Staff

Austin became AVE’s second staff engineer working from our Bend, Oregon office. As a project engineer, Austin has worked on high-end residential houses, commercial buildings, retrofits, and remodels, as well as tenant improvement projects spanning from Southern California to Northern Washington. Austin enjoys bringing efficient structural design to complex architectural issues, especially in high-wind or seismic areas. Austin earned his Civil Engineering degree from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.

Brett is a member of the Denver Office civil engineering team. He graduated from Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering. Since then Brett has been practicing in the State of Colorado preparing construction plans and engineering reports for a variety of projects including, custom residences, multi-family, commercial buildings, urban mixed-use, business parks, assisted living facilities, and residential subdivisions.

An integral member of our team from the very beginning, Chad serves as a Principal Structural Engineer in our Santa Barbara office.  He has completed numerous structural engineering projects throughout San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, & Los Angeles counties, and has taken great pride in offering creative & cost-conscious design solutions in areas ranging from custom residential & multi-family housing, to commercial buildings & industrial facilities. Chad couples his extensive design experience with strong communication skills to effectively manage projects by actively interfacing with clients, fellow design professionals, governing jurisdictions, and his own team members on a day-in & day-out basis.

Chelsie earned her BS degree in Architectural Engineering with a minor in Construction Management from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She began working for Ashley & Vance shortly after graduating, and she continues to be a tremendous contributor to our San Luis Obispo office and our Santa Barbara office. She has worked on a wide variety of projects ranging from tract homes to high-end custom residences, commercial buildings, tenant improvements, and various retrofits and remodels. Chelsie enjoys how each project poses its own distinctive difficulties, and in turn, requires a unique and cost-effective solution.

Growing up on a ranch in Wyoming, Chelsie learned the value of hard physical work and the intricacies of the building process. As a young girl and into adulthood, she helped her father build multiple structures on their ranch and at their home. Chelsie’s exposure to the practicalities of construction gives her keen insight into the details and constructability of each of her projects.

Cristi Fry is employed in the San Luis Obispo office and is a Registered Civil Engineer, a Licensed Land Surveyor, and also a certified Qualified Storm Water Developer and Practitioner.  Cristi has been involved with land use and development since the early 1990s. She has worked on a wide variety of projects and has a specialized knowledge of subdivision design and subdivision mapping, including condominium mapping.

Cristi has been living on the Central Coast of California since 2000 and particularly enjoys aspects of the project entitlement process; site development constraint maps, preparation of conceptual development plans and preliminary drainage studies.  Cristi has an expertise in chain of title research and lot legality studies and thoroughly understands the subdivision progression timelines and the required coordination with the agency, Title Company, Land Use Attorneys, and BRE processors that may be necessary.  Cristi has experience processing project approvals with many jurisdictions throughout the state of California, from as far south as Malibu, and as far north as Napa.

Cristi has a husband, two adult children and two dogs.  When not working, Cristi enjoys traveling, camping, and house renovations.

Davis is part of the civil engineering team in the Bend office. He graduated from Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering where his primary focus was hydraulics and water treatment systems. Along with his collegiate knowledge, Davis also has experience as an onsite project engineer and with hands on experience as a carpenter. He has worked on building custom homes, helping to manage a multi-million dollar concrete structure project and creating concepts and outlines for solving Bozeman’s 2050 water storage crisis.    

Drew is a structural project engineer in the Santa Barbara office. He joined the A&V team after graduating with his BS degree in Civil Engineering with a structural emphasis. As a Santa Barbara county native, Drew is excited to work on projects that positively impact the community where he was raised.

Eric is a principal engineer who splits his time between our San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara offices. He graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a degree in Architectural Engineering and he is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of California.

Eric contributes over 10 years of structural design experience covering a wide range of projects throughout California and Hawaii. His projects include Niner Winery’s 57,000 sq. ft. concrete tilt-up wine processing facility in Paso Robles, California and the Waihonua Tower, a 418-foot-tall reinforced concrete high-rise condo in Honolulu, Hawaii. Eric also has construction experience with slab-on-grade foundations and rough carpentry, designed on-site septic systems, and performed special inspections for helical anchors and grouted tiebacks.

Whenever Eric is able to take a break from work, he can usually be found on a sheer granite face, rock climbing throughout the Sierra Nevada range.

Evan Rickards can be found in the Bend office as a civil project engineer, with the experience and passion of working on wind farm development and small subdivision projects. As a graduate from George Fox University, he received his bachelors of science in civil engineering and was fortunate to experience work in both the public and private sectors giving him a unique perspective and insight into public projects. Having the opportunity to work on large renewable energy projects, Evan is knowledgeable of the importance of thoughtful design and thinking through problems before they occur. Evan hopes to impact his community with elevated design and development that will positively affect all who call Central Oregon home.

