RPA is pleased to welcome Caitlyn Murphy, PE, to the firm as a Project Engineer in our Streets & Highways Group in our Helena office. Caitlyn brings eight years of experience in roadway design, Civil 3D workflows, and digital delivery. Her technical expertise and collaborative approach strengthen our team and support RPA’s continued growth and commitment to delivering high-quality infrastructure solutions. Originally from Helena, Montana, Caitlyn earned her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Montana State University. Outside of work, Caitlyn enjoys competitively bowling in leagues and tournaments, golfing, kayaking, and attending concerts to see her favorite bands. She also values time with family and friends and enjoys cooking and trying new recipes, reading, playing board games, and creating art. Please join us in welcoming Caitlyn to RPA!

Please join us in welcoming Chad Schreiner, PE, to RPA as a Project Manager in our Site Civil Group, based in our Bozeman office. Chad brings 14 years of experience in site civil design and will play a key role in overseeing projects to ensure quality, managing project teams, tracking budgets and schedules, administering contracts, and working closely with clients to support successful project delivery.

Originally from Rapid City, South Dakota, Chad earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Montana State University. Outside the office, he enjoys skydiving, snowmobiling, skiing, and spending time with his family. We’re excited to have Chad on board and look forward to the expertise he brings to our team.

We are excited to welcome Theron Thompson, PE, to Robert Peccia & Associates (RPA) as a Senior Structural Project Manager in our Bozeman office.

Theron brings more than 20 years of experience in structural design, seismic analysis, and project management. His expertise spans residential, commercial, industrial, healthcare, education, and even nuclear facilities—working with materials ranging from reinforced concrete and structural steel to masonry, timber, and log. He has successfully led multi-disciplined teams on complex projects in high seismic regions and areas with severe snow loads.

A native of Laramie, Wyoming, Theron earned his M.S. in Structural Engineering from Washington State University and his B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Wyoming. Outside of work, he enjoys camping, hunting, and fishing with his wife and two sons, and can often be found coaching or cheering on his boys’ baseball and football teams.

Please join us in welcoming Theron to the RPA team!

We are pleased to announce that Todd Lowell Jr. has joined the RPA team as an Engineering Designer in our Site Development Group. Todd brings a decade of engineering experience from his distinguished service in the U.S. Army, where he held several key leadership roles, including Project Manager and Company Commander, at various locations across the United States. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from North Dakota State University and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering and Military Construction Management from the Missouri University of Science and Technology. His extensive background in engineering and leadership makes him a valuable addition to our growing team.

We are pleased to announce that Rob Ashton has joined RPA’s Helena office as a Construction Administration Specialist in our Water/Wastewater Group. Rob brings nearly three decades of experience in water and wastewater funding, project inspection, and regulatory compliance. His deep knowledge and hands-on expertise make him a valuable asset to our team and clients. Originally from Provo, Utah, Rob earned his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from Utah State University. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a strong commitment to delivering high-quality infrastructure solutions and ensuring projects meet both funding and regulatory compliance requirements.

We are thrilled to announce the return of Tim Rusdal, PE, as a Senior Project Manager in our Site Development Group. A graduate of North Dakota State University, Tim brings over 30 years of civil engineering experience to our team. His career has spanned Program and Project Management roles focused on infrastructure for roads and bridges, as well as site development and water/wastewater systems for Local, State, and Federal Agencies. As a senior project manager at RPA, Tim will apply his depth of knowledge and leadership skills to provide high-quality, innovative engineering design solutions for our current and future clients.

Jacquelyn Smith, PE, has joined RPA as a Senior Project Manager in the Streets and Highways Group. Jacquelyn attended Montana State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and has over 20 years of progressive design, project management and program management experience for federal, state and local governments. As a Senior Project Manager at RPA, she will oversee projects to assure quality of the work, manage project teams, track project budgets and schedules, and perform contract administration. Jacquelyn’s extensive experience and dedication to her profession, coupled with her respected reputation in the industry, make her a valuable addition to the RPA team.

Luke Stermitz has joined the RPA Bozeman office as an Engineering Designer in the Streets and Highways Group. Luke is a recent graduate of Montana State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. He gained hands on experience working on a variety of highway projects through a successful internship with RPA. In his role as an Engineering Designer, Luke will utilize his experience and education to complete various aspects of highway design, including data collection, alternatives analysis, and preparation of construction documents.

