McMillen Jacobs Associates Announces Four New Principals

McMillen Jacobs Associates announced four Principal promotions in the firm’s Underground Division.

Dru R. Nielson, PG, CEG, has 31 years of experience performing geotechnical investigations for water projects (sanitary sewer, storm, raw, potable, and recycled water treatment, storage, and conveyance) for the design of basins, reservoirs, tanks, pump stations, and open-cut and trenchless pipeline installation. Based in McMillen Jacobs’ Walnut Creek, California, office, Nielson has performed investigations in California, Nevada, and Utah for numerous sanitary sewer and water districts and agencies, utilities, municipalities, and transportation clients. Nielson earned his BS and MS degrees in Geology from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He is a registered Professional Geologist in California, Idaho, and Utah and a Certified Engineering Geologist in California.

Thomas W. Pennington, PE, P.Eng., has over 18 years of experience in design and construction for heavy-civil underground infrastructure projects, including transit, water, wastewater, and power facilities. His recent project work includes East Bay Municipal Utility District’s Pardee Chemical Feed Shaft and Orinda Water Treatment Plant Disinfection Improvements Projects, as well as San Diego’s Courthouse Commons Tunnel and the award-winning Kaneohe-Kailua Sewer Tunnel in Honolulu. Pennington earned both his BS and MS in Civil Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a registered Professional Engineer in California, Hawaii, New York, and British Columbia. He is also the current chair of the ASCE Geo-Institute’s Underground Engineering and Construction Technical Committee.

Peter Raleigh, P.Eng., CEng, has more than 25 years of tunnel and mining engineering experience, with an emphasis on using tunnel boring machines (TBMs) in a variety of ground conditions, including large-diameter projects through hard rock, weathered rock, and soft ground. Raleigh is currently the shaft and tunnel construction manager for the Los Angeles Metro’s Purple Line Extension Section 2 project. Prior to arriving in Los Angeles, he helped to expand McMillen Jacobs’ presence in New Zealand and Canada by supporting new offices in Auckland and Vancouver and in the US Midwest region. Raleigh earned his Diploma from Haileybury School of Mines and his BS in Mining Engineering from Michigan Technological University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in British Columbia and Ontario and a Chartered Engineer in the United Kingdom.

Joseph Schrank, PE, P.Eng., has 21 years of experience in geotechnical and tunnel engineering. With a background in geological engineering and rock mechanics, Schrank’s project experience has focused on the feasibility evaluation, design, and construction management of tunnels, tunnel rehabilitation, and trenchless installations. Based in Nashville, Schrank’s recent projects have included the CSX Camden Street Storm Drain Replacement in Baltimore, the Cordell Hull Capitol Connector Tunnel in Nashville, and the Atlanta Plane Train Tunnel West Extension project. Schrank earned his MEng in Mining Engineering and BASc in Geological Engineering from the University of British Columbia. He is a registered Professional Engineer in 12 states and British Columbia.

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