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DEA Leadership

DEA Leadership

Our leadership is uniquely focused on cultivating a culture, operationally different by design, that delivers an enhanced client experience.

Leadership Team

Al Barkouli, PhD, PE

Chairman, Chief Executive Officer

AL Barkouli - DEAAl’s Ph.D. in Leadership and Change complements his understanding of the engineering, architecture, and construction industry. With 34 years of civil engineering and project management experience, Al has served as principal-in-charge and managed projects ranging from highways and light rail to roads and bridges for numerous public-sector clients, including Bonneville Power Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, TriMet, and Washington County, Oregon.

Al leads DEA’s executive leadership team and serves as the champion of the firm’s strategic initiatives, including mergers and acquisitions, organizational and cultural change, and exceeding client expectations.

Al is an alumnus of Portland State University’s Engineering School. He joined DEA as an engineer-in-training in 1988, and then advanced to a professional engineer and project manager, engineering discipline director, and office manager of the firm’s largest and flagship office in Portland. He later served as chief operating officer and president. Before joining DEA, Al worked for Washington County, Oregon.

Registrations

  • Registered Professional Engineer in AZ, CA, CO, ID, NY, OR, TX, UT, and WA

Professional Affiliations

  • American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon
  • Construction Industry Round Table - Board of Directors
  • Lewis and Clark College - Sustainability Board of Advisors
  • Oregon Business and Industry - Board Member
  • Portland State University Foundation - Secretary, Board of Trustees
  • PSU’s Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science Academy of Distinguished Alumni
  • Oregon Community Foundation - Board of Directors:
    • Black/African American Communities Task Force
    • Development and Marketing Committee
    • Education Committee

Aaron Fetzer, CPA, CGMA

Vice President
Chief Financial Officer

Aaron FetzerAaron oversees DEA’s finance, accounting, and information services, optimizing processes and leading the evolving information services environment. Aaron also manages the Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP), ensures compliance with governmental accounting standards, handles banking and financing relationships, conducts strategic tax planning, and supervises the preparation of financial statements. Additionally, he holds the positions of CFO, Treasurer, and Corporate Secretary for David Evans Enterprises, Inc., DEA’s parent company. Aaron’s prior career includes significant roles as CFO at Consor Engineers and contributions at Surveying and Mapping, LLC (SAM), and URS Corporation, Inc. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton, with majors in Accounting and Management, and he is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA).

Education and Registration

  • California State University, Fullerton, BS – Accounting and Management
  • Certified Public Accountant

Professional Affiliation

  • Chartered Global Management Accountant

Cindi Polychronis, JD

Senior Vice President
Chief Administrative Officer

Cindi PolychronisCindi leads four of DEA’s corporate groups—Risk/Legal, Human Resources, Communications, and Records Management—as well as the administrative staff in DEA’s 30 offices. Cindi is the executive project manager of several strategic initiatives for the firm, including restructuring the organization to align with changing market needs, and enriching and better synchronizing the firm’s culture with its strategy. She is also responsible for DEA’s sustainability and organization development programs, and is the firm’s chief ethics officer. Cindi is a member of DEA’s retirement committee and deferred compensation committee. She also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for David Evans Enterprises, Inc., the parent company of DEA.

Before joining DEA, Cindi led the human resources function for a professional services firm consisting of the largest veterinary medical practice in the world. She also led the human resources group at a hospitality company in the western United States.

Education and Registrations

  • Santa Clara University School of Law, JD
  • Northwestern University, BA – History and English
  • Licensed Attorney in California, Oregon, and Washington

Professional Affiliations

  • Oregon State Bar
  • State Bar of California
  • Washington State Bar
  • Society for Human Resources Management
  • Disability Rights Oregon, Vice Chair

Glenn Roberts

Senior Vice President of Professional Excellence

Glenn RobertsGlenn is responsible for firm-wide programs and initiatives that drive superior project management, quality, and project delivery. A thought leader with a collaborative working style, Glenn inspires and supports DEA project managers as they create the superior client experiences that are the hallmark of the DEA Difference. Before joining DEA, Glenn held a number of senior positions with URS/AECOM, including Gulf Southwest Region Delivery Excellence Leader and Southwest Region Manager.

