecom section. He is located in the St. Louis, MO, office. Scott has over 20 years of experience in engineering and management capacities, including Project Engineer and Project Manager. He also helped launch an Employee Development Program in the St. Louis office as a way to build camaraderie and expand personal development. Scott is a licensed Professional Engineer and earned a BS in Civil Engineering from Valparaiso University.
Bob Ridgway, AIA, NCARB
Bob is an Architecture Principal and serves as Center Manager for the Waukee, IA, office. Bob joined Farnsworth Group as part of the Company’s acquisition of Design Alliance in 2019. He has more than 35 years of experience and involvement in all levels of project execution and management, successfully leading full-service project teams and subconsultants. Through his experience and client skills, Bob has developed and continues to build successful client relationships throughout the Midwest in a variety of markets including education, municipal, and state government markets. He is especially passionate about municipal public service projects that are key to keeping our communities safe. Bob is a licensed professional architect in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota and earned a BS in Architecture from the University of Nebraska.
Amanda Occhi, PE
Amanda joined Farnsworth Group in 2015 and currently serves as Regional Senior Engineering Manager, responsible for the Western region electrical section. She also serves as Center Manager for the Colorado Springs, CO, office and is a member of the Farnsworth Group Board of Directors, elected to her first term in 2022. Upon joining Farnsworth Group, Amanda successfully created unified electrical design standards and built relationships between the Colorado and Midwest electrical offices. She also has been instrumental in expanding Farnsworth Group’s healthcare presence in Colorado. She has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare, education, municipal, and hospitality electrical engineering design, as well as peer reviews, master planning, site investigations, facility condition assessments, and construction administration. Amanda earned an MBA from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Louisiana State University. She is a Professional Engineer and LEED Accredited Professional, BD+C.
Ryan Uebinger, PE
Ryan is a Senior Engineering Manager in Farnsworth Group’s Transportation group, offering 24 years of transportation engineering experience. He joined Farnsworth Group in 2014 and is located in the Champaign, IL, office, where he leads the Champaign Transportation section. Ryan has been a key contributor to Farnsworth Group’s success in the transportation market, serving as a valuable resource and trusted advisor to municipalities throughout Illinois and a leader on transportation projects throughout the state. His experience also includes project management for utility-scale wind energy projects, working with renewable energy companies and local road authorities, providing civil and transportation design solutions to implement and construct projects. Ryan is a licensed Professional Engineer and earned a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is a member of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois and currently serves on the IDOT and Construction Committees.
Farnsworth Group is pleased to announce the hiring of Jeremy Nolen as Director of Business Development with a focus on Renewable Energy. Nolen will be responsible for driving business growth and developing relationships with clients as they make the transition to electrification and clean energy sources.
Nolen brings nearly a decade of experience in the renewable energy industry to Farnsworth Group. Most recently, he served as Project Executive for EnergyLink, where he developed renewable energy projects including solar, wind, battery storage, and EV charging stations.
“I am excited to be joining Farnsworth Group and look forward to helping the firm further its commitment to renewable energy,” said Nolen. “I have always been passionate about the renewable energy industry and am eager to help Farnsworth Group continue to grow and innovate in this space.”
Mike Wolf, Vice President of Business Development, adds, “Nationwide, sustainability and electrification are reshaping design practices for buildings, infrastructure, and energy. Bringing Jeremy to the Farnsworth Group team gives our clients another key resource to navigate funding opportunities, new projects, and how to make their investment have the biggest impact. The skills and experience Jeremy have are the perfect complement to our strong engineering and architectural capabilities. “
Continued growth in 2022 fueled Farnsworth Group’s move up seven places to No. 213 on Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) ranking of the Top 500 Design Firms for 2023. The ENR Top 500 recognizes the top-performing design firms in the United States, based on revenue earned from design services in the previous year. Farnsworth Group ranked No. 220 in 2022.
ENR’s annual list is highly regarded in the industry and serves as a benchmark for the performance of design firms across the country.
“This ranking reflects the hard work and dedication of our talented team, as well as our unwavering commitment to providing exceptional service to our clients,” said Karen Jensen, PE, President and CEO of Farnsworth Group. “Last year the firm pursued new markets, expanded its service offerings, and utilized the resources of our national team of experts as we worked to fulfill our mission of advancing our communities and contributing to the success of our clients. We are looking forward to and are well positioned for the upcoming year, and our team is excited about the opportunities ahead.”
Farnsworth Group saw growth in several key areas during 2022 including healthcare, advanced manufacturing, renewables, and infrastructure.
Farnsworth Group is an employee-owned full-service engineering, architecture, and survey firm offering clients more than 500 professionals located throughout a nationwide network of offices. Founded in 1890, Farnsworth Group delivers professional service and design solutions to a wide variety of clients and markets, from small and local governments to some of the nation’s most recognized brands.
Farnsworth Group announced that Julia Pluff, F.SAME, has joined the Company to serve as Director of Business Development with a focus on leading its national grants program. Pluff will be based in the firm’s St. Louis, MO, office.
Pluff comes to Farnsworth Group with 14 years of business development and recruiting experience in the Architecture/Engineering/Construction (AEC) industry. Most recently, Pluff served as a Business Development Representative for RTM Engineering Consultants, where her role focused in areas of federal, higher education, healthcare as well as state and local governments.
With her new position at Farnsworth Group, Pluff will focus on consolidating the Company’s grants program by locating and matching appropriate grant opportunities to client needs.
“I have known of Farnsworth Group for 12 years, and the respect I have for the people that work here and the work they do, is what drew me to the Company,” Pluff said.
Mike Wolf, Vice President, Business Development and Marketing, adds, “Julia is not only a familiar face to many of us who have worked with her over the last decade but brings a wealth of business development knowledge to our team. Her role is an exciting “first” for us – to have someone providing leadership to our grants program, focusing on strategies to bring money to our clients, working with our project managers across our markets – all with a healthy amount of client interaction.”
Pluff earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Economics from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. She holds a Fellow award within the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) to honor her service and dedication to the organization.
