The origin of our Alumni Association goes back to the mid-1980s when Jim Howland and Bob Pailthorp created the Alumni History project. They jointly created about 28 typewritten pages of material that provided the initial outline and structure upon which others then added their own memories, thoughts, and impressions of their time with the firm.
Since then, the “committee” of Jim and Bob was joined and succeeded by several other retirees who volunteered their time and effort to build upon the Alumni History project. Today, it now resides on this website containing over 1,100 pages. It is, without a doubt, an unparalleled chronicle of the history of CH2M HILL. You can read more about the history of this project, and the alumni behind it, on the cover page of the Alumni History tab.
Throughout the years, the history project received modest in-kind and financial support from the firm. With the transition to Jacobs, that support was lost. Faced with the prospect of abandoning over 30 years of work on the project, the history committee conducted a straw poll of selected retirees on the prospect of founding an alumni association where members would subscribe to a modest dues schedule to support the history project. Receiving a positive response, the committee moved ahead and on April 5, 2018, the CH2M HILL Alumni Association Inc was incorporated as a non-profit corporation.
As stated in the Articles of Incorporation, the purpose of the Association is to preserve and maintain the relationships and friendships built during our association with CH2M HILL. Activities include maintaining a roster of CH2M HILL alumni, publishing periodic newsletters, convening periodic reunions, and maintaining and building the Alumni History of CH2M HILL website.
Clearly, the scope of the Association is now beyond that of just the history project. To help us guide and grow the Association, we have prepared a strategic plan and assembled an outstanding leadership team.
Strategic Plan
CHAA Vision Statement
“Our Special Legacy Lives … Connect with Old Friends and Make New Ones”
CHAA Mission Statement
“The CH2M HILL Alumni Association is a member-supported organization that:
– connects the CH2M HILL family and fosters new friendships,
– encourages the continuation/establishment of autonomous alumni groups,
– sponsors interesting alumni activities and reports alumni news,
– celebrates the people and history of CH2M HILL,
– reaches out to the greater community to perpetuate and share the Little Yellow Book values
and legacy of CH2M HILL.”
CHAA Goals
CHAA’s initial goals are directly aligned with the stated intentions of the Mission Statement. For the 2020 Strategic Plan, the six CHAA Goals are:
Goal 1. Provide an enduring CH2M HILL Alumni Association
Goal 2. Maintain a home place for the CH2M HILL family
Goal 3. Collaborate with autonomous CH2M HILL alumni groups
Goal 4. Be a catalyst for CH2M HILL alumni activities
Goal 5. Celebrate the people and history of CH2M HILL
Goal 6. Reach out and pay forward the Little Yellow Book values and legacy of CH2M HILL
Adopted by the CH2M HILL Alumni Association Board of Directors on January 18, 2021
Board Resolutions
Resolution 2021.03: CH2M HILL Alumni Association (CHAA) Apolitical Statement
Whereas the purpose of the CH2M HILL Alumni Association is to preserve and maintain the relationships and friendships built during our association with CH2M HILL.
Whereas the activities of CHAA are focused on maintaining a roster of CH2M HILL alumni, publishing a periodic newsletter, convening periodic reunions, and continuing to build the Alumni History of CH2M HILL website.
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the CHAA Board of Directors hereby authorizes and adopts the following statement regarding the apolitical nature of the CH2M HILL Alumni Association:
The CH2M HILL Alumni Association is a non-profit, social organization established to preserve and maintain the relationships and friendships of CH2M HILL alumni and families. CHAA is a homeplace for connecting with alumni, for sharing information and for organizing interesting activities. In that spirit, CHAA is entirely apolitical and avoids any engagement in anything political. CHAA does not support, endorse, promote, oppose, affiliate with, or advocate for any political candidate, party, organization, issue, legislation, or action at any level of government. CHAA members are certainly free to participate in political activities to any extent they prefer, but they are requested to keep such activities and opinions outside of CHAA.
Approved and Adopted: April 30, 2021 Via: Email Vote
Resolution 2021.04: CH2M HILL Alumni Association (CHAA) Non-Discrimination Statement
Whereas the purpose of the CH2M HILL Alumni Association is to preserve and maintain the relationships and friendships built during our association with CH2M HILL.
