Staff

A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Andrew has called the Santa Barbara area home since 2010. Since graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a BS in Civil Engineering he has worked in site development design, as well as providing construction inspections. Andrew brings a diverse background of experience in both the public and private sectors having worked on a variety of projects including residential subdivisions, public roadways, commercial business parks, higher education developments, and ADA rehab projects.

August is a graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a degree in Architectural Engineering. His time with Ashley & Vance Engineering is in structural engineering working out of the Oakland office location. Early on in his career, he saw firsthand how miscommunication between engineers and contractors can lead to inadequate structures and expensive mistakes. Learning from that experience, his perspective shifted to prioritize cooperative dialogue with design teams with focus on providing sound, yet efficient solutions. He enjoys challenges provided by structural engineering problems requiring unique, innovative ideas which land on his desk often. Outside of work, August enjoys traveling, reading, spending time with family, and keeping up with Bay Area sports.

Bree’s attitude and energy are unparalleled, allowing her to excel at a wide variety of tasks that include public outreach, marketing, and accounting. Having knowledge of accounts receivable and accounts payable, Bree aids in Ashley & Vance’s daily activities and assists the accounting department. Bree maintains office services by organizing administrative operations and procedures, preparing payroll and invoices, controlling correspondence, assisting with social media, and providing website administration. We are all grateful for Bree’s positive attitude and enjoy the pleasure of working with her.

As a licensed civil engineer in Colorado and California, Bruce has worked on public school improvement projects, as well as public and private sector infrastructure projects. His project experience includes design for multiple resource conservation districts throughout the West, planning and design for wastewater and water treatment projects, financial, and regulatory planning services from a civil engineering capital perspective, and preparation of full construction documents including specifications, plans, and bid documents.

Bruce is highly efficient with civil engineering software such as Autodesk Civil 3D, and has provided Civil 3D training seminars for other design professionals in the industry.

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.

A Santa Barbara native, Dale worked for his father, a masonry contractor, before pursuing degree in Civil Engineering from San Diego State University.  He worked for the private firm of SB&O, Inc. in San Diego before returning home to work for the County of Santa Barbara Public Works Department. During his 16 years at the County, he worked as a project engineer for the Solid Waste Division and the Water Agency designing & managing various projects on the local landfills & reservoirs before serving as the Development Engineer for the Flood Control District.  While working at Flood Control, Dale served 10 years on the Subdivision Development Review Committee, supervised the Development Review Division, and gained his Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) Certification. Dale returned to the private sector, and worked the next 12 years at MAC Design Associates. While here, Dale gained his QSD/QSP Certification, and served as the Principal Engineer on various land development projects.

When not in the office, Dale enjoys traveling, photography, motorcycling, sailing, camping, snowboarding, mountian biking and volunteering his time at the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission serving as a Mentor and as Marketing Photographer. 

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. He has experience with a variety of projects, ranging from multifamily and hotels to high end residential design. He enjoys challenging projects where attention to detail and coordination with the rest of the design team is paramount. Drew is a Santa Barbara County native and is excited to see and work on projects that positively impact the community where he was raised.

Originally from Monterey County, Emilio works as part of the civil engineering team in the Santa Barbara office. Since graduating from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with his bachelors and masters in Civil Engineering, he has worked on a multitude of projects within Santa Barbara County. Emilio has a diverse background that includes public and private site design, commercial and residential development, and wet utility design. He enjoyed being part of the team that put together the final design plans and provided construction support for the Hotel Californian - an upscale hotel with a large parking structure, restaurants, and food services near the ocean on lower state street. Outside of work, Emilio likes to bake bread and swing dance.

Emily is part of the Civil Engineering team in the Bend office. She graduated from Cal Poly with a BS in BioResource and Agricultural Engineering. Before starting with Ashley & Vance Engineering, Emily worked for one of the USDA’s agencies, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). She worked for the NRCS in Bend, OR and Denver, CO, designing a variety of irrigation systems such as culverts with headgates and center pivots for private landowners. She has since moved into the civil industry and looks forward to learning from her peers. In her free time, Emily enjoys mountain biking in the forest and eating burritos.

Evan is a project engineer for our civil engineering team in our Bellingham office. His experience includes doing steel and concrete design for projects ranging from pipe supports, personnel access platforms and has designed stormwater systems within refineries. Evan earned his Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering at George Fox University in Newberg, OR. He is also a member of Engineers without Borders and currently working on monitoring and evaluating a Urine Diversion Dehydration Toilet (UDDT) in Axim, Ghana.

Fernando is a structural project engineer in our San Luis Obispo office.He joined Ashley & Vance shortly after completing both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Civil Engineering with an emphasis in Structural Engineering at Cal Poly.  Fernando takes pride in bringing close attention to detail and efficiency to any project he works on.  In his free time, you can find Fernando playing golf, playing classical/flamenco guitar, and exploring the craft of beer.

