Stantec has expanded its team of water and geotechnical engineers in the Gulf Region with seven strategic hires. These additions strengthen the firm’s Water Practice and its ability to serve clients along the Gulf Coast and beyond.
This group of professionals brings more than a century of collective experience in water and geotechnical engineering research, design, and project management. Their support allows Stantec to further expand and enhance the services it provides to clients and communities in the region. The new members of Stantec’s Gulf Water Practice include:
Jose Aramburu, P.E. joins Stantec’s Houston office as a geotechnical project manager, bringing more than 20 years of experience in onshore, nearshore, and offshore geotechnical engineering and management. He has a distinguished track record of successful project delivery in the U.S., Latin America, West Africa, and The Netherlands. This includes serving as exploration manager of more than 12 drilling and cone penetration testing (CPT) crews in Texas, Louisiana, and California. Aramburu has also run programs for the U.S. Army and Texas state agencies that focused on onshore and nearshore field geotechnical and environmental soil borings, instrumentation, and reporting for levees, excavations, water reservoirs, and the expansion of the Gulf Coast navigating channels.
Seyoum Asamenaw, P.E., D.WRE, P.M.P. joins Stantec’s Dallas office as a senior water resources engineer. With more than 18 years of experience, he brings extensive knowledge in water resource and geotechnical engineering, including FEMA hydrology and hydraulic modeling, flood control structures, hydropower and water supply damns, flood impact assessment, dam safety inspection and modification, hydrologic events probabilistic hazard analysis, and risk-based decision analysis. Asamenaw has served as a civil engineer and project manager for the Division of Dam Safety and Inspection at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Atlanta Regional Office where he was responsible for the inspection and review of projects in support of dam safety and hydropower license requirements and compliance.
David Lutz, P.E. serves as a geotechnical project manager out of Stantec’s Dallas office. He brings more than 32 years of consulting experience that includes geotechnical project management, technical expertise, and operations. Lutz has conducted and managed geotechnical investigations and analyses for clients in both the public and private sectors. His experience also includes a variety of infrastructure projects, such as water/wastewater treatment plants, pipelines, pump stations, and levees, as well as several transportation projects, including highways, local roads, and rail.
Raja Madyhannapu, PhD, P.E. joins Stantec’s Houston office as a geotechnical engineer with a combined 15 years of experience in geotechnical engineering research and practice. Working in both the public and private sectors, he has served as a lead geotechnical engineer and engineering manager on a variety of projects throughout the Gulf Coast. This includes geotechnical field investigations, shallow and deep foundations, slopes and levees, advanced laboratory testing, soil stabilization studies, geotechnical reports, and the development of design recommendations.
Myles McManus, P.E. serves as a senior hydrology and hydraulics engineer in Stantec’s Houston office. Prior to joining Stantec, McManus served as a senior water resources engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, working on a variety of projects, including the Hydrologic Engineering Center in Davis, California. He is an expert in the Hydrologic Engineering Center and Corps Water Management System models and has extensive experience with programming and modeling software development, enhancement, and training.
Jeffrey Pena, P.E. joins Stantec as a principal and senior project manager in the firm’s office in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, focusing on water and wastewater engineering. He brings 22 years of experience in the engineering and management of complex waterway and flood control projects. Pena’s project management and design experience includes the management of multi-disciplinary and multi-firm teams. Projects under his direction have included levees, pump stations, floodwalls, saltwater and flood control structures, coastal and erosion protection, bridge design, and construction management. Pena’s career has focused primarily on federal, state, and local clients throughout the Gulf region.
Hilary Thibodeaux, P.E. also joins Stantec as a principal and senior project manager in water and wastewater engineering. Working out of the firm’s New Orleans office, he brings 22 years of experience in engineering and managing erosion and sediment control projects. Thibodeaux has focused primarily on addressing coastal issues affecting state and levee districts. His track record of success includes the design and construction management of dredging, flood gate structures, braced floodwalls, earthen levees, and wetland mitigation and restoration for the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.
