Meet NOVA Engineering and Environmental’s Senior Leadership
At NOVA Engineering and Environmental, we believe our people make us great. When teams are built on a bedrock of safety, integrity, respect, and responsibility, superior outcomes follow. Our environmental consultants and geotechnical engineers depend on our senior leadership for more than just guidance—every NOVA Engineering and Environmental employee deserves fulfillment, and our senior leaders strive to deliver it each and every day.
Learn more about the minds behind our comprehensive environmental, geotechnical, and engineering services below. When you’re ready to discuss your needs, contact NOVA Engineering and Environmental today.
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP:
Mr. Hughes’ experience has bridged both the Construction and Environmental industries, having provided technical consulting (environmental, construction materials testing, geotechnical engineering, code inspections & plan review, and Threshold/Special Inspection services) on many large and technically challenging projects. Mr. Hughes has over 34 years’ experience in the application and management of contaminated soil & groundwater remediation, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, process heat and mass transfer optimization, and potable and process water treatment.
Mr. Hughes also previously served as a Regional Construction Qualifier & Manager for hazardous waste remediation, underground and aboveground storage tank system installations and removals as well as general construction services. Bob enjoys activities with his wife and daughters, especially taking time to ski, windsurf and mountain bike (not all of his family enjoys the uphill portion of mountain biking.)
Mr. Willenborg’s technical experience over his 34-year career has been in geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing and inspection, and building code services, primarily in the southeast US. He has worked extensively in both the public and private sector, having executed and managed work on a wide range of projects including high-rise buildings, roads and bridges, large warehouse and distribution centers, and power generation facilities including nuclear power plants.
Mr. Willenborg has extensive knowledge of engineering and environmental issues that can impact due diligence, design, and construction as they relate to property development, site work, and buildings and infrastructure. Also, Mr. Willenborg has successfully led efforts to grow a building code services group in Georgia during the past few years that now claims significant market share supporting several municipalities. During the past 11 years at NOVA, Mr. Willenborg has helped lead a talented team of staff in Georgia and throughout the company which has grown organically over five-fold.
Steve has resided in metro Atlanta for his entire career since graduating from Georgia Tech. He enjoys spending his spare time with his wife and two daughters, who have led him into the worlds of club soccer and volleyball, lacrosse, and equestrian activities. And yes he now owns a horse.
As Vice President of Finance, Ms. Toth is responsible for development and execution of NOVA’s long-term growth strategy, financial business planning to include operating plans, budgets, forecasting and reporting, and accounting services. Passionate During her career, Ms. Toth has worked in various public and private sector organizations in finance leadership positions across manufacturing, supply chain management, engineering, services and building sectors.
Ms. Toth’s extensive finance leadership experience includes business improvement and change management, ERP and SaaS software implementations, developing and implementing financial services strategies, and mergers and acquisitions. In Kelli’s spare time you will find her watching her son and daughter play sports, watching sports on TV (Go Vikings!) or shopping.
As the Vice President of Human Resources, Shelly is responsible for leading and directing all human capital functions, including developing and leading strategic initiatives and programs to attract, retain, and engage a thriving workforce. She has over 20 years of experience in human resources and accounting leadership roles in domestic and international organizations and is a certified senior human resource professional. Throughout her career, Shelly has been known as a dedicated employee advocate and a trusted leader. In her spare time, Shelly enjoys following her sons’ sports teams, walking her dogs, and cheering for her hometown football team. Go Steelers!
Jonathan Caylor joined Nova Engineering & Environmental, Inc. as the Vice President of Safety in January 2020. This new role was created to increase an already robust safety culture and place improved focus on individual employee safety nationwide. Prior to joining the Nova team, Mr. Caylor was employed by the Ely Corporation, located in Cartersville, Georgia from August 2014 to January 2020 as Ely’s Director of Safety and Environmental Compliance. During this time, Mr. Caylor was instrumental in developing and growing the safety department to include a staff of 5 full-time safety professionals located across the southeast, serving in both the commercial construction and mining industries.
During Mr. Caylor’s tenure at The Ely Corporation, several objectives were met or exceeded, including the reduction of the company’s EMR from 1.26 to a record .69 for 2019 and zero lost time injuries for over 3 consecutive years. As a 14-year decorated Coast Guard Veteran, Jonathan has served in the military branch that serves our country in providing rescue, crisis management and front-line response for natural disasters, border threats, and citizen crisis situations. Few other roles provide the exposure to the aftermath of major accidents and injuries. The Coast Guard provides ongoing support and monitoring of safety and leads the way for many gold standard initiatives incorporated into civilian practice.
