Leadership

John Ambrose, PE brings decades of leadership experience to his role as Vice President, with a focus on client development and Design-Build services. Based in our Bannockburn office, John plays a key role in expanding our presence in Northern Illinois and supporting strategic growth initiatives across the firm.

Nancy Blackwell, PE serves as Vice President. She has extensive experience in civil engineering planning and design, primarily in the areas of municipal water supply and distribution, and municipal wastewater collection and treatment. She specializes in projects associated with wastewater treatment plants and sanitary sewer collection systems, including evaluation, design and rehabilitation of lift stations, force mains, sanitary sewer pipe systems, and treatment plant components. Additionally, Nancy has served as a client representative for several municipal utility districts and other government clients for many years.

Chuck Brunner, PE, SE is the Vice President – Structural for Baxter & Woodman. He provides structural design and QA/QC for well houses, pumping stations, water storage facilities, water and wastewater treatment facilities, bridges, retaining walls, and drainage structures. He is also an IDOT-approved National Bridge Inspection Program Manager and routinely prepares bridge inspection reports for our municipal clients.

Claude Cassagnol, PE serves as Vice President and specializes in land development and highway design, including site planning and stormwater/drainage design. Claude’s broad experience includes stormwater collection systems, roadway improvements, utility infrastructure improvements, and regulatory compliance.

Dennis Dabros, PE oversees the construction engineering and inspection services for many of Baxter & Woodman’s water and wastewater projects. His experience includes improvements to storm sewer, water main, and sanitary sewer systems, pumping stations, treatment facilities, roadways, and bridges. He is familiar with the requirements of various funding programs and an expert at stakeholder engagement and coordination.

Jason Fluhr, PE, PTOE leads the firm’s Transportation Design Groups. He assists state agencies, counties, and municipalities in finding innovative engineering solutions tailored to meet their specific needs. Jason’s experience ranges from roadways and intersections to traffic signals, lighting, and drainage improvements. He also is very familiar with navigating State and Federally funded projects.

Carolyn Grieves, PE, directs the business development efforts throughout all regions of our growing firm. Her background is in the design of water supply, treatment, and distribution systems. She serves as project manager on numerous large, complex new water treatment plants and improvements/modifications to existing facilities. She has also led our water model, water asset management, and long-term water system planning teams. Carolyn monitors rules and regulations that impact the Water industry and how they impact our communities.

Mike Klein, PE is President and co-founder of Concentric Integration, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Baxter & Woodman that focuses on the unique technology needs of municipalities. Mike and his team of electrical engineers and technicians provide planning, design, and implementation of a variety of technology related projects, including instrumentation, controls, SCADA systems, telemetry systems, security systems, and information technology projects.

Joanna MacCallum, CPSM, directs the strategic vision of the Marketing department, prioritizing heightened brand visibility, advocating marketing initiatives, and pinpointing effective client engagement strategies. She propels our marketing efforts with innovative, forward-thinking approaches that prioritize client needs. Additionally, Joanna actively participates in associations like ACEC-IL Young Professionals and the Society of Marketing Professional Services, ensuring she remains at the cutting edge of industry trends and insights.

Craig Mitchell, PE leads Baxter & Woodman’s Construction Engineering Services Group. As a former IDOT Construction Supervisor, he is an expert at transportation related construction coordination and oversight. He serves as Construction Manager on numerous large and complex transportation and infrastructure improvement projects with a variety of funding sources.

Brent Perz, PE provides strategic leadership, focusing on enhancing wastewater infrastructure, driving innovation, and promoting the highest standards of water effluent quality. He is deeply committed to advancing end-to-end water design, combined heat and power initiatives, and pioneering renewable water strategies to provide resilient, sustainable infrastructure for our clients. He is actively involved in industry associations like the Central States Water Environment Association, Water Environment Federation, and Fox Valley Operators Association.

Nicole Runions leads the strategic vision for the Human Resources, Facilities Management, and Administrative departments. Her focus lies in promoting an exceptional office atmosphere and internal customer service, overseeing talent acquisition and development, and fostering a work environment where every team member feels valued and engaged. Nikki’s steadfast dedication to cultivating a culture of collaboration and employee growth is a cornerstone of her approach.

Doug Snyder, PE is a leader in water and wastewater system design and operation, structural studies, and inspection services. His hands-on approach to design and construction allows him to effectively manage a wide variety of municipal water/wastewater projects for numerous communities.

Doug is a Certified Wisconsin Wastewater Operator and Certified Wisconsin Water Operator. He actively provides operations assistance to many communities throughout southeastern Wisconsin.

Gary Vogel, PE, provides strategic leadership and direction for the Water department. He focuses on delivering high-quality water infrastructure solutions. His extensive experience and proficiency in project and client management significantly bolster Baxter & Woodman’s water-focused initiatives and his dedication to the field is demonstrated through active memberships in the American Public Works Association and the American Society of Civil Engineers.

As the firm’s Chief Innovation Officer, Matt drives innovation strategies within the company and promotes the value and influence that innovation brings. He champions change management for forward-thinking enhancements by challenging staff to identify new ideas, concepts, and methods that deliver difference-making projects to the communities and clients we serve.

Anne Van Oost, MBA, Vice President of Finance, oversees all financial operations at Baxter & Woodman, Inc., including budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and strategic financial planning.  Anne collaborates closely with senior leadership to implement strategies supporting the company’s long-term objectives including driving revenue growth and profitability.

As Vice President of Information Technology, Tom Mickow provides strategic leadership, focusing on driving innovation in Baxter & Woodman’s IT infrastructure, enhancing our system security, and ensuring optimal technology operations for the firm.