Rebekah Rongo has joined the RPA Helena office as a Planning Specialist in the Transportation Planning and Operations Group. She has six years of experience with a focus on sustainable transportation, low impact development methods, and multi-modal transportation hubs. Rebekah has a Bachelor of Science degree in Landscape Architecture with an emphasis on Urban Ecological Design and Planning. At RPA, she will assist with the development of planning projects such as corridor planning studies, feasibility assessments, regulatory research, policy development, grant applications, active transportation plans, safety analyses, and land use and environmental investigations. Her solid foundation in planning coupled with her ability to facilitate effective problem-solving on multidisciplinary teams for a variety of projects make her an excellent addition to the RPA team!

Jennifer Steilmann has joined the RPA Helena office as an Administrative Assistant. Jennifer has a diverse administrative background with over 20 years of office and clerical support experience. She is responsible for providing administrative support to all components of RPA’s day-to-day operations.  Her refined experience with client service, document organization, and completion of time-sensitive projects makes Jennifer a valuable addition to our team. 

Ellie Hensel has joined the RPA Bozeman office as an Engineering Designer in the Streets and Highways Group. Ellie is a graduate of Montana State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. Prior to joining RPA, she acquired valuable hands-on experience through internships with Dick Anderson Construction and Nucor Building Systems. In her role as an Engineering Designer, Ellie will utilize her experience and education to complete various aspects of highway design, including data collection, alternatives analysis, and preparation of construction documents.

Will Sanzone, EI, has joined the RPA Bozeman office as an Engineering Designer in the Airports Group. In addition to five years of experience with a focus on site design and construction administration, Will has a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Engineering with a minor in Business from the University of Colorado at Boulder. In his role as an Engineering Designer, Will assists with data collection, alternatives analysis, design, preparation of airport construction documents, and project administration. Will’s strong work ethic and dedication make him an excellent addition to the RPA team.  

Chris Hanley has joined the RPA Kalispell office as a Construction Technician. He has 21 years of experience in construction ranging from laborer to construction superintendent, resident project manager, construction project manager, and site safety inspector.  Prior to joining RPA, Chris served as a municipal Public Works Director, regularly serving as the city’s project supervisor and coordinating with engineering firms in the planning and implementation of numerous water, sewer, and street replacement projects. At RPA Chris will provide on-site construction observation and construction administration services for various types of civil engineering projects.

Ashley Schuler has joined the RPA Bozeman office as an Engineering Designer in the Transportation Planning and Operations Group. Ashley is a graduate of Colorado State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering with a minor in Spanish. Prior to joining RPA, she acquired valuable technical and industry experience through three internships which were focused on site development, planning, and transportation projects. In her role as an Engineering Designer, Ashley assists with various aspects of transportation planning and engineering analyses, including data collection, alternatives analysis, preparation of transportation planning documents and traffic simulation and modeling. We look forward to her contributions to our ongoing projects!

Maria Burke has joined the RPA Bozeman office as an Engineering Designer in the Structures Group. Maria is a recent graduate of Montana Technological University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and was an active member of several student organizations. Through internships with Vulcraft Utah and Kirby Building Systems, Maria gained valuable structural design experience. At RPA, she will utilize her experience and education to complete various aspects of structural design, including data collection, structural calculations, and preparation of construction documents. Her passion for learning and dedication to her chosen profession make her an excellent addition to the RPA team.

Garrett Little has joined the RPA Helena office as an Engineering Designer in the Water/Wastewater Group. Garrett is a graduate of Montana Technological University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. Through summer internships, Garrett acquired valuable experience with environmental sampling, data collection, and project inspection. In his role as an Engineering Designer at RPA, Garrett assists with various reports, data collection and analysis, project design, and construction observation. 

Nick Kanauer has joined the RPA Helena office as a Survey Assistant in the Survey/SUE Group. Nick has four years experience in land surveying and served as a Crew Chief on a variety of large civil projects. He is skilled with total project construction layout, Right-of-Way establishment, establishing and maintaining site control networks, and final as-built report production. Nick is also a licensed drone pilot specializing in LiDAR Imagery for topographic applications. In addition to a diverse survey background, Nick has a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from SUNY Oswego College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as well as an Associate of Applied Science in Land Surveying Technology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Ranger School. 

