CSL's Building Team

Chiar: Mike Thorsen

Name: Michael Simnowitz

Building Program Expertise:  Preconstruction and Construction Project Management Value of projects worked on between $2 Million and $120 Million.

Affiliations: Project Manager - Walsh Construction Company I have 19 years construction experience in and around the Puget Sound.  Prior to that I owned my own residential contracting company in Fairbanks Alaska.

Brief description of skills: estimating, scheduling, contract negotiations, constructability review.

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Name:  Karla Oman

Building program expertise: Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Planner- Emergency Management, etc

Affiliations/Business: Member of Association of Contingency Planners, Contingency Planning and Risk Management Professional Group.

Brief description of skills: Certified Business Continuity Professional designation (CBCP); have also worked on new construction in the data and electrical perspective for 3 years when I was with Nordstrom (new stores). In the course of my project management studies, have also taken construction project mgmt, which may come in handy. Can read plans.

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Name: Ray Rebello 

Building Program Expertise:

1.       Owner of UBuildIt construction consulting business (2003-present)

2.               Facilities engineering and commercial construction management for       IBM (1979-1981)

3.       Extensive hands on experience in numerous construction projects.

Affiliations/Business: Registered Professional Engineer (PE) in Florida and Georgia

Brief description of skills:  Complete set of project management skills: planning, permitting, scheduling, specification writing, estimating, bidding, selecting subcontractors, negotiating, quality control and inspection, cost tracking, change order control, etc.

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Name:  Kathryn Gardow

Building program expertise: Practicing Civil Engineer/Planner, Registered Professional Engineer, Master's in Business Administration

Affliations/ IE business: Kathryn Gardow & Assoc., LLC  I have worked for myself for over 10 years.  In my own business, I did not hired staff, but managed the whole business predominantly working for several cities and some private clients.  Prior to that I worked 5 years as a project manager in a land use law firm and prior to that I worked in several civil engineering firms.  

Affiliations/ Business: Personally, my husband and I have remodeled 3 homes.  The first two remodels were kitchen remodels, which we designed and hired contractors to implement.  The 3rd remodel was a home that was gutted, the 2nd story removed and then a new second story added on.  We hired a contractor & architect, but we did much of the planning, materials decisions, and worked extensively with the contractor. 

Brief descriptions of skills: I have worked in land use/land development/civil engineering for 25 years.  In this work, I have reviewed development plans, hired consultants, managed consultant teams, worked extensively with public jurisdictions, designed site development plans, and written technical reports. 

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Name: Neil Watts

Building program expertise:  Director of Development Services for the City of Renton, including the Building Section. Active certification as professional engineer

Affliations/Business:  Member of International Code Council (building), Amer. Public Works Association and American Planning Association 

Brief descriptions of skills:  Civil engineering license, extensive experience with permitting process, extensive experience with land use issues and applications during construction. 

Name: Michael Ludwig

Building program expertise:  My area of expertise is the exterior of the building.  

Affiliations/Business: I have worked for Building Envelope Technology & Research, Inc., a roofing, wall-cladding and waterproofing consulting firm since March 1998. 

Brief description of skills:

• I am familiar with most roofing systems and their advantages and disadvantages, including low-slope built-up asphalt, SBS and APP modified asphalt, hot-liquid applied rubberized asphalt, and various single-ply membranes, and steep-slope tile, slate, asphalt shingle, wood shingle and shake, sheet metal including copper, galvanized steel, thermoplastic fluoropolymer finished steel and aluminum, zinc, etc. 
• I am also well versed in wall cladding systems, including, stucco, EIFS, wood siding, fiber cement siding, vinyl siding, sheet metal panel siding, fenestrations of many types including curtainwall, and the materials and methods used to create weathertight, watershedding installations.
• I also have experience with waterproofing, both below- and above-grade, including below-grade blind-side and positive-side waterproofing, drainage media, above-grade balcony and plaza deck utilizing various membrane systems and walking/traffic surfaces.
• I regularly prepare specifications and detail drawings related to building exteriors and I am proficient in CAD drafting and technical writing. I am good at digital photography.
• I have provided technical review and editing of architect's building envelope-related specifications and drawings for numerous new construction and retrofit projects