Welcome to the following new members of NASTT who joined in February! NASTT is ready for your fresh perspectives, expertise and energy. The NASTT trenchless community can’t wait to connect, collaborate and learn together!

 

Group Corporate & Group Government/Utility Members

Big River Trenchless and GeoServices

Ferreira Construction Co., Inc.

Freese and Nichols, Inc.

Hoerr Construction Inc.

Landmark EPC, LLC

Montgomery Water Works & Sanitary Sewer Board

Oakland County Water Resources

Sewer Equipment Company of America

Village of Pleasant Prairie

 

Be sure to check out this list of more than 80 new individual members and then connect with them in the NASTT Member Connect Directory.

 

Individual Members

Alberto Abarca, Tetra Tech, Inc.

Hamidreza Allahdadi, University of Texas at San Antonio

Marcos Allende, Skava Consulting

Kevin Alspach, AECOM

Fadilat Amisu, Fadilat

Elvis Anthony, Wade Trim

Joseph Anthony, Enbridge Inc. – Corporate Head Office

Bivek Basnet, Louisiana Tech University

Colby Baxter, Freese and Nichols

Shelby Berke, Muller Engineering Company

Heath Bryant, Colonial Pipeline

Marc Carmody, CDS New Zealand Ltd

Matt Chambliss, Montgomery Water Works & Sanitary Sewer Board

Prashant Chavan, University of Texas at Arlington

James Corbin, CJGeo Contractors

Kaylee Craplewe, University of Alberta

farhad daneshgar, University of Texas at Arlington

Preet Desai, University of Texas at Arlington

Kiran Dhakal, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Stephen Driscoll, Muller Engineering Company

Rajendar Dubai, Arlington County Government

Karina Esquivel, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Aileen Grecia Estrada, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico

Fatima Flores Almanza, City and County of Denver | Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI)

Grayson Fuller, Pond and Company

Gabriel Garcia, Haugland Group

Rahn Gentle, Montgomery Water Works & Sanitary Sewer Board

Frida Godinez Robles, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico

Olyvia Green, Burns and McDonnell

Hamdi Hamad, RS&H

Gantt Hartley, Montgomery Water Works & Sanitary Sewer Board

Liam Henderson, Apex Companies, LLC

Sheimberg Isaac, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Brent Johnson, CDM Smith Inc. – World HQ

Brad Jorgensen, Provo River Water User Association

Sahar Kamalou, Oregon State University

Brian Kelenc, Engineered Pipe Group

Ahmed Khedr, Concordia University

Ryan Leister, Hometown Septic Services Inc

Praneetha Lukka, University of Texas at Arlington

James Lupo, Colorado School of Mines

Elijah Megargel, Kleinfelder

Dylan Merlo, Woodard & Curran

Ayoub Mohammadi, University of Texas at Arlington

Delaney Morgan, Xcel Energy

Sireesha Mutnuri, University of Texas at Arlington

Rim Najmeddine, University of Texas at Arlington

Praneeth Chowdary Nelakuditi, University of Texas at Arlington

Nirakar Neupane, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Mark Neuroth, Stantec

Vu Nguyen, Pond and Company

Pranavi Ouppla, University of Texas at Arlington

Preyankkumar Parel, Enerinfra Private Limited

Stevie Parks, Las Vegas Valley Water District

Jaden Patel, Association of General Contractors

Vaibhav Patil, University of Texas at Arlington

Mohit Patil, University of Texas at Arlington

Honglai Peng, Georgia Institute of Technology

Franck Peng, Balsam Laboratory Company Ltd

Niveditha Pinamarukil Sunil, University of Texas at Arlington

Lola Preseren, Kent State University

Ruthvik Pulluri, University of Texas at Arlington

Preethi Rajashekar, University of Texas at Arlington

Sathish Ramasamy, Purdue University

Bryce Rogers, Louisiana Tech University

Sam Rowdon, CDS New Zealand Ltd

Nafisa Shafiullah, University of Texas at Arlington

Sharuk Shaik, University of Texas at Arlington

Fady Shweihat, Arcadis

Eswara Sistla, North American Society for Trenchless Technology

Nicholas Slowey, University of North Florida-College of Computing, Engineering and Construction

Andrew Taliaferro, CJGeo Contractors

Kyle Talmage, Montgomery Water Works & Sanitary Sewer Board

Ritika Talwar, CUNY

Giana Testa, Kent State University

Kayla Usko, Kent State University

James Vandervelde, Paragon Systems Testing

Carlos Vargas, Sewer Equipment Company of America

Amanda Waki, Fukunaga and Associates

Robert Weinert, Plummer

Mike Whitehouse, ISCO Industries – Headquarters

Samuel Wieland, Muller Engineering Company

The Ralston Young Trenchless Achievement Award applauds savvy members under 36 who demonstrated excellence early in their career by making valuable contributions to the trenchless technology industry, achieving noteworthy professional success, and actively participating in NASTT. With their talent and ability, these impressive people are the future of trenchless.