Joe Stolski, EI, has joined the RPA Helena office as an Engineering Designer in the Streets and Highways Group. At RPA, Joe will utilize his experience and education to complete various aspects of highway design, including data collection, alternatives analysis, and preparation of construction documents. Joe holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from South Dakota State University. His attention to detail and strong work ethic makes him an excellent addition to the RPA team.

Paul Herbst, PE, has joined the RPA Bozeman office as a Project Engineer in the Water and Wastewater Group. In addition to 10 years of experience with a focus on water distribution and wastewater systems, Paul has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Montana State University. His specialties include wastewater collection and treatment design, water distribution system modeling, and construction observation. As a Project Engineer at RPA, Paul will apply engineering design standards to design and prepare construction and related plans, specifications, reports, and contract documents, as well as conduct construction observation and contract administration duties.

Colton Grange, EI, has joined the RPA Helena office as an Engineering Designer in the Water/Wastewater Group. Colton is a graduate of Montana Technological University where in addition to earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, he also played safety for the Orediggers Football Team. To complement his education, Colton held internships with the Montana Department of Transportation and CrownQuest Operating in Midland, Texas. Following graduation, he worked as a drilling engineer for CrownQuest Operating where he acquired valuable experience with project management and coordination, optimization of oil and gas drilling/production, and pipeline design and operations. In his role as an Engineering Designer at RPA, Colton assists with various reports, data collection and analysis, project design, and construction observation.

Easton Whiteside has joined the RPA Helena office as our IT Network Administrator. Easton has a diverse background in IT and brings with him nearly a decade of experience in network support, cybersecurity, and broad systems support. In this new role, he is primarily responsible for the installation, maintenance, security, and administration of the firm’s networked computer system. Additionally, he assists with the acquisition, installation, and support of the firm’s hardware and software applications. Easton holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Computer Information Technology from North Idaho College. Easton’s broad exposure to computer systems and his knowledge of the existing technology utilized at RPA, make him a valuable addition to the team.

Aaron Peters, EI, has joined the Robert Peccia & Associates (RPA) Helena office as an Engineering Designer in the Site Development Group. Aaron has over five years of civil engineering experience with a primary focus in municipal and transportation engineering. At RPA, he will utilize his experience and education to complete various aspects of site design, including data collection, alternatives analysis, and preparation of construction documents. Aaron holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering Technology from Montana State University – Northern. His attention to detail, strong work ethic, and dedication to his profession make him an excellent addition to the RPA team.

Chris Brazda has joined the Robert Peccia & Associates (RPA) Kalispell office as an Engineering Designer/Construction Technician in the Site Development Group. Chris is a recent graduate of Montana State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. To complement his education, Chris’s internship gave him valuable experience in septic system and drainfield design, as well as construction inspection. In his role as an Engineering Designer, Chris assists with various reports, preparing specifications and cost estimates, data collection and analysis and construction observation.

Colin Sassano has joined the Robert Peccia & Associates (RPA) Helena office as an Engineering Designer/Construction Technician in the Water and Wastewater Group. Colin is a recent graduate of Carroll College where in addition to earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, he also played linebacker and served as team captain of the Fighting Saints Football Team. He interned with RPA for two summers, gaining valuable hands-on engineering experience working on a variety of water and wastewater projects. In his role as an Engineering Designer, Colin assists with various reports, data collection and analysis such as sludge sampling and flow measurements, project design, and construction observation.

RPA wants to extend a warm welcome to Tony Woods, EI who has joined the Kalispell Office. Tony is primarily focused on engineering design, specifications, and cost estimates for National Parks Service (NPS) Projects. Currently, Tony is working on two (2) projects for the NPS within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. He is designing two (2) boat launch ramp extensions, one at Echo Bay and one at Hemenway Harbor, for Lake Mead. Additionally, he is working on the schematic design of an access road, parking lots, and launch ramp at Callville Bay within Lake Mead. With these projects, Tony is assisting the NPS at Lake Mead to maintain public access to the lake during these difficult low water times.

Michelle McHam has joined Robert Peccia and Associates (RPA) as an Administrative Assistant. Ms. McHam holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration from the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Lakewood, CO. Ms. McHam has eight years of clerical experience, most recently working as an Administrative Project Coordinator, for an architecture firm in Denver, CO. She will provide administrative support to all components of RPA’s civil engineering and land surveying projects. Her extensive experience in the Architect/Engineering Industry, coupled with her exceptional customer service, document organization, and completion of time-sensitive projects, makes Ms. McHam a valuable addition to the RPA team.