As the Vice President of Risk Management, Kyle is responsible for overseeing and implementing strategies to identify, assess, and mitigate potential risks across our organization. He plays a key role in ensuring that we maintain a strong risk management framework that aligns with our business objectives and core values.
Kyle received his Juris Doctor degree from Campbell University’s – Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, Raleigh, North Carolina, and his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of Iowa’s – Henry B. Tippie College of Business, Iowa City, IA. With a proven track record of success in previous roles, he brings a fresh perspective that will undoubtedly contribute to the continued success and growth of our company.
In his spare time you can find Kyle chasing birdies and eagles on the golf course, churning the pavement as he works his way towards that elusive six minute mile, rounding out his Air Jordan shoe collection and traveling to new destinations – foreign and domestic.
Audra has over 12 years of experience in driving innovative marketing strategies and campaigns. With a proven track record in brand management, digital marketing, and market research, Audra has successfully led cross-functional teams to achieve growth and engagement. Passionate about fostering strong client relationships and enhancing brand presence, Audra is dedicated to delivering exceptional results and staying ahead of industry trends.
When not in the office, Audra’s heart is in creating core memories full of adventure with her husband, toddler and pups in the great outdoors!
With an impressive track record in driving business growth and forging strategic partnerships, John brings a wealth of experience to the role. In this position, he will lead our business development team, focusing on expanding our market presence and identifying new opportunities for growth.
John is a seasoned Business Development Executive with over 20 years of proven experience selling professional services. He is well-versed in articulating a firm’s unique value proposition to decision makers to drive significant revenue and margin growth, managing/mentoring teams and expanding client relationships across all market sectors.
John is a Registered Energy Consultant and holds a BS in Engineering. During his down time, John is an avid sports fan who can be found cheering on the Pittsburgh Steelers during football season.
REGIONAL MANAGERS:
Adam has over 25 years of experience in the construction and engineering industry. Most of his experience is in providing geotechnical engineering and construction materials testing consulting during construction of regional and international airports; large retail, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities; water and wastewater treatment facilities; and solid waste landfills. Adam also has a background in civil engineering and design services pertaining to stormwater and erosion sediment control. He is also very proud to have worked on some of the largest construction projects in Georgia during his career.
Adam loves working on large teams and helping our clients solve problems. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters, cooking BBQ, fishing, and watching Atlanta and Vanderbilt sports teams.
Jason Hill’s background in the construction industry has been extensive. Jason brings over 30 years of combined professional experience within the consulting engineering field. Starting as a concrete technician in the mid 1980’s, and subsequently expanding into various materials testing and code compliance roles, Jason obtained an extensive knowledge in the materials testing and geotechnical engineering fields.
In the early 1990’s, he took on the task of project manager where he oversaw as many as 30 projects at a time and his project management skills were honed. For the past 15 years, Jason has served positions as Branch Manager, District Manager, Regional Chief Executive, and now serves as NOVA’s Executive Vice President overseeing operations in Florida.
As the Regional Manager of NOVA’s services, Dany is in charge of the financial, technical, marketing, and administrative operations in Central Florida. He leads the implementation of NOVA’s expansion plans and works to strengthen its presence and reputation in the area. He has extensive industry experience in working with various clients, such as government agencies, private owners, and non-profit organizations, to deliver high-quality consulting and testing services.
Dany has developed expertise in several fields, such as deep foundation test programs, building code inspections, building enclosure consulting, forensic evaluations and project management. He is also one of NOVA’s Private Provider qualifiers in Florida and holds licenses as an asbestos inspector and project designer. In his spare time, Dany likes to travel with his wife and two daughters and keep his Tampa office energized with Cuban coffee shots every afternoon.
Steve has over 32 years of experience in geotechnical engineering, drilling services, construction materials testing and special inspection. Steve has extensive experience in managing and growing groups and regions organically. Steve’s experience includes both shallow and deep foundations, retaining walls, pavements, and site development recommendations. Steve’s work history includes residential to high rise work, including working on some of the tallest structures in Seattle and Denver, as well as working in some of the most seismically active zones in the country. Steve has also been involved on numerous transportation projects across the country in South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Colorado, Oregon and Washington State while working on conventional highways, toll roads, tunnels and light rail.