KYLE R. FRIEDMAN, PE
Mountain West Trenchless Lead
Brierley Associates

Kyle is a geotechnical engineer specializing in underground construction, trenchless technologies and tunneling with both a B.S. and M.S. in civil engineering with a geotechnical concentration. A registered Professional Engineer in multiple states, his experience in the trenchless industry extends the full life of a trenchless project, including trenchless alternative analyses, developing and conducting geotechnical site investigations, preparing Geotechnical Data Reports (GDR) and Geotechnical Baseline Reports (GBR), design of trenchless crossings and specification development, HDD alignment selections and optimizations, as well as tunneling observations during construction.

Kyle has had an impactful presence within the trenchless community including 9 papers and presentations at various conferences within the trenchless and water/wastewater communities. He has been a key member of the field team during construction of several complex projects, including two award-winning projects: the Empire State Trail Box Tunnel and the Lake Isabella Dam Safety Modification Project.

The candidate has also been an active volunteer within NASTT and RMNASTT since 2019 and is currently an executive board member and Treasurer for the RMNASTT Chapter and is on the No Dig 2025 planning committee.

“Kyle actively advances and advocates for NASTT’s mission in every aspect of his career. He learns as much as possible about trenchless project success and risk mitigation while pushing the limits of current technologies. Committed to industry growth, he shares his knowledge with owners and contractors to promote awareness, understand possibilities, highlight limitations and ensure successful projects and satisfied teams.” – Anna Crockford, Senior Engineer, Brierley Associates

“Kyle plays a key role in the NASTT Rocky Mountain Regional Chapter and its annual Trenchless Elevated conference and Clay Shoot. He is instrumental in organizing, securing participation, moderating, and speaking at these events. Because of his involvement, these events provide valuable insights for trenchless contractors, engineers and owners.” – Jason Langer, General Manager, Underground Infrastructure Technologies

PHILL PERRON
Vice President, Projects
The Crossing Group

Phill is a Canadian professional with an accomplished career spanning logistics, supply chain management, and trenchless technology. Born in Kingston, Ontario, he earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the Royal Military College of Canada and a master’s degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the University of Hull in the United Kingdom.

He served for a decade as a Supply Chain Operations Officer in the Royal

Canadian Air Force. As part of a multi-generational military family, he was proud to contribute to Canada’s missions both at home and abroad. Over the course of his military career, he completed multiple missions and tours, earning commendations for exemplary service.

After transitioning from military service, Phill joined Lockheed Martin, where he supported the $60 billion C-130J Hercules In-Service Support Contract between Lockheed and the Government of Canada. In 2019, he brought his logistical expertise to The Crossing Group as Corporate Supply Chain Manager. There, he applied his military-honed skills to optimize operations for the company’s extensive fleet of over 60 trenchless spreads, significantly enhancing efficiency and agility.

Phill regularly attends the NASTT No-Dig Show and encourages young professionals and others to expand their networks and knowledge through NASTT education and regional chapter participation. He has been published in NASTT Trenchless for Gas Infrastructure Magazine and participated as a reviewer and subject matter expert editor for NASTT’s HDD Good Practices Guidelines, Fifth Edition. He is co-presenting “PacWave South Trenchless Construction – Geotechnical Considerations” on Tuesday, April 1 at the 2025 No-Dig Show in Denver.

“A distinguished Royal Canadian Air Force veteran, Phill has risen rapidly in the trenchless industry, becoming an executive at The Crossing Group by age 33. He leads the largest trenchless scope of the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) project and is dedicated to advancing the craft side of trenchless, developing young professionals into skilled technicians. His leadership and commitment to safety, efficiency, and industry growth have earned him respect across the field. His passion for education and mentorship makes him a true champion.” – Thomas Swinney, PMP, US Project Coordinator, The Crossing Group

“What sets Phill apart is not just his technical acumen but his visionary leadership. He commands the respect of everyone he works with, from the most seasoned professionals to the newest recruits. His leadership style, shaped by his experience as an officer in the Air Force, exemplified the importance of discipline, safety and mission-driven work. These qualities translate seamlessly into his role at The Crossing Group, where his approach to safety and performance sets a high standard for everyone around him. – Romeo Shiplee, PE, Director of Geotechnical Engineering, Campos EPC, LLC

Special recognition of Kyle and Phill will take place at the NASTT 2025 No-Dig Show in Denver at the Opening Breakfast.

The NASTT Hall of Fame is pleased to welcome Dr. Kimberlie Staheli, P.E., President and Principal Engineer at Staheli Trenchless Consultants as its 2025 inductee. The Hall of Fame honors NASTT members who have made outstanding accomplishments and exceptional contributions to the advancement of the North American trenchless industry and NASTT. Kim is the 35^th inductee into the Hall of Fame and as a trailblazer in the industry, the first female.

With more than 30 years of experience, Kim’s career began in 1992 after she received her Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Her early work in the trenchless industry started at Hydro Group, Inc. in Columbus, Ohio, where she gained hands-on experience with a new technology in the United States – microtunneling.

