Coffman Engineers, Inc. (Coffman), a national multidiscipline engineering firm, announced a new outside board director and 12 new shareholders at their annual shareholders’ meeting held on March 23 in San Diego.

Coffman elected Bettina Chastain as a new outside board director. Chastain succeeds Dave Olson, who served as an outside director for over 20 years. Bettina is a professional licensed chemical engineer who was the founder of Alaska’s premier process engineering and process safety management firm providing oil and gas consulting services nationally and internationally. She currently serves as the Chugach Electric Association’s Board Chair, the regional electric utility in Anchorage.

“Bettina is an exceptional talent, and we look forward to her involvement on Coffman’s board. We are also grateful for Dave Olson’s dedication to this company and his guidance as we navigated unprecedented change and growth during his tenure,” said Dave Ruff, PE, Coffman’s CEO and Chair.

This year’s election of 12 new shareholders is the largest group in the company’s history. These leaders represent diverse engineering experience and management roles from across the company. The new shareholders include Luvelyn Benitez, SE; Kyle Cheesbrough, PE; Steven Dannaway, PE; Bryan Derr, PE; Jeremy Dow, PE; Dan Fasy; Lilay Gebreigziabher, CPA; Steve Hawk, SE; Scott Knecht, PE; Sean Lamb, SE; Culley Parris, PE; and Scott Thompson.

“Adding new ownership is critical for the growth and health of Coffman to support our people, teams, and clients. These incredible leaders give us great confidence in our future. We welcome and thank these new principals for their commitment to leading our company, supporting our vision, and continued organizational growth,” stated Chad Heimbigner, PE, Coffman’s Chief Operations Officer.

Luvelyn Benitez, SE, is a Structural Engineering Discipline Manager in Coffman’s San Diego office and manages life science, commercial, medical office, and manufacturing facilities. She is actively supporting the AEC community including mentoring engineers.

Kyle Cheesbrough, PE, is General Manager for Coffman’s Denver office and was instrumental in establishing the office. He is a civil engineer with a background in industrial oil and gas and power generation projects.

Steven Dannaway, PE, is the Operations Manager for Coffman’s Downtown Los Angeles office. He was instrumental in establishing the office and the fire protection engineering discipline for the company’s LA-OC region.

Bryan Derr, PE, is a Senior Fire Protection Engineer in Coffman’s D.C. Metro office. He was the first employee in the D.C. Metro office and was instrumental in its development. In addition to fire protection/life safety consulting, he focuses on client relationship development and is involved in career development for engineering students.

Jeremy Dow, PE, is the Electrical Engineering Department Manager for Coffman’s Honolulu office. He has grown the company’s market share in Hawaii and Guam while leading complex projects and mentoring the department’s junior professionals.

Dan Fasy is a Vice President and Coffman’s General Counsel. He leads the company’s legal department and advises on various legal and business issues. He oversees the company’s risk management, contract negotiation, litigation matters, legal aspects of mergers and acquisitions, and commercial real estate interests.

Lilay Gebreigziabher, CPA, is Coffman’s Chief Financial Officer and is responsible for a wide range of critical accounting, E&O insurance, and finance functions, including overseeing the company’s accounting department and improving operational efficiencies.

Steve Hawk, SE, is General Manager for Coffman’s Portland office. He is a civil/structural engineer with experience in metal buildings and ag/industrial projects. He opened the firm’s Portland office and focused on business development growth.

Scott Knecht, PE, is a mechanical engineer and the commissioning group manager for Coffman’s Spokane office. He leads multidiscipline projects in healthcare, recreation, education, and commercial markets.

Sean Lamb, SE, is the Structural Engineering Discipline Manager for Coffman’s Denver office, where he manages the team and provides design support. He has a background in industrial facilities and maintains working relationships with oil and gas clients across the company.

Culley Parris, PE, is a mechanical engineer in Coffman’s Spokane office specializing in industrial mechanical projects. He excels at maintaining long-term client relationships, specializes in finite element analysis, and takes on challenging and unusual projects.

Scott Thompson is the Vice President and Operations Manager for Coffman’s Guam office. He opened the Guam office and continues to grow the company’s presence and secure contracts for projects with DoD, local government, and commercial clients.

For more information and complete bios visit: www.coffman.com/news/2023-board-update-and-new-principals/

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For more information, contact Beth Shimogawa at 808-687-8884 or email [email protected].