Greg is a structural project engineer in our Los Angeles office.  After earning his degree in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley, Greg joined the team at Ashley & Vance’s Oakland office where he was a member of the structural design team for some of the largest projects in AV history.  Greg has several years of structural design experience ranging from residential remodels and commercial TI’s to mid-rise hotels and seismic retrofits of large industrial buildings. Greg values all aspects of the engineering process, from client interface to collaboration between members of the design team to the technical details of engineering design.  

Jackson began his career working in the oil and gas industry designing support steel structures and performing pipe stress analysis for high pressure oil field processes. Jackson’s passion for designing complex pressure piping projects in the oil and gas industry has translated excellently with our structural group at Ashley & Vance Engineering. He is currently working as a project engineer and is involved in design and project management for multiple challenging projects within the structural group.

In addition to his design experience, Jackson has spent some time working in concrete construction and he took part in a large factory site redevelopment project in Indiana. Jackson is a graduate from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a degree in Civil Engineering. Jackson is very excited to be working with Ashley & Vance and strives to apply his previous experience and work ethic to the structural engineering projects we offer.

As a long time Santa Barbara local, Jason has been practicing civil engineering for over 20 years. He has worked on various high-profile projects with large multi-national civil engineering firms. For 10 years prior, he worked for Foster Wheeler Corporation in their Clinton, New Jersey office. He prepared civil and site improvement designs and plans for facilities serving the power, petrochemical, and pharmaceutical industries. Some of his past projects include grading and drainage design for international clients such as Amerada Hess, Shell Oil, and Merck Pharmaceuticals, both in the United States and overseas.

Jason is intimately familiar with the entitlement and permitting process for large and small projects on the Central Coast and Southern California. Recently he worked on high-profile projects in the education, hospitality and healthcare industries as well as on luxury residential developments. Through these projects, Jason has become very familiar with the expectations of several local agencies within Santa Barbara County. Jason is the principal civil engineer at our Santa Barbara office. 

Jim joined Ashley & Vance Engineering in 2017, after 12 years as an accounting manager for a large contractor in the oil & gas industry.  Working in the San Luis Obispo office, he brings a wide range of accounting knowledge and experience to the AV accounts team.  Jim earned a degree in Business Economics with an Emphasis in Accounting from UC Santa Barbara.

John Fischer, principal engineer of the Bend, Oregon office, brings 10 years of structural design and construction experience encompassing projects from San Diego to Seattle. From the conceptual phase to the construction phase, John contributes experience ranging from storage sheds to large custom residences, small tenant improvements to complex commercial buildings, and projects involving rooftop solar and retaining walls. John oversees all the projects that are performed by the Bend, Oregon office and produces a majority of the structural design.

As a former licensed contractor, John has a unique awareness of building economy and constructability. Years of working in the building trades have ingrained his ‘builder’s perspective.’ This contractor-friendly approach is highly valued by architects and builders alike. As a fourth-generation building professional from a family of engineers and developers, John’s passion for building projects runs deep. This inspires him to go beyond the norm in facilitating and coordinating successful projects.

With a background in forensic engineering, structural engineering for post-tensioning projects and project management, John is enthusiastic to apply his knowledge to diverse projects at Ashley and Vance. Prior to this position, John contributed complicated design solutions to over 30 bridges in the Bay Area. His experience in project management manifests in efficient and builder friendly solutions to complicated issues. John’s work ethic, organization and attention to detail are effectively applied to all of his projects.

Outside of work, John actively pursues his love of skateboarding, enjoys the great outdoors and traveling throughout the world.

Jordan is one of the original engineers at Ashley & Vance Engineering, and he is now the principal engineer of the Northern Nevada office. He has designed structural projects of all sizes including remodels, custom homes, commercial buildings, and healthcare facilities. Having spent significant time in the construction industry, he brings a sense of constructability to engineering and enjoys delivering projects that are buildable and cost effective, while ensuring quality client service through completion of every project.  

Born and raised in the Eastern Sierras, Jordan has a particular affinity for the mountains and enjoys the unique challenges that heavy snow and high earthquake loads bring to structural engineering. He has been the lead engineer on many high-end custom residential and commercial projects in Mammoth Lakes, June Lake, and Lake Tahoe in California, and Bend, Oregon as well.

Juan is part of our structural engineering team in the San Luis Obispo office. He graduated from Cal Poly with an Architectural Engineering degree and has previous experience performing geotechnical testing both in the lab and in the field. Juan brings a positive attitude and is excited to take on new projects with Ashley & Vance.

In his free time, Juan enjoys playing soccer with friends and family and attending live sporting events.

