Bob Grummel
P.E., S.e. Principal
Bob has a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado and is a registered professional engineer in Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Idaho, and Nebraska. Prior to founding Grummel Engineering, he was a principal and reporting center manager at KPFF Consulting Engineers in Portland. He is known for his unique approach to solving complicated design and construction problems. Bob was an active member of the Building Committee and design team for the Classical Chinese Gardens as well as a member of the City of Portland Storm Water Design Committee. His participation in the early development of the storm water standards is still present today.
Eric Pfau
p.e. partner
Eric holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Portland State University and has enjoyed many roles within in the AE field: ODOT, Thompson Vaivoda Architects, STAR Lab (PSU), Degenkolb, SFA, SCE, and finally Grummel. Exposure to the variety of disciplines and steps within a project life have helped Eric develop an approach of listening in pursuit of the bigger picture. He loves problem solving and working in groups to find the right solution. Eric is a registered professional engineer in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Arizona, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, and Rhode Island.
Jesse Wolfe
p.e. project engineer
Jesse holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Case Western and an M.S. in Structural Engineering from UC Boulder. He has 20 years of experience in engineering. Before joining Grummel in 2010, his previous experience included design of concrete structures and project management of commercial and municipal structures. While at Grummel, Jesse has helped manage a number of award-winning structures. His current focus is in seismic rehabilitation and solar design, but he enjoys solving problems on all projects, big and small.
Alex Grummel
p.e. partner
Following high school, Alex started framing houses as a means of paying for college. This continued for 5 years and sparked an interest in unpacking the math behind what he was building. Alex began his structural engineering career in 2010 after graduating Magna Cum Laude from Washington State University with a Master’s of Science in Civil engineering. Alex has worked for Grummel Engineering since 2012. Since that time Alex has completed hundreds of residential and commercial projects of varying complexity. Alex loves using math and creativity to produce efficient and pragmatic engineering solutions.
Brittany Stone
p.e. project engineer
Brittany graduated from Virginia Tech in 2011 with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and obtained her Master’s degree from Portland State University in 2020. She joined Grummel Engineering in 2014 where she has managed hundreds of projects and worked with wood, steel, concrete, masonry, aluminum, and GFRC. She is also a member of the SEAO Seismic and Vintage Building Committees. Brittany loves collaborating with others to figure out the ‘how’ and ‘why’ on every project.
Tim O’Connor
p.e. PROJECT engineer
Tim graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Science in Architectural Engineering from the University of Missouri Science and Technology. He joined Grummel Engineering in 2016. His work includes new residential projects, complex remodels, and commercial projects utilizing wood, steel, concrete, and masonry.
Joanne Shields
e.i.t. Design engineer
Joanne went to Portland State University for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees and worked in the iSTAR Laborarty (infraStructure Testing and Applied Research) while in school. Prior to getting her undergraduate and graduate degrees, Joanne worked as a Timber Framer in Talent, Oregon. She hopes to obtain her P.E. and eventually her S.E. further down the road.
Steven Barela
e.i.t. design engineer
In 2014 Steven graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering and in 2016 he graduated from Portland State University with a Master of Engineering Degree in Civil Engineering. He started working in the structural industry in 2016 and has worked on various steel, wood, and concrete projects in both the Los Angeles and Portland areas.
Evgeny Hadji
P.E. PROJECT ENGINEER
Evgeny graduated Cum Laude from Portland State University in 2019 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. While in school he worked as an undergraduate research assistant in the iSTAR Laboratory (infraStructure Testing and Applied Research). He joined Grummel Engineering in July 2019 as a Staff Engineer.
Amer Khir
E.I.t. design engineer
Amer graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering from Portland State University in 2019. While studying, he worked as teaching assistant and tutor. Prior to joining Grummel Engineering fresh out of school in 2020, Amer worked as an intern at an ODOT facility in Bend, OR. He has always loved structural engineering and is hoping to stay in this career path. He hopes to obtain his P.E. and eventually his S.E.
Julia Flaherty
E.I.t. design engineer
Julia graduated from the University of Washington in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. She gained experience working as an intern engineer with a Seattle-based structural firm during school and leading quality control for her senior capstone design project testing novel composite material for the aerospace and the wind energy industries. Julia joined Grummel Engineering after graduation and is working towards her P.E.
Bill Locke
E.I.t. design engineer
Bill graduated from the College of Engineering at the University of Washington in 2021 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering. He was a contributing member of the UW-AISC Steel Bridge Team and led the team’s Construction Innovation group. Prior to joining Grummel Engineering, he worked for Stacy & Witbeck, Inc on the R200 Downtown Redmond Link Extension. Bill is the chair of the NCSEA Structural Engineering Engagement and Equity Committee, Oregon Chapter and is pursuing PE licensure.
Chester Parks
E.I.T. DESIGN ENGINEER
Chester graduated from Portland State University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. While working on his degree, he was part of the ASCE PSU student chapter, was the captain of the Sustainable Solutions team, and worked on a future Living Building certification project for PSU. Chester has spent the last few years at a residential firm till joining Grummel in January of 2023. Chester has a love for sustainable structural engineering and alternative building materials. He is working towards his P.E. and is an ASCE YMF Board member.
Lydia Berndt
structural drafting manager
After earning a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Minnesota and exploring careers in that field, Lydia decided to return to school for a degree in Architectural Drafting and Design from Portland Community College in 2016. She is currently back in class to develop her knowledge and hopes to progress to an engineering role at Grummel in the future.
Stephen Hefflin
Structural drafter
After graduating from Oregon State University, Stephen worked as an analyst in the insurance/finance industry for six years. He then decided to return to school and pursue a career in Architectural Design and Drafting. This path led him to Grummel Engineering, where he’s worked as a structural drafter since 2018.
John Miller
Structural drafter
John has a BFA in Illustration, and a minor in ceramics from the Massachusetts College of Art, Boston. He joined Grummel Engineering in October of 2018 where he puts his fine art skills to work in his drafting practice.
Alma De Santis
Structural drafter
In 2010 Alma received a Bachelor’s of Science in Interior Design from The Art Institute of California – San Francisco. She has been with Grummel since November 2018 and has already learned a lot about Structural Engineering thanks to a great supportive team.
Cherry Lane
structural drafter
Though born & raised in Japan, Cherry earned her BA in International Business from San Diego State University. She spent 16 years as an Art Director/Graphic Designer in Japan before returning to the United States to study Architectural Design and Drafting at Portland Community College. Cherry joined Grummel Engineering as a structural drafter in fall of 2019.
Darvey Santner
Office Manager / accounting
Darvey is a Portland native who graduated with a BA in Geology from Vassar College in 2001. He joined Grummel Engineering in 2007 as the company’s first employee, and has played a key role in the company’s growth. This has been accomplished through his management of the company’s project accounting and hand drafting standards.
Baloo
Engineering Intern
Baloo is originally from rural Missouri where he spent his youth training to be a professional squirrel chaser. When he soon realized he didn’t want to restrict his chasing skills to just squirrels, he took some time off to travel and where he had the opportunity to chase balls, frisbees, and even cars. Shortly after settling in Portland, he authored his thesis on his true passion, Chasing Sticks: Especially When Thrown into Water (O’Connor, B. 2016).
Jack
Engineering Intern
Jack was born on Victoria Island in Canada. Shortly after moving to Portland, he attended puppy kindergarten where he graduated with honors after demonstrating his unique ‘bow’ and ‘beep beep’ tricks in front of the class. He has been an integral part of the Grummel team for over four years where he rigorously pursues his interests which include protecting James, investigating the trash, and snoozing.