DLZ is pleased to announce that it’s named Michael Draper President of DLZ Kentucky, Inc. A long-time DLZ employee, Mr. Draper joined DLZ in 2004. He will oversee business development efforts, contracts, production, staff and financial management for the firm’s office in Lexington, Kentucky.
Mr. Draper has 24 years of experience in the engineering and construction industry and has served as Project Manager for rural and urban highway projects for the KY Transportation Cabinet, along with many other large, multimillion dollar transportation projects through the Midwest. A Kentucky native, Mike graduated from the University of Kentucky.
A family-and minority-owned firm, DLZ ranks among the nation’s top consulting firms in the architectural/engineering industry. Engineering News-Record ranks DLZ one of the Top 500 Design Firms in the United States and the 14th largest in the Midwest.
DLZ is pleased to announce that Stephen Kromkowski, AIA, NCARB has been promoted to Vice President. Mr. Kromkowski brings 35 years of experience in all phases of the architectural practice, including project management, programming, design, and construction administration in the public sector market for federal, state, and local government clients. He is certified with the National Council of Architectural Registration Board and a Registered Architect and Interior Designer in the State of Indiana and in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Missouri and Maine.
A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Mr. Kromkowski’s attention to design and a deeper understanding of the complexities of architectural design and its relationship to other disciplines and building systems is invaluable. His creativity and personal skills to listen and facilitate open discussion encourages exploration to yield a greater potential for design solutions and outcomes that combine and integrate technical knowledge of architectural and engineering systems. This combination of competencies provides holistic and comprehensive solutions and a heightened level of service to our clients.
DLZ is pleased to announce that Eric Ratts, AIA, NCARB has been promoted to Vice President. In his 23- year tenure with the firm, Mr. Ratts has been instrumental in many of DLZ’s largest Architectural contracts, positioning the firm as one of the top Architectural and Engineering firms in the industry.
A Registered Architect in nine states, Eric Ratts is recognized and respected for his strong background in Justice Architecture with planning/designing over 24,000 rated beds for correctional projects. He also has experience in courts, municipal, military, and K-12 education projects.
With over 32 years in the Architecture profession, he has developed strong skills in consensus building, public engagement, programming, design, and project management.
A family-and minority-owned firm, DLZ ranks among the nation’s top consulting firms in the architectural/engineering industry. Engineering News-Record ranks DLZ one of the Top 500 Design Firms in the United States and the 14th largest in the Midwest. DLZ is also rated the #1 Corrections design firm in the Midwest.
Tim Hampshire, P.E., Director of Water Resources and Dam Safety at DLZ, has recently been elected by his peers in the water resources community to serve on the Managing Board of the Ohio Dam Safety Organization (ODSO). The mission of ODSO is to promote dam safety in Ohio by establishing a partnership between dam owners, operators, engineers, and regulators.
Tim has also served on the Board of the Society of American Military Engineers – Huntington Post since 2019 and is currently a member of the United States Society on Dams’ (USSD’s) Committee on Dam Safety, where his emphasis is on the safety of children around dams.
DLZ is excited to announce that Scott Frank, DLZ’s Director of Human Resources, was selected by Columbus Business First as a 2022 HR Impact Award recipient. Scott is one of 18 Central Ohio human resources professionals recognized for their leadership through unprecedented changes in the workplace.
As Director of Human Resources, Scott is a strategic business partner to senior executives with a proven record of maximizing human capital in performance-, customer-, and market-driven organizations. With nearly 30 years of Human Resources experience, Scott is consistently recognized for his leadership and counsel in transitioning units into top performers and successfully leading departments through change management initiatives, mergers and acquisitions, and periods of accelerated growth. As a senior management team member, he provides guidance developing corporate strategies through effective facilitation, diversity management, and the integration of human capital and information technologies.
Most notably, over the last two years, Scott has played a key role in leading the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic. His leadership through this period ensured the organization’s continuity of operations and provided the employees with the support and direction necessary to weather the storm successfully. In fact, and due in part to Scott’s efforts, the organization is now more successful than ever and continues to experience record-breaking performance.
When asked why he works in HR, Scott replied, “Employees are at the heart of everything we do. One can have no greater impact on an organization than caring and providing for the people who make it happen.”