Kathleen is a LEED-certified professional civil engineer with experience preparing grading, drainage, and site utility plans for commercial, residential, and public works projects in the San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura County areas. Currently, she focuses most of her time on the hydrology and stormwater aspects of projects. She has a passion for low-impact design, which seamlessly complements her skills for innovative stormwater detention and stormwater treatment designs. She has prepared grading permit packages and construction drawings for drainage, grading, and utility plans. These projects have required stormwater management structures to filter, store, infiltrate, and release stormwater.

Ken Brown leads the Civil Department of the San Luis Obispo office. With over ten years of experience coordinating project development with private developers as well as cities, counties, and state representatives, Ken’s thoughtful interactions with all interested parties of a project lead to efficient, well-executed, impressive results. Ken works on a variety of complex commercial, municipal, and residential projects from the conceptual layout through the design and construction phases. He directs the preparation of civil improvement plans and oversees grading, drainage, water, and sewer design.

Ken is a Qualified SWPPP Developer (QSD) who performs and oversees hydraulic analysis, stormwater drainage facility design, and drainage reports. He is also experienced with construction observation and preparing full documentation that complies with city, county, and state requirements.

Maggie assists our administrative team in accounts payable, accounts receivable, sending and receiving correspondence, as well as greeting clients, and managing activities in all office locations from the San Luis Obispo office. She brings a big smile and positive outlook on the everyday tasks. Maggie is very excited to be part of the Ashley & Vance team.

Matt received both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Nevada, Reno in Civil Engineering with an emphasis in structural design.  Upon graduation Matt worked overseas in Australia as a field engineer on a large natural gas project.  Since returning he spent over 4 years designing base isolation systems for both structural and non-structural applications worldwide.  When Matt is not in the office he can be found at the climbing gym or planning his next roller coaster road trip.

Matthew leads the Oakland office with a diversified, broad-based background as both a civil and structural engineer. His project experience encompasses residential and commercial remodel and new construction, tenant improvements for multi-national retailers, alterations and renovations for industrial and telecom facilities, seismic upgrades and rehabilitation of aging structures, wineries and public art installations, and nearly everything in between.

Matthew believes that the success of every project is firmly rooted in establishing client objectives and goals from project inception and ensuring those are met through communication, open collaboration, and the delivery of clear, coordinated, and constructible designs. Matthew has the unique ability to distill increasingly complex situations into increasingly simple and distinctive solutions. Prior to joining Ashley & Vance, Matthew was a partner at a San Francisco-based firm where he spent the better part of a decade leading the structural design of award-winning residences and restaurants, seismic upgrades of both commercial and residential properties, and “special situation” projects requiring out-of-the-box approaches.

Michael works as a Structural Project Engineer out of our Oakland office.  Originally from New England, Michael began working at Ashley & Vance Engineering after graduating from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with an M.S. & B.S. in Civil Engineering.  Prior to earning his degree, Michael interned with a local Structural Engineer in San Luis Obispo for 3 years where he was able to work extensively across a range of different projects, from exposed structural steel rehabilitation, to forensic engineering and litigation, to residential timber-framed projects.  This experience and education has helped him immensely to develop a passion for solving problems inherent with existing construction and structural retrofits.

Miles is one of our project engineers on our civil engineering team in the San Luis Obispo office. He joined Ashley and Vance shortly  after completing his degree in Civil Engineering at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Miles takes pride in developing civil engineering solutions that are constructible, sound, and cost-effective. In his free time, Miles can be found maintaining one of his several aquariums, playing the drums, and enjoying the natural beauty of the central coast.

Peter is a recent graduate from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a degree in Architectural Engineering.  Peter is excited to begin his Structural Engineering career at Ashley and Vance working out of the Santa Barbara Office.  After a couple summers of construction jobsite experience, he strives to build strong community ties and offer design solutions.  Peter takes pride in working with a team that offers creative, economic services from design to completion.

On his free time, Peter enjoys catching a morning surf and hitting the road for a quick lunch bike ride.

Rafael is a graduate in the Architectural Engineering program at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He has a diverse background in structural, civil, and geotechnical projects. Rafael has completed residential and commercial designs, grading/drainage plans, and he has also performed geotechnical testing in the lab and field. He is well-versed in developing full construction documents and provides a real-world approach to his work.

Rafael currently works from our San Luis Obispo office on structural engineering projects. His enthusiastic attitude shines through his work and personal life. He enjoys playing soccer and spending time with his family.

Ricardo is a project engineer in our Los Angeles office. He received his Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering, with an emphasis in Structural Engineering, from the University of California, Irvine. He then began working at an engineering firm that specialized in seismic vibration isolation where he designed structural supports and anchorage for mechanical equipment. After becoming a licensed civil engineer, Ricardo deciding to pursue structural engineering, which was what led him into the engineering field to begin with. 