Moving across the country, Steve has been exposed to numerous geological conditions including the Piedmont of the Southeast, the limerock and sinkholes of central Florida, the limestone and yes more sinkholes of Central Tennessee, the Rocky Mountains and swelling claystone of Denver, the Willamette Valley silts and other things deposited from the Missoula Floods, the Glacial Tills of Washington State and now back to the Piedmont and the Coastal Plain of the Low Country of South Carolina.
While not travelling the region Steve enjoys spending time with his wife, Tiffin and their Staffordshire terrier, Sammy. Steve and Tiffin enjoy walks in and around their home in southeast Charlotte, North Carolina
Mr. Lawrence is the North Florida Regional Manager for NOVA and has 25+ years of experience in geotechnical engineering, subsurface exploration/drilling and construction materials testing services. He has performed geotechnical explorations for single- and -storied structures. Typical projects have included residential structures, commercial, heavy industrial and aerospace developments along with education and governmental facilities. Mr. Lawrence has served as project geotechnical engineer and project manager on a wide variety of geotechnical engineering and materials testing projects throughout the southeastern United States. He also has extensive background serving as a Threshold Special Inspector Representative on many projects along the Florida Panhandle.
SERVICE LINE LEADERS:
Since 1992, Marc has been providing geotechnical and construction materials testing services in the Georgia market. His key strengths are in the evaluation of foundation systems for buildings and bridges and in the evaluation of subgrade for pavements and slabs-on-grade. Marc’s field experience encompasses conventional soil, concrete, and asphalt testing techniques, as well as extensive evaluation and monitoring of various foundation systems including drilled piers, auger-cast piles, driven piles, rammed aggregate piers, micro-piles and conventional shallow foundations.
Marc has provided and managed construction materials testing and Special Inspection services for an extensive variety of projects ranging in magnitude from $1 million to over $300 million in total construction costs.
Jim has more than 39 years of Facilities Consulting and Testing experience and is NOVA’s Vice President and Facilities Service Line Leader. His expertise is in Facilities investigation, surveys, testing, remediation design and construction project administration. Facilities is a term NOVA uses to reference a property’s major building systems and components, which in general includes building Enclosure, roofing, waterproofing, structural, accessibility, mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP), pavement and site flatwork and amenities. He has performed these services for school boards, government divisions, healthcare, financial industry, industrial, multi-family, telecommunications, property owners, property managers, developers and contractors.
Jim is also a licensed roofing contractor, wind/hurricane mitigation consultant and general contractor. Jim has more than 25 years of Property Condition Assessment (PCA) experience, having developed internal procedures for the execution of these services. Additionally, he has conducted many non-destructive and destructive forensic investigative procedures. These investigations have included utilizing specialized equipment such as; infrared, building pressurization fans and software, moisture intrusion racks, chambers and spray nozzles, borescopes, wind up-lift domes, ground penetrating radar and other related equipment.
Over the past 20 years, approximately 5% of Jim’s time has been dedicated to performing expert witness and related services. Jim has worked closely with RCI and has spearheaded the development of internal roof/building Enclosure inspector training and certification programs. Jim also headed up the national Roof and Building Enclosure Consulting & Testing program for Anheuser-Busch and has managed many portfolio property projects.
In his 38+ years as a staff, senior and principal engineer, Danny has performed geotechnical and construction inspection duties for over 500 new construction and existing projects in the southeastern United States. He has also worked on projects in Asia, the Caribbean and in Africa. During the past 17 years, Danny has overseen the design and/or construction of more than 100 excavation bracing (shoring) and drilled shaft projects in the southeast.
Danny has managed numerous geotechnical explorations for commercial buildings (low to high-rise), stadiums, industrial facilities, dams, harbor structures and water/wastewater treatment facilities. He has also worked in a wide variety of geological settings and performed and reviewed numerous geotechnical calculations for different soil conditions. Many projects have required direction and coordination of employees and subcontractors assigned to various field, laboratory and analytical tasks. Danny has successfully managed specific geotechnical projects in the U.S. and abroad which generated fees in excess of $100,000.