Glenn takes pride in partnering with DEA’s Business Unit General Managers and Corporate Groups to achieve excellence at every level of the firm.  He has more than 40 years of engineering, project management, and leadership experience. Glenn has served as principal-in-charge and managed projects in the transportation, environmental, and water business sectors as well as public works, mining, and chemical demilitarization.

Education

  • University of Utah, Masters of Engineering Administration
  • University of Utah, BS - Mining Engineering

Professional Affiliations

  • Air & Waste Management Association
  • Society of Mining Engineers

Gina Starkey

Vice President
Chief Marketing Officer

Gina StarkeyGina directs DEA’s marketing and business development practices. Her responsibilities include identifying strategic growth opportunities; overseeing branding, integration, and marketing efforts; and implementing firm-wide business development initiatives to achieve DEA’s sales goals. Gina has specialized expertise in the emerging markets of asset management, risk management, and business consulting. She provides strategic leadership, direction, and insight to the firm’s business units, divisions, and center of excellence.

Before joining DEA, Gina was the business development manager of USA West & Pacific Operating Centers of GHD, Inc., a global, 6,200-person engineering firm. Her focus was on federal, environmental, water, transportation, energy, property, and building (MEP) markets. She also served as the national marketing manager for the energy business unit at AECOM.

Education

  • St. Mary’s College of California, Certificate in Business Management

Professional Affiliations

  • Society of Marketing Professionals, San Diego Chapter
  • WTS San Diego Chapter
  • American Public Works Association San Diego Chapter

R.A. Plummer, III, PE, AICP

Senior Vice President
Transportation Business Leader

RA PlummerAs a certified planner and a professional engineer, R.A. brings comprehensive transportation expertise to DEA’s largest business unit. He has overseen or led numerous challenging transportation projects including the Denver Union Station Transportation Hub for the Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD), I-70 East Environmental Impact Statement for the Colorado Department of Transportation, and the MAX Bus Rapid Transit Program Management Oversight project for the City of Fort Collins, Colorado. R.A. also serves on the executive committee for the innovative Workforce Initiative Now (WIN) program for RTD and is the Chair of the Legislative Council for the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO). For transportation professionals located in 23 of DEA’s offices, R.A.’s leadership style emphasizes truly understanding clients’ desired outcomes from a technical, political, and public relationship perspective.

Before joining DEA, R.A. worked at AECOM, where he was a vice president and transportation district manager for 11 states in the Western United States.

Education and Registrations

  • University of Colorado, MBA
  • Colorado State University, BS – Major: Civil Engineering, Minor: Construction Management
  • American Institute of Certified Planners
  • Registered Professional Engineer in CO, MT, NV, UT, and WA

Professional Affiliations

  • American Planning Association
  • American Public Transportation Association
  • American Society of Civil Engineers
  • Conference of Minority Transportation Officials
  • Institute of Transportation Engineers
  • WTS Colorado Chapter
  • American Road and Transportation Builders Association

John Smith, PE, LEED AP

Vice President
Land Development Business Leader

John SmithThroughout his tenure at DEA, John has markedly exhibited a commitment to serving a diverse range of clients, including residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional developers. Over the years, he has consistently demonstrated exemplary leadership and a commitment to fostering employee growth and development. His contributions to DEA’s Land Development Business Unit (LDBU) have played a key role in shaping the company’s success. John earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Washington State University in 1993 and holds professional civil engineering registrations in multiple states. He is a LEED Accredited Professional and a TWIC Cardholder. John is an active member of several affiliations, including the American Society of Civil Engineers, the US Green Building Council (USGBC), and the American Public Works Association (APWA).

Education and Registrations

  • Washington State University, BS – Civil Engineering
  • Registered Professional Civil Engineer in AL, ID, OR, and WA

Professional Affiliations

  • American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
  • US Green Building Council (USGBC)
  • American Public Works Association (APWA)

Mark Miner, LEED AP

Vice President
California Regional Manager

Mark MinerMark is an expert in real estate development, including all phases of planning and project entitlement. He is LEED-certified, adept at managing political and governmental processes, and a certified mediator. Mark played an integral role in the merger of Hall & Foreman, Inc. with DEA in 2014.