Ian joined us in this location on the structural design team just after receiving his M.S. in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. With a relentlessly analytical approach, Ian is often tasked with AVE’s most difficult and challenging projects. Over the years, Ian’s designs have incorporated wood, concrete, masonry, and steel framing systems as well as retrofits of unreinforced masonry—and, in some cases, all on the same project.

Ian has worked on a variety of projects including custom residential homes, seismic retrofits, and commercial structures. Ian enjoys the challenges posed by unique projects and skillfully works through them to reach practical and cost-effective solutions. This results-orientated approach has allowed him to work through some of the largest commercial projects in the San Luis Obispo downtown corridor including Garden Street Terraces and the retail portion of Chinatown.

Jack is part of the Civil team in the Santa Barbara office.  He graduated with a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UC Davis.  Before coming to Ashley Vance he worked under a general contractor specializing in residential additions and remodels.  This hands-on experience allows him to approach engineering work with buildability in mind.  In his free time Jack enjoys golfing and fishing. 

James grew up in North Carolina and studied chemical engineering at Oregon State University. He spent the following years as a professional plumber on the West shore of Lake Tahoe before transitioning into his career in structural engineering. James’s studies and previous experience provide him with a diverse outlook on building systems and enables him to seek multiple solutions to difficult problems. James is also an artistic person and environmentally conscientious--his favorite part of structural engineering is providing multiple design idea’s that consider economics, aesthetics, and smart building materials to achieve an architect’s vision.

Jason is a structural engineer in the Oakland office. He has experience designing a variety of  residential structures from Sonoma to Gilroy. Jason earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. When not working, Jason enjoys running and all forms of 2-wheeled transportation from push scooters to motorcycles.

Jeremiah graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from California State University, Long Beach. After working a few years in the Architectural and Planning field, he is excited to follow his passion for engineering as a member of the structural team at the Santa Barbara office. Having been born and raised along the California Central Coast, he is devoted to keeping his community unique. 

When he is not in the office Jeremiah enjoys being outside and enjoying the fresh air. You can find him at the beach or in the mountains. Jeremiah also enjoys watching all types of sports such as surfing, football, and esports.

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.

Jon manages our Information Technology needs. He is based in San Luis Obispo but provides support for all of our offices. Working in the IT field since 2007, Jon has a Certificate in Computer Hardware and Networking from College of the Siskiyous, he is a Certified Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA), CompTIA Network + certified, and continues to study for additional IT industry recognized certifications.

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 received his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly SLO. Prior to working at Ashley and Vance, he gained experience preparing grading, drainage, and site utility plans for residential and commercial projects in Orange County. He continues his career working in our civil engineering team in our San Luis Obispo office.

Juan can often be found hiking the local trails, relaxing at the beach, or body boarding in the ocean.

Julie is a project engineer for the Structural Engineering Team in the Tahoe office. Julie received a Bachelor's degree in Architectural Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder, with a focus in Structural Engineering. She has a knack for problem solving and noticing flaws and errors in design. She has a wide range of construction design experience with an Electrical Contractor and an MEP design firm in Las Vegas, as well as a wealth of knowledge of the Energy Code and Solar. She has been working on a variety of Residential, Commercial, and Hospital projects.

Katie is a project engineer in the Santa Barbara office with a BS in Architectural Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.  After spending two years in her native San Francisco Bay Area working on high end residential and large corporate campuses, Katie is happy to be back on the Central Coast and part of the Ashley and Vance team.  Katie’s optimistic attitude helps her tackle difficult engineering problems with creative cost effective solutions. When out of the office Katie enjoys the many activities Santa Barbara has to offer including beach volleyball, surfing, free diving, and sailing.    

Keiko graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering at Cal Poly SLO. Prior to joining Ashley and Vance Engineering’s Structural team, Keiko spent her summers as a Project Engineer Intern with Swinerton Builders, designing theatrical sets, and working as a barista. Through these experiences, she developed valuable communication skills. She is dedicated to providing excellent customer service and enjoys Ashley and Vance’s teamwork environment. One of Keiko’s favorite parts about living in SLO is how bike-friendly it is.

Lilli is located in the Denver office with the civil engineering team. She graduated from Colorado School of Mines with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering with a Minor in Humanitarian Engineering. Prior to joining Ashley and Vance Engineering, Lilli focused on gaining experience of her passion by working on water sanitation and new development in Honduras. She is looking forward to being able to apply her humanitarian knowledge to projects with the team. In her free time you can find Lilli in the mountains, tending her garden, or walking her dog, Indy. 