Since embarking on his career as a welder/fabricator in 1997, Chuck has become a Senior Certified Welding Inspector with the American Welding Society and achieved Level III certifications with the American Society of Nondestructive Testing. His work spans various industries, reflecting a skill set that is both versatile and crucial for the modern construction and manufacturing sectors.
Chuck’s ability to develop welding procedure specifications and performance qualifications, along with establishing nondestructive testing procedures, ensures that projects meet national standards. His active role in committee memberships highlights his influence in setting the guidelines that govern structural welding and nondestructive testing in the United States.
As an International Code Council Master of Special Inspection, Chuck’s expertise extends to soils, concrete, masonry, and wood framing inspections and testing. His oversight of projects demonstrates his adaptability, whether it’s inspecting strip footings or deep foundations, or ensuring the structural integrity of steel and wood-framed buildings. His commitment to public safety is further evidenced by his involvement in the inspection and testing of significant infrastructure projects, including roadways, bridges, sign structures, and large-scale amusement rides. Chuck’s career is a clear reflection of his ongoing commitment to excellence, safety, and the advancement of his field.
In addition to his extensive qualifications and experience in the field of steel fabrication, welding inspection and nondestructive testing, Chuck also plays a pivotal role as a business unit manager and senior project principal. His responsibilities further extend to the training and qualification of nondestructive testing personnel across the company. This role underscores his leadership abilities and his commitment to upholding high standards of practice within the industry. By ensuring that NOVA’s NDT personnel are well-trained and qualified, Chuck contributes to the overall quality and safety of the construction and manufacturing projects NOVA undertakes. His comprehensive approach to project management and personnel development is a testament to his dedication to excellence in the field.
SECTOR LEADERS:
Melissa’s career journey is a testament to her dynamic leadership. With a proven 20-year track record in Operational Leadership within the Public Transportation and Manufacturing sectors, she has expertly guided large, cross-functional teams to develop best practices and innovative business solutions, driving efficiency, growth, client engagement, and revenue. Her roles as owner and subconsultant have provided her with a unique vantage point, underscoring the critical importance of truly listening to and understanding client needs. This invaluable experience has shaped her approach and fueled her success.
In the past 11 years, Melissa has seamlessly transitioned her skills into the realm of Business Development. As a Business Development Executive, she has led strategic pursuits and forged powerful teams, with a keen focus on Design-Build, Progressive Design-Build, and other Alternative Delivery Projects in the Transportation and Aviation sectors. Melissa’s love for challenges and her competitive spirit are the driving forces behind her relentless pursuit of excellence, both professionally and personally. Her commitment to success is evident in every endeavor she undertakes. Currently, Melissa serves on the Board of Directors for the Design Build Institute of America Florida Chapter, where she continues to influence and inspire the industry with her visionary leadership.
Melissa graduated Summa Cum Laude from Robert Morris University with a BS in Organizational Leadership. She also holds an AS in Business Administration/Accounting from Douglas School of Business. In her free time, Melissa is a lover of the great outdoors. She enjoys traveling where you will find her hiking, biking, and kayaking with her husband, Chris, or spending time with our blended family of six (5 daughters and 1 very lucky son), and a precious feline, Summer.
Eric Tay is a professional engineer with over 30 years of consulting experience in geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting, and construction materials testing services. Over the course of his career, he has served in various capacities including Principal-in-Charge of Transportation Sector and Vice President-Geotechnical Services for two national consulting firms. He has significant experience on large Design/Build projects, including preliminary geotechnical engineering, scoping and developing cost proposals with the Design/Build team, as well as performing the responsibilities as the senior geotechnical engineer.
Mr. Tay is a veteran at managing large multi-task order contracts and leading multi-firm teams on complex projects and executing them successfully. His experience encompasses geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing and special inspections and environmental consulting services. Collectively, he has managed and supervised or conducted more than 3,000 geotechnical explorations, environmental assessments and construction materials testing and inspection projects in the Southeastern United States. These included multi-million dollar DOT projects – bridges, interchanges, roadways, earth-retaining structures, and pavement evaluations and design, airfield pavement replacement projects, multi-modal facilities, aircraft hangars, large infrastructures such as wastewater treatment facilities and dams, high-rise structures and parking decks, shopping centers, and industrial projects such as major manufacturing/cargo distribution warehouses complex, schools, communications towers, petroleum tank farms, and landfills.