 Motivated by her interest in soils engineering and tunneling, Kim earned a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Mississippi State University in 1996 and worked as a key member of a pioneering research team for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the Waterways Experiment Station. Kim authored a landmark resource for the trenchless industry,  Installations of Pipelines Beneath Levees Using HDD, for the Pipeline Research Council’s Design, Construction, and Operations Committee.

In 1998, Kim co-founded Bennett Staheli Engineers with Dave Bennett, establishing one of the first consulting firms in the United States to specialize exclusively in trenchless pipeline techniques. Recognizing the need for more detailed technical understanding of trenchless methodologies, particularly microtunneling, Kim earned her Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2006. Her groundbreaking doctoral thesis, Jacking Force Prediction: An Interface Friction Approach Based on Pipe Surface Roughness, introduced a new method for predicting jacking forces in pipe jacking design. This work, which applied soil mechanics theory to estimate unlubricated jacking loads due to surface friction, has since become a standard methodology in trenchless design.

In 2007, Dr. Staheli founded Staheli Trenchless Consultants in Seattle, Washington, positioning herself as an expert on challenging projects in the Pacific Northwest, where highly abrasive, variable glacial soils present unique engineering challenges. As the principal engineer, Kim has led numerous successful trenchless projects, including those involving HDD, microtunneling, pipe ramming, and direct steerable pipe thrusting. Her approach emphasizes the importance of direct field observations, ensuring that her designs are informed by practical, real-world conditions. Even today, Kim continues to visit job sites, providing guidance on trenchless projects across the country.

Kim’s contributions to the industry extend beyond her engineering work. Her expertise is in high demand in legal settings, where she serves as an expert witness, offering clear, technically sound explanations of complex field challenges. Throughout her career, Kim has remained committed to advancing the trenchless industry through both practice and leadership.

Staheli has made significant contributions to the trenchless technology industry through her leadership roles and technical expertise. She attended the first No-Dig show in 1994 in Dallas TX and has attended 28 NASTT No-Dig Shows since that time. She first served on the NASTT Program Committee in 1997 and 15 times since, including for the upcoming 2025 show in Denver. She founded the Pacific Northwest chapter of the North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT). Kim served on the Board of Directors for the Northwest Chapter for 4 years and as the Northwest Chapter chair in 2005. She was elected to the NASTT Board of Directors in 2010, serving nine years, during which time she was the Vice Chair,  Chair, Immediate Past Chair and Officer-at-Large. Her leadership extended to representing NASTT at the International Society for Trenchless Technology (ISTT) while advocating for the trenchless industry on a global level.

In addition, Kim was the Sacramento 2013 No-Dig Show conference chair and has been recognized for her outstanding service and contributions. In 2018, she received the prestigious NASTT Chair Award for Distinguished Service, and in 2022, her work was further honored with the NASTT No-Dig Show Outstanding Paper award, an award she also received in 2001. Kim’s contributions both as Chair, Program Committee Chair, and Conference chair include advancements she initiated which are now crucial to the structure and implementation of the No-Dig Show. The creation of the municipal scholarship program alone vastly increased attendance and boosted the value of the show to the NASTT membership as a whole. She adjusted the paper and track numbering system to a logical structure based upon the day, time of day, and position within the schedule; a format that all No-Dig attendees or any person who has read one of the technical conference papers will recognize.

Kim further initiated a methodology to understand attendee foot traffic to understand what topics NASTT membership is most interested in. Kim’s impact will be felt by all future members as NASTT staff use this blueprint to structure the conference and address the technical challenges and needs of members. Kim’s technical expertise is evident in her work as the lead author of NASTT’s Good Practice Guidelines for New Installations and NASTT’s Good Practice Guidelines Pipe Jacking and as an author for the pipe ramming and geotechnical investigations good practice guidelines. Kim has been a long-time instructor of the new installations course, donating many hours to its development and instruction before and after the No-Dig shows. She has published more than 60 papers with NASTT and has presented at No-Dig shows since 1996, cementing her status as a leading voice in the trenchless technology field.

She is currently collaborating with Georgia Tech, her alma mater, to advise on the development of a trenchless technology academic track. Her 30 years of professional experience span a wide range of trenchless methods, including HDD, microtunneling, pipe ramming, direct steerable pipe thrusting, and pipe jacking.

Described by her nomination supporters as a “tireless supporter” and “champion” of trenchless, Kim was also cheered for her passion and commitment to NASTT, multiple groundbreaking initiatives and mentorship of young professionals and women in the profession.

Upon hearing the news, Kim said she was “So very honored. I just love this industry so much! NASTT has given back to me in so many ways.” Kim especially enjoys seeing how many people benefit from the Municipal Scholarship each year.  “It touches my heart,” she said.

Kim’s induction will be celebrated at the NASTT No-Dig Show on April 1 during the Casino Royale. Purchase your ticket when you register to attend the conference.