Ashley & Vance Engineering has added Rollston Frangopoulos to their design team in Bend, OR. He has his bachelors degree from the University of Wyoming. Rollston is a PE and will soon start the application process for his SE. He has 9 years experience in structural design working on hospitals, K-12, wineries, residential, and commercial projects. Rollston has experience with concrete, steel, wood, and CMU construction types. He has worked on many seismic renovations and upgrades including multistory unreinforced masonry, concrete, and wood buildings. 

In his time off he enjoys mountain/road biking, skiing, and traveling to Greece to visit family.

Ryan is a structural engineer in our San Luis Obispo office and a Central Coast native. Ryan is a product of Cal Poly with a background in construction and residential design. He designs towards a practical and efficient structural solution that will satisfy the needs of the client and contractor. Ryan is excited to tackle new challenges and unique projects that will make each customer’s dreams come true. He takes pride in being part of a team that is dedicated to seeing a project through from inception to completion.

Located in our San Luis Obispo office, Sara utilizes her diverse background in design, communications, brand strategy, event planning, hospitality, and administration. She brings insight towards internal organization, provides executive and administrative support, and helps build a cohesive voice across our branch offices for clients, our communities, and industry professionals. Her bachelor’s degree in Art & Design from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo gives her a strong appreciation for functional design in all forms, so she is happy to help our engineers and principals stay focused on their creations and craft (while also sneaking glances at exciting building plans in the works).

Scott Benjamin comes to us after spending 12 years doing architectural and civil design that specializes in building large dairies in the western United States. There he did both architectural and civil design plus surveying and some project management. Scott graduated from Montana State University Northern and has spent his career in several different aspects of engineering from designing and building farm machinery to Industrial food processing machinery to Designing Dairies.  Scott brings 11 years of experience using AutoDesk Revit. Scott will be working from his home in the Pinedale Wyoming area.

As a licensed structural engineer and principal of the Los Angeles office, Sean is responsible for overseeing the structural design of high-end residential, commercial, hotel, multi-use, and tenant improvement projects in the greater LA area. Sean stands out as a creative and versatile engineer with experience in concrete, steel, masonry, and wood construction for a wide variety of structural systems.

During his career, Sean has been involved as lead design engineer for several notable projects such as a 244-unit mixed-use development with two levels of subterranean parking in Marina del Rey, a 53 unit multi-family residential community in Palm Springs, a multi-story hotel addition with underground parking in Burbank and a major tenant improvement at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles. He has a proven track record of delivering cost-effective and inventive designs that meet the goals of the clients, architects, contractors and other professionals. 

Shellie is a structural project engineer in the Bend office with design experience in a wide variety of structures including residences, commercial buildings, fire stations, educational facilities, and remodels. She enjoys looking at designs from a contractor's point of view and strives to produce the most constructible, efficient and economical designs possible.

Steven is part of the structural engineering team in our San Luis Obispo office, having received his M.S. in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.  His design experience covers a variety of projects ranging from small-scale home remodels to multi-family residential developments. Steven brings thoroughness and close attention to detail to every project he works on, regardless of scale.

When not engineering, Steven enjoys hiking the San Luis Obispo area or reading a good mystery.

Thomas is one of our project engineers on our structural engineering team in the Pasadena office. He joined Ashley and Vance shortly after completing his degree in Civil Engineering at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Thomas strives to find cost-effective and creative structural solutions for a variety of projects. In his free time, you could find Thomas playing basketball, rocking out on the violin, and working on music production.

Truitt, a principal engineer and original founder of the company, approaches each client and project with his vast skill set, BS in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and broad spectrum of experience as a fourth-generation builder, journeyman carpenter, licensed general contractor, construction manager, and multi-family developer.

Truitt specializes in providing practical, buildable designs for all projects. He currently oversees land development projects in the San Luis Obispo office including challenging custom residences like cliffside homes in Shell Beach; luxury cabins tucked into mountainsides in June Lake and Mammoth Lakes; large multi-family housing developments such as Cypress Village in Buellton, Heritage Square in Santa Maria, and SLO Terrace in San Luis Obispo; large-scale mixed-use commercial projects throughout California; and wineries including Shale Oak Winery, Le Cuvier, and Adeleida Cellars.

Given his expertise in all stages of developing, designing, and building, Truitt provides a sought-after, knowledgeable perspective internally to our team of talented professionals at Ashley & Vance and also externally to our widely-varied clientele.

With background in both architecture and construction, Tyler knows some of the needs and desires of architectural design and how structural engineering can supplement and enhance those goals. Initially calling Bishop and the Eastern Sierras home, Tyler attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and majored in Architecture and Architectural Engineering. He first started working for Ashley & Vance while attending college and continues to help our clientele with his valuable and unique skill set. He returned to the mountains and to the Tahoe area after college and also spends part of his time in Fairbanks, Alaska.