Welcome to RPA, Rob Ashton

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!