GEI Consultants opens offices in Southeastern U.S.

 BOSTON — GEI Consultants Inc. opened offices in Atlanta and Raleigh, N.C., to better
serve existing and new clients, markets, and opportunities in the region. GEI hired 12 local professionals in advance of the office openings on Aug. 1, 2011.

"Over the past decade GEI has generated over $20 million in fees in Southeastern states supporting a host of clients on dozens of geotechnical, environmental, and water resources-related projects," said Francis D. Leathers, P.E., president of GEI. "By opening offices in Atlanta and Raleigh, GEI is better equipped to support existing and new clients with well regarded local technical professionals. These individuals are in turn supported by other nationally recognized experts in a variety of specialties within geotechnical and environmental engineering, water resources planning and engineering, and ecological science."

Scott Keating joins GEI as vice president with responsibility for Southeast operations, and branch manager of the Atlanta office. He has more than 25 years of experience in environmental engineering and consulting and is considered an expert in environmental and remediation services applied to freight and transit rail, former manufactured gas plant (MGP) sites, and a variety of energy, industrial and institutional settings. His transportation experience includes 20 years of program and project management and technical problem solving on dozens of freight and transit rail projects involving petroleum fuels, metals, chlorinated solvents, and PCBs. His MGP and traditional environmental experience supplements GEI’s well-established practices.

"GEI has a strong national reputation for excellence in the fields of environmental remediation and engineering in addition to its equally well regarded geotechnical, water resources, and ecology practices. Though GEI has worked with clients in all Southeastern states for many years, it is exciting to help launch our physical presence," said Keating.

Joining Keating in Atlanta are Jamie Laubenthal, senior program manager; Jason Broshear, environmental geologist/project manager; Andrea Brazell, database specialist/project manager; and Lesley Gastwirth, environmental scientist.

GEI’s Raleigh, N.C., office will be managed by Christopher Bradley, P.E., an environmental engineer with 16 years of experience in the environmental consulting industry. He comes to GEI with a strong track record in environmental remediation, design, and implementation for a broad range of clients in the Southeastern U.S. with a focus toward MGP utility and rail transportation clients on soil, sediment, and groundwater remediation projects.

"Being a mid-sized, employee-owned firm supports close client contact and presents exciting opportunities to integrate our collective national expertise on a local level. It also offers an attractive culture for our new staff," Bradley said.

He is joined in the Raleigh office by senior environmental project managers Mark Westray and Paul Jansen; remedial design engineers Currie Mixon, P.E., and Jon Williams, P.E.; and geologists Wes Sterling, P.G. and Brooke Bennett.