Originally from San Jose California, Logan moved out of state to Flagstaff Arizona where he went to school at Northern Arizona University. Here Logan received both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Civil Engineering as well as gaining some experience before moving back to California. Logan was welcomed into our San Luis Obispo office as his next move back to California. As a member of the San Luis Obispo Office, Logan finds enjoyment in solving various engineering problems to further help out the community that he lives in.  Outside of the office, Logan likes to play a variety of video games, as well as playing sports, such as soccer and baseball.

Marc is apart of the Civil Engineering team in the Bend office. He graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering. Marc has hands on experience as a carpenter building custom homes, as well as experience inspecting infrastructure throughout Oregon with the Oregon Department of Transportation. Outside of work, Marc enjoys mountain biking, camping, and wakeboarding. 

With a BS in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and prior field and design experience with sewer bypass and irrigation systems, Max serves effectively as a project engineer working on various civil projects in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles requiring grading, drainage, utility, and erosion control plans. Along with general civil design, Max has been concentrating on hydraulic systems and has experience using Civil3D and HydroCAD for hydraulic modeling.

Max has also worked on larger single-family residence projects that require the preparation of Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans and has conducted numerous onsite SWPPP inspections since working at Ashley & Vance. With field experience in environmental design, Max recognizes the impact of his projects on surrounding ecosystems and ensures that vegetation and wildlife will be protected during every construction project.

Mike graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a degree in Civil Engineering. Since then, the work he has done has taken him to both Haiti and New Zealand for extended periods of time following earthquakes in those locations. He helped educate haitian engineers on rapid structural damage assessment, which led to coordinating 600 engineers to assess over 400,000 buildings. In both Haiti and New Zealand, he performed numerous seismic assessments and repairs to damaged buildings. 

He has experience of a wide range of project types that includes Industrial tilt-ups, Healthcare, Commercial, Seismic Retrofit, and more. His ability to communicate and work with the design team and contractors help to provide a positive and cost effective product upon completion. With his years of wisdom and range of experiences, Mike brings much to the team in his own humble and subtly goofy way. Now based in the Sacramento office, he continues to daily enjoy projects in the greater Sacramento area and being a part of the AVE team/crew!

Nick is based out of our San Luis Obispo office. He specializes in the design of new structures, evaluation and rehabilitation of existing structures, and investigation of structural failures. His diverse experience as a structural engineer includes working with numerous types of structural materials and systems, which can range from traditional structural engineering methods to more innovative systems including base isolation and viscous dampers.

He was a member of the ASCE 7-16 sub-committee tasked with re-writing the Base Isolation and Energy Dissipation code. He applies his knowledge of performance based earthquake engineering in seismic rehabilitation of existing structures and design of new structures. Nick lived in Christchurch, New Zealand for approximately 3 years following the Canterbury Earthquakes, performing numerous seismic assessments and repairs to damaged buildings.

By completing numerous structural engineering projects throughout the US and New Zealand, he takes great pride in offering creative and cost-effective design solutions across multiple industries ranging from rocket launch complexes, industrial facilities, commercial buildings, and wastewater treatment facilities. In addition, Nick has five years of experience as a carpenter providing unique insight on constructability and practical issues related to structural behavior and design.

A graduate of Oregon State University and a native Oregonian, Nikki is a member of the Bend, Oregon office and has called Central Oregon home since 2003. With a background in marketing for the energy industry, Nikki gained experience working with engineering and technical teams to explain complex ideas to broad audiences through website content, blog articles, social media posts, and other channels. In her free time, Nikki enjoys hiking through the Cascades with her family and traveling with friends.

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.

Rubin is a project engineer for our structural engineering team in our Sacramento office. He received his Bachelor's in Civil Engineering from California State University, Sacramento and is continuing his education by achieving his Master's of Civil Engineering with an emphasis in Structural Engineering. Rubin is actively involved in the Structural Engineer's Association of Central California (SEAOCC) Sustainable Design Committee. In his free time, Rubin has a passion for exploring the outdoors and enjoys playing his guitar. 

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).

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.

Thaddeus, a graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Architectural Engineering program, is a Structural Project Engineer in our Oakland office. Thad brings five years of experience in the structural design of residential, commercial, and mixed-use structures, primarily in the Bay Area. This experience has provided Thad with a  passion for optimizing existing technology to more efficiently design structures, as well as a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities involved in Bay Area construction.

On his free time, Thad spends his time staying active, playing the piano, and enjoying live music whenever he can.

Thomas is a part of the Structural Engineering team in the San Luis Obispo office location. Before joining Ashley & Vance Engineering, Thomas worked in the building performance and renewable energy industries for six years prior to and during time spent earning his Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He is a LEED accredited professional and passionate about resilient design which drives his determination to improve the built environment.

When Thomas is not working, you can find him playing tennis, rock climbing, or hiking with his wife around the Central Coast.

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; affordable housing projects and 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.