DLZ is pleased to be ranked as one of the nation’s largest firms by Building, Design + Construction (BD+C). DLZ ranked #39 on the Top Engineering/Architecture Firms list and #85 on the Top University Sector Engineering Firms reports (based on 2021 revenue).
BD+C’s annual Giants 400 report ranks architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms by discipline and across more than 20 building sectors and specialty services. A record 519 U.S.-based AEC firms participated this year. Congratulations to all the firms who were also recognized, many of which we have partnered with to make an impact in our communities.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulates both the construction and operation of most hydroelectric dams in the United States. In March Tim Hampshire, Director of Water Resources and Dam Safety at DLZ was approved and accepted as a Potential Failure Mode Analysis (PFMA) Moderator for FERC dam safety workshops, and in May moderated one of these workshops for FERC. A PFMA workshop investigates all potential dam failure modes whether they be geotechnical, structural, H&H, civil, mechanical, electrical, etc. As a result, DLZ finally has access to a FERC-approved PFMA dam safety Moderator! Tim is also a FERC-approved “Part 12D Independent Consultant” for the inspection of FERC dams. Approval for this designation requires having over 10 years (i.e. 20,800 hours) of documentable experience in the design, construction, and inspection of dams.
Tim has over 30 years of experience in the fields of geotechnical, structural, construction, and materials engineering, as well as drilling, field, and laboratory testing, and instrumentation installation. He has led the firm’s efforts on a number of investigations and designs for FERC, USACE, state DNRs, and conservancy district projects involving dams, levees, and locks as well as other major public infrastructure features such as large bridges and deep tunnels.
Communities lie at the heart of all we do and we’re very proud to partner with Engineers Without Borders. DLZ recently hosted a fundraiser for the Central Ohio Professional Chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) where over $6,400 was raised to support the Chapter’s newest project, a school for the Maya Village of Vista Hermosa Las Flores in North Central Guatemala.
Shout out to Cornell Robertson (Franklin County Engineer), Thea Ewing (MORPC Chief Development Officer), John Newsome (CoC Sewer & Drainage Administrator), and James Young (CoC Design & Construction Administrator) for attending and supporting the event.
DLZ is a longtime supporter of EWB. In fact, DLZ employees Jim Siebert and Mike Kennedy played a key role in EWB-CoH’s work in Guatemala in 2015 helping to raise money for the construction of a large 17-foot retaining wall to stabilize steep terrain for a new school building. Siebert led both the analysis and design of the wall in Las Victorias, a poor Guatemalan community. He was also involved in the design of the school building and helped start its construction.
St. Joseph County, Indiana – DLZ Indiana is pleased to announce that Andrew Kostielney will join the firm in September as part of DLZ Indiana’s client management and business development team. The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners President announced that he will step down in August to enter the private sector. Commissioner Kostielney will focus on building and nurturing client relationships and establishing new opportunities to deliver innovative solutions to the Indiana communities where we work and live.
A proven leader, Andy has over 20 years of local government experience, including 14 years as County Commissioner, 10 of which as President. Concurrently, he worked at the University of Notre Dame’s Robinson Community Learning Center as Assistant Director. Andy served as a member of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District Board of Trustees for ten years. He has a B.A. in History from the University of Notre Dame and is a lifelong resident of St. Joseph County. Andy and his wife Joy have three children and six grandchildren.
For over 100 years, DLZ has worked with local, state, and federal government clients across Indiana and the Midwest region to design complex infrastructure improvements, water and sewer facilities, and state-of-the-art sustainable governmental buildings. With over 800 people in 28 offices, we are dedicated to working with our governmental clients to solve problems and improve our communities.
DLZ Corporation has yet again secured a position among the Top 500 Design Firms by the Engineering News-Record (ENR) magazine, ranking No. 141 in 2022. Despite a tough climate for the A/E industry in the post COVID times, the firm has maintained consistent growth in sales and projects won. Thus, achieving a strong and competitive foothold in the industry, backed by tremendous experience and a talented workforce.
DLZ Corporation continues to be among the top Professional Services Consultants in the Midwest, expanding its presence across North America, South America, and Asia in Design, Architecture, Transportation, Water, and Energy sectors.