A land use planner, Mark has more than 20 years of experience serving private, commercial, and public developers in Southern California. Projects that have benefited from his expertise include Channel Gateway in Marina del Rey, which consists of 500 apartments units, 1,500 condominium units, and 20,000 square feet of commercial space; Riverpark, a 2,200-unit condominium project adjacent to the Santa Clarita River and Antelope Valley Freeway; and Valley Vista, a project of 105 hillside homes in the Sunland/Tujunga area of California.

Education and Registration

  • California State University at Northridge, BA – Communications/Marketing
  • Leadership in Environmental & Energy Design New Construction Accredited Professional

Professional Affiliation

  • Building Industry Association, Past Board of Directors for Los Angeles/Ventura County, California

Craig Sheahan, PE, PMP, LEED AP

Vice President
Water and Environment Business Leader

Craig SheahanCraig is a water resources engineer excelling at innovative planning and design solutions for integrated water, wastewater, and stormwater projects to meet clients’ needs and promote watershed health through a balance of gray and green infrastructure. His context-sensitive engineering design and project management experience is with crossfunctional teams, diverse clients, and ardent stakeholders.

At DEA, Craig manages a diverse staff of biologists, scientists, planners, environmental specialists, engineers, landscape architects, and GIS professionals. In addition to managing complex, multi-discipline projects, he is also proficient in the development and review of detailed engineering planning, design, and construction documents; project specifications, cost estimates, and life cycle analyses; technical report writing; and public communications / presentations.

 

Education and Registrations

  • University of Nebraska-Lincoln, BS – Biological Systems Engineering
  • Registered Professional Engineer, AL and OR
  • LEED Accredited Professional
  • Project Manager Professional

Professional Affiliations

  • Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies - Stormwater Committee
  • American Society of Civil Engineers, Environmental & Water Resources Institute
  • American Public Works Association
  • American Water Works Association

Sean Sullivan, RLA

Vice President
Energy Business Leader

Sean SullivanIn today’s dynamic business environment, Sean builds long-lasting, trust-based relationships by profoundly understanding and anticipating the needs of our clients. An award-winning professional with more than 26 years of experience, Sean is currently serving as interim business unit leader. His portfolio includes liquefied natural gas (LNG) project development; transmission, substation, telecommunication, and renewable energy generation facilities; and ecosystem restoration.

Sean’s areas of expertise include program and project management, energy facility siting and development, and regulatory compliance. He understands the importance of effective communication, change management, consensus building, and marshaling resources at appropriate times for our clients’ success. Our clients appreciate Sean’s tenacity, dedication, and skill in building and leading teams to solve complex project-development issues.

 

Education and Registrations

  • University of Washington, MLA – Landscape Architecture
  • Mississippi State University, BLA – Landscape Architecture
  • Registered Landscape Architect, OR and WA

Professional Affiliations

  • American Council of Engineering Companies, Environment and Energy National Committee
  • American Society of Landscape Architects

Duffy Haggarty, PLS

Vice President
Surveying and Geomatics Center of Excellence Business Leader

Duffy HaggartyDuffy has been an integral part of the Surveying and Geomatics COE team for ten years, previously serving as the Geomatics Strategic Business Development Leader and Mountain West Region Market Leader. Throughout his career, Duffy has dedicated himself to providing exceptional land surveying services across the Western United States using an effective mix of traditional and emergent technologies. Duffy is continually enhancing and expanding DEA’s survey and geomatics capabilities, leveraging deep industry knowledge and proven client support. Duffy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems from the University of Montana. In addition, he has acquired professional registration as a Professional Land Surveyor in multiple states.

Education and Registrations

  • University of Montana, BS – Information Systems
  • Professional Land Surveyor in ID, MT, NE, NV, UT, WA
  • FAA Part 107 Certification – Remote Pilot

Who We Are

Clarity of Expectations

Confirming understanding of critical success factors initially and regularly.