September 2024 Newsletter
Celebrating 90 Years
On September 24, founder Jim Reed celebrated his 90th birthday with a surprise birthday party from his family and friends. Jim Reed is one of the three founding principals who established Reed, Wells, Benson, and Company thirty-eight years ago. Jim Reed retired in 2010, 24 years after opening the doors to RWB Consulting Engineers, creating a legacy of providing the highest-quality professional engineering services and solutions.
We want to congratulate Principal Ken Fulk on being recently awarded the 2024 Spirit of Community by the Allen Kiwanis Club for his many years of service in the community. Ken reminds us of the importance of community service. By making our community better than we found it, we not only help those in need but also become integral parts of a thriving community, inspiring others to do the same.
In addition, Ken was elected Vice President of the ASHRAE Society Board of Directors. He has also been actively involved with ASHRAE as an Executive Committee Member, and earlier this year, the Preston Trail Chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers [NSPE-TX] presented him with the Engineer of the Year award.
Congratulations to Christine Miner on passing her exam and becoming a registered Professional Engineer! She graduated from Kansas State University in 2020 and soon after prepared for the FE exam to obtain her EIT certification. She has also been actively involved in industry organizations such as ASHRAE. Last year, she received the ASHRAE Region 8 Blue Ribbon and the Red Ribbon Award in 2022 for the recognition of her outstanding contributions to the organization. These awards acknowledge the chapter in the region with achieving the highest Membership Promotion (MP) points.
WAY TO GO, Christine!
WorldSprings, the largest mineral springs and day-cation spot at Grandscape in The Colony, celebrated its grand opening in June. The 105,000-square-foot facility features 46 pools: 41 mineral hot springs, two freshwater pools, and three cold plunges. It also includes a 4,300-square-foot bar area and spa. RWB is proud to have the opportunity to work with ARCO/Murray on designing this exciting facility.
The City of Princeton held a dedication and ribbon-cutting of its new Fire Station No. 2 in July. This station serves roughly 65 square miles of city and county areas, along with Fire Stations No. 1, No. 3, and No. 4, all of which are supported by a Fire Administrative office. RWB worked with PGAL Architects, and the general contractor was Crossland Construction.
RWB joined WRA Architects and Community ISD in celebrating the opening of two campuses in July. Ellis Elementary School was dedicated to Mildred Barrett Ellis, an educator with 38 years of service to the Josephine and Community ISD area. Community Trails Middle School had a ribbon cutting and has the capacity to serve 1,030 students throughout the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades
The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw community and future Eagle Mountain Knights celebrated the start of the new school year with a grand opening ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony on August 1st. Nearly 800 people attended the event hosted in the Performing Arts Center at the facility, led by principal Dr. Ronald Gatlin. The event was followed by tours of the 2-story, 636,000 Sq. Ft. high school, featuring a 100 ft. long sky bridge that connects the academic and administration portion of the campus to the fine arts and athletic side of the campus. This was one of the largest projects that RWB has had the opportunity to design with VLK Architects in EMS ISD.
After a three-phase, multi-year construction project that included multiple additions and renovations at J.J. Pearce High School in Richardson ISD, the students entered a newly renovated building this school year. The renovation upgrades included enhancement to the 1,400-seat multi-functional theater for dance, music, and school community performances. The design included a storm shelter, robotics competition space, digital communications, a film studio, culinary arts facilities, and a new school entrance. This project was one of the most complicated multi-year phased construction projects that RWB has had the opportunity to work on with Glenn Partners and Richardson ISD and is a highlight in the community.
The Van Alstyne Panthers, school, and board member officials celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 15 to open the doors to the new high school. After the ribbon-cutting, parents and students were invited to tour the new 273,000 SF two-story campus, which features a media center, dining hall, fine arts, science labs, and core classrooms. We were proud to partner with WRA Architects and Gallagher Construction on this project
White Settlement ISD celebrated the dedication and ribbon-cutting of the newly renovated West Early Learners Academy for preschoolers, which provides them with a head start on an enriching education. RWB was part of the design team led by VLK Architects. Superintendent Frank Molinar recognized the WSISD Long Range Facilities Planning Committee, School Board, BTC, and everyone involved in the design and construction of the project.
On August 8, Weatherford College celebrated the grand opening of Vickie and Jerry Durant Hall. The event was attended by faculty, staff, the volleyball team, and members of the Chamber of Commerce from Parker County and Weatherford. The new Durant residence hall is a four-story student housing complex with one, two, and four-bedroom apartment-style units and three floors of athletic workout spaces, including a weight room, cardio room, and flex meeting space. This marks RWB’s third project on the Weatherford campus with Huckabee Architects and Imperial Construction. The building was designed to provide a collaborative environment for academic rooms and lounge spaces for students to enjoy together.
Over the summer, RWB Consulting Engineers welcomed newcomers to the firm, adding to our MEP groups. One familiar face, Katie Merrifield, rejoined the mechanical group, seamlessly integrating back into the team and contributing to educational projects. In June, we were joined by Robert Pinkston, a mechanical engineer with 24 years of HVAC design experience, and Brendan O’Neill, a recent graduate of Texas Tech University in electrical engineering. Kansas City native Justin Polson joined us as an electrical engineer with six years of experience. In addition to recently entering the industry, Logan McCorkendale received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of North Texas. Zaneta Matecka has a master’s degree from Wroclaw University of Science and Technology in the specialty of HVAC and sanitary systems. She moved with her family to the US in 2017 and started her career as a designer in the construction industry. Last year, she obtained her Engineer in Training (EIT) certification and is currently pursuing licensure as a Mechanical Engineer
In July, Exavier Mantilla and Rene Valle joined the team. Exavier focuses on BIM/CAD after graduating from Austin Peay State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology. A seasoned electrical engineer, Rene Valle brings over 20 years of experience and enjoys spending time with his five grandchildren.
In August, we welcomed Jason Heard to the mechanical group. Jason brings experience in HVAC, plumbing, piping control, and fire protection. Outside the office, he enjoys hiking and biking. Isabel Herrera, who recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in mechanical engineering, is also working with the BIM/CAD group, specializing in plumbing. Lastly, in September, Scott Medley joined RWB as an Electrical Designer with a proficient background in Revit and AutoCAD. He is up for any challenge to assist the team in providing innovative solutions.
We are a few days away from the TASA TASB conference in San Antonio, which will be held from September 26 to 28. Will RWB see you there this year? Come by our exhibit booth #201 near the entrance and say HI!
Robert Frick, Keith Douglas, and Blanca Rodriguez will be in attendance to meet with you to discuss our next project with you.