Whereas the activities of CHAA are focused on maintaining a roster of CH2M HILL alumni, publishing a periodic newsletter, convening periodic reunions, and continuing to build the Alumni History of CH2M HILL website.
Whereas CHAA welcomes all CH2M HILL alumni, family and associates as active members.
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the CHAA Board of Directors hereby authorizes and adopts the following non-discrimination statement:
The CH2M HILL Alumni Association is a non-profit, social organization established to preserve and maintain the relationships and friendships of CH2M HILL alumni, families, and associates. In that spirit, CHAA does not discriminate against, nor advocate for, any individual based on race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all CHAA members, families, subcontractors, and vendors.
Approved and Adopted: April 30, 2021 Via: Email Vote
Meet your Board of Directors and Officers
Mark Alpert, Director
Mark is currently president of Integrated Delivery Solutions. The firm works on major infrastructure projects in the United States with a focus on business strategy and management, project financing and new business acquisition with engineering and construction firms. In 2014, after a 40+ year career, Mark retired as a senior vice president with CH2M Hill’s water business where he had responsibilities for its design-build unit operating throughout North America.
Sheldon Barker, Director
Sheldon Barker was born in Berkeley, California, in 1948 and grew up nearby in Walnut Creek.He completed his undergraduate degree in civil engineering at Oregon State University. During his senior year, Bob Chapman presented a seminar on the groundbreaking Lake Tahoe project that helped cement his interest in environmental engineering.Then while completing his last courses in the summer of 1970, he fortunately had the opportunity to be introduced to CH2M, as a lab technician testing water and wastewater.After completing 2 years in the U.S. Public Health Service, he attended Cornell University where he completed his MS Degree in environmental engineering.
In 1973, Sheldon was excited to return to CH2M HILL, where he spent the next four decades.After a year working in the early Reston office, Sheldon moved to Boise, where he eventually became the wastewater division manager.Then he transferred to Salt Lake City where he was area manager.In 1988, he moved back to the Reston office where he was division manager for the support disciplines working on a UOSA expansion. In the early 1990s, during the company reorganization, Sheldon stumbled into his dream job, as a North American sales manager for the water business group. In this role, he had the wonderful opportunity to work and build networks with many of the extremely talented CH2M HILL staff throughout the U.S. and Canada.Finally in his last 10 years, he managed the northwest for the water business group.
Sheldon and Jeanne now live in Boise, where they feel very fortunate to enjoy a great retirement.
Dick Bedard, Director
Dick was born in Gardner, MA, in 1947. He was one of seven children raised on a small dairy farm in Central Mass. He was the first of his siblings to attend and graduate from college, receiving a BSCE from the University of Massachusetts in 1973.
Bedard joined a small civil engineering firm in the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts after graduation. Over ten years he was promoted to VP and Executive Director of that firm.
During this time, Bedard was President of the Western Massachusetts ASCE Chapter and a member of the Board of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers. For UMASS CEE, he has served as a member of the CEE Advisory Committee for over 30 years, serving seven years as Chairman. In 2016, he was inducted as a UMASS Civil and Environmental Engineering Distinguished Alumni.
He joined CH2M HILL as a Civil Project Manager in 1981 in Boca Raton, Florida. In 1982 he was asked to become the Area Manager. After moving the office to Deerfield Beach, the office became the first new Regional Office in about 15 years.
The firm asked him to move to Boston in 1989 to manage that office. In the 80s and 90s he was a regional manager of four different regions in the firm from Florida to New England.
About 2000 he took on various global roles for CH’s industry leading Water Business. He led the Global Wastewater Team for about five years, and then the Global Program Management Team for another five years. During that time, he led major project and program teams in US cities such as Baton Rouge, Cleveland, Chicago, Miami, and New York. Internationally, he led the winning and startup of major wastewater programs in London, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Singapore, and Australia. In London he led the planning, positioning, and procurement of the Thames Tideway Programme. During this period, the firm’s wastewater and program businesses were the industry’s largest. For his last two years of full-time service, he was Water Business Group International Business Development Director.
Bedard and his wife Susan of 53 years are most proud of their three sons and daughters-in-laws, and seven Grandchildren. Besides spending time with those grandchildren, he plays at golf, hiking the Appalachian Trail and camping. They are retired now near Greensboro North Carolina.
Bob Chapman, Director
Born in Portland, Oregon, in 1943, Bob attended Oregon State University earning his B.S. and M.S. Degrees in Civil Engineering in 1966. Bob joined the firm in September 1966, reporting for his first assignment in South Lake Tahoe to work with Russ Culp on the South Lake Tahoe Public Utility District/EPA tertiary treatment demonstration projects. Following the Tahoe assignment, Bob returned to the Corvallis office and the Industrial Waste Treatment Group (1968).
Upon the merger with Clair A. Hill and Associates, Bob and family moved to Redding (1976) where he went on to serve in several management positions, including Division Manager and Southwest Water District Discipline Director. In 1984, Bob moved to Denver to become Assistant Director of Water Supply and Treatment working with Ken Miller. He also served a 3-year term on the Board of Directors (1993-95). In 1997, became the Northeast Water Regional Business Group Manager (RBGM). In 2001, Bob returned to project work as Project Director for the Seattle Cedar Water Treatment Facility Design-Build-Operate (DBO) project (2001-2004), and subsequently as Project Director for initial phases of the San Diego Twin Oaks WTP DBO project (2005-2007).
As of July 1, 2008, Bob retired to flex status and is enjoying more time with family and friends; international travel; gardening; the never-ending struggle to learn how to play golf; and working with Meredith’s dad on all kinds of shop projects. Bob is also looking forward to sharing more fond memories of many, many other CH2M HILL co-workers/friends during retiree get-togethers.
Dick Crim, Director, Vice President
Born in Logan, Iowa, in 1951, Dick Crim grew up in Lakewood, Colorado, and attended Colorado State University (1975-1980) earning a B.S. Degree and a Masters Degree in Civil Engineering.
Dick joined CH2M HILL in the Portland office in January 1981 in the Geotechnical Engineering discipline. His initial work was performing site construction visits; classification of soil and rock on drilling rigs; and preparing foundation design reports for private, municipal, and industrial clients. During his career, he served as a department manager, delivery manager, and project manager. After participating in the firm’s management positions, Dick had the pleasure to lead as project manager on large projects involving environmental remediation, design/build delivery, and clean construction for DoD clients. His favorite part of this work was working with clients, building and growing project teams, and mentoring staff on projects. Dick worked on projects from Niagara Falls, NY, to Hawaii, to The Yukon Territory in Canada prior to retiring in September 2017.
Dick currently is enjoying fishing, hunting, cooking, maintaining his toys, and spending time with his 3-year-old granddaughter.
Anne Kernkamp, Director
Born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1953, Anne attended Michigan State University earning her B.S. Degree in Civil Engineering in 1975, then a M.S. Degree in Civil Engineering in 1977. Upon graduation, Anne joined CH2M HILL in the Wastewater Reuse Department in Corvallis, Oregon.
After a year in Corvallis, Anne transferred to San Diego where she had the amazing experience of working directly with founder Jim Howland on the San Diego Metro Wastewater Program, one of the firm’s first wastewater programs. After a stint in Virginia, she transferred to San Francisco. For the next 25 years, she would work with the City of Santa Rosa on agricultural, industrial, and urban reuse, and also with the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) on industrial water reuse.
After marrying her EBMUD senior consultant and fellow employee Dana Rippon, they moved to Redding, California, where Anne managed the office before moving to Austin, Texas. In Austin, Anne helped bring the City’s three water treatment plants into compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act.
After retiring in 2014, they still call Redding home, where friends can visit them and the occasional peacock or at their log cabin in Southern Utah, where the buffalo roam out back safely behind a fence.
Mark Lasswell, Director
Born in Corvallis, OR, Mark Lasswell attended Oregon State University and received BSCE and MSCE Degrees. He began his career in 1977 with a NW consulting engineering company headquartered in Bend, OR. There he worked on the City’s new wastewater system, in a JV with CH2M HILL and Carollo. Mark then moved to Portland and opened a branch for the company.
Mark joined CH2M HILL in 1989 in the Portland office, first as the wastewater department manager, then as division manager, and finally as the regional manager. In CH2M HILL’s mid-90s reorganization, he became the marketing and sales leader for the newly formed Water Business Group. In 2004, Mark moved to Denver and became the president of Operations Management International (OMI). Then, he became president of the new Infrastructure Group, followed by president of the Transportation Business Group, and finally president of CH2M HILL’s Alaska Business. Mark retired in 2014 and closed his career as CEO of Rain for Rent. In addition to the above roles, he led a companywide Business Development Improvement Initiative, was executive sponsor for the company’s leadership development program, and stayed engaged with clients and projects throughout his career (which was the most fun).
Mark and Kathi currently live in Belgrade, MT, near Bozeman, where he fly fishes, bird hunts, woodworks, and skis. He still consults with several companies and individual leaders, and he serves on a local nonprofit Board. Their two sons live in Oregon.
Rick Luebbers, Director, President
With a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nebraska, and a M.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University in 1978, Rick is now a retired 41-year veteran of CH2M HILL with experience in the planning, design, and management of major transportation projects and programs.
During his career, Rick also served in several management positions in CH2M HILL’s Transportation Group in Denver and in the Pacific Northwest. As well as delivering projects, he managed business development activities and served as sales manager on major pursuits.
Since retirement in 2014, Rick led the planning efforts for CH2M HILL’s 2015 and 2016 Alumni Reunions and has served as an advisor to the teams planning the 2018 and 2020 reunions. He has participated in the CH2M HILL Alumni History group’s activities and was part of the group that successfully led the proxy vote to place a retiree on the CH2M HILL Board of Directors. He currently serves on the CH2M HILL Alumni Association Board of Directors where he led the Nominating Committee for 2020.
Don Marske, Director
Born in Beloit, WI, in 1942, Don attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison, obtaining his B.S. Degree in Civil Engineering and an M.S. Degree in Sanitary Engineering in 1967. He joined CH2M in CVO immediately following graduation as a Project Engineer in Sid Lasswell’s group.
He served as Project Manager on several water and wastewater projects in the Corvallis, OR; Milwaukee, WI; Maui and Honolulu, HI; Santa Ana, CA; and Santa Rosa, CA, offices. Significant projects included the Willow Lake STP expansion (1970) for Salem, OR; an Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility Plan (1975) for the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District; and an Advance Planning Report (1992) for the City of Los Angeles. Don served as the Chief Engineer for the Milwaukee Regional Office during the Program Management Office years (1975 to 1980), Pacific Islands Office Manager (1980 to 1988), and Marketing Director for the firm’s Design and Construction Organization (2000 to 2004).
He retired in 2007 and remains busy serving the Alumni Association; being entertained by grandchildren; and traveling as much as the budget will allow.
Mike Mynhier, Director
Born in Indiana in 1946, Mike Mynhier attended Purdue University where he obtained his B.S. in Civil Engineering Degree in 1968 and M.S. in Environmental Engineering Degree in 1974.He began his career with Greeley and Hansen Engineers in Chicago in 1968 and then joined CH2M HILL in Reston, VA, in 1974.
One of the earliest assignments of his 36-year career with CH2M HILL was working with Gene Suhr on the Potable Water Reuse Feasibility Study for the Denver Water Board.His work also included stints in Milwaukee, WI (1979-83) to work on the Water Pollution Abatement Program for the MMSD; Charlotte, NC (1983-90) where he managed the firm’s first office there and also oversaw construction of the McAlpine Creek WWTP; Atlanta, GA (1990-95) in management and client service roles; a temporary assignment to Miami, FL (1994-96) to work with MDWASD and to manage the Miami office; and back to Atlanta, GA (1996-2010) where he was the Program Manager for the Combined Sewer Overflow Remedial Measures Plan for the City of Atlanta.
In retirement, Mike is an active volunteer including disaster response, mission work in Guatemala and Appalachia, owners-representative project management, and serving at his church. He is also an avid woodworker and enjoys international travel with his wife, Marge.
Terry Sheldon, Director, Secretary
Born in Tillamook, Oregon, in 1949, Terry attended Clatsop Community College in Astoria, Oregon, and earned an Associate of Science Degree in Civil Engineering Technology (1968). He then transferred to Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, Oregon, and earned a Bachelor of Technology Degree in Civil Engineering Technology (1972).
Upon graduation, Terry was hired by the City of Bellingham, Washington, as an inspector to work under CH2M HILL’s resident inspectors. It was here that the CH2M HILL team found Terry and invited him to move to the Portland area to work on the Clackamas County Wastewater Program.
In May 1974, he headed to the Denver area where he would spend the next several years with Bill (dip) Sinclair on several major water and wastewater projects. In 1988, the firm asked Terry to take on a pioneering role in Atlanta as the Eastern District Senior Construction Advisor. Terry would later serve as the Construction Practice Director from 1996 to 1998 and Construction Practice Technology Director for Resident Engineering and Inspection 1996 to 2002. In 2003, as part of the Construction Management Services (CMS) Group, Terry served as CH2M HILL’s CMS Global Staffing Manager until 2014.
Terry retired from CH2M HILL after 40 years in May 2014 and has continued as a contract employee serving as a Senior Claims Consultant helping the City of Baton Rouge BRSSO Program support the client with a major lawsuit on two pipeline projects.
Terry and his wife, Valorie, found their retirement home in Valdosta, Georgia (“Title Town USA”), to be close to their daughter, son-in-law, and two grandsons who bring lots of fun in retirement. They love to travel and live close to several major destinations and wonderful beaches.
Scott Trusler, Director, Treasurer
Scott joined CH2M HILL in 1983 in the Seattle office after attending Montana State University and obtaining degrees in Civil Engineering, focused on hydraulics and water treatment.
Over the course of the next 20 plus years he focused on water system planning, conveyance, and water treatment projects playing a key role in treatment plants for Hoquiam, Skagit County, Walla Walla, Richland, and Seattle Washington, Arlington, Texas, and Cary/Apex, North Carolina. These projects helped bring high-rate filtration, ozonation, and UV treatment into mainstream at the time. The Cedar Treatment Facility (Seattle Public Utilities) is memorable as a group of talented and dedicated CH2M’ers from across North America came together to win and deliver the firm’s first, fully integrated Design-Build-Operate project – still delivering water this day to over one million customers after more than 20 years of the operations period.
Trading the wet northwest for the hot, dry southwest, the next home base was the Tempe, Arizona office. By this time, a majority of “work time” was focused on oversight of various operating units including global design resources. Always making time for projects, since “projects pay the bills”, he managed the Zone 4 Ion Exchange plant for Glendale, Arizona and assisted on projects whenever possible including value engineering and start-up planning for the Catskill-Delaware UV plant for New York City.
With additional duties such as group level risk management, the next move was to Denver with little time available for projects. However, after five years he was fortunate to take on the project director role for the Tuas Water Reclamation Plant, spending four years in Singapore working with an amazing team on this once in a lifetime project prior to retirement in January 2021. Now living in the mountains outside Denver, days are spent hiking, biking, and traveling.
Steve Wanders, Director
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1956, Steve Wanders attended Purdue University where he earned his BSCE in 1978 and MSCE in 1979. Steve joined the firm in the Portland office in January 1980 in the Structural Engineering department working on a wide variety of projects including dams, wastewater treatment plants, industrial buildings, and bridges. He relocated to the Milwaukee office in 1986 as part of the nucleus of the new Transportation business group in the Great Lakes Region. In 1994, Steve and his family moved to Dayton, Ohio, as the Transportation group expanded throughout the eight states in the Midwest region. Through those first 27 years of Steve’s career, he served in many roles in project and people management, area management, business development, and operations.
In 2007, as empty-nesters, Steve and his wife, Lori, relocated to Savannah, Georgia, where Steve took on a new role as Global Operations Director of the Ports & Maritime Group and to serve as the Program Manager for work with the Georgia Ports Authority.In 2012, Steve moved back to the Midwest for family reasons where he finished out his 35-year career with the firm in Indianapolis as Geographic Manager of the Midwest Transportation Group.Steve left CH2M HILL in November 2014 as part of the Voluntary Retirement Program.
In his encore career, Steve returned to his alma mater and ran the Cooperative Education (Co-Op) program at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.In 2019, Steve and Lori relocated to the Atlanta area; and Steve continued his career in higher education at the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, working in Employer Relations in the Career Services department.
Since fully retiring in November 2021, Steve has enjoyed playing golf, serving on the Board of Directors and Building & Grounds Committee of his HOA, traveling with Lori, and enjoying time with their four grandchildren.
The CH2M HILL Alumni Association Documents
Articles of Incorporation
Amendment to Articles of Incorporation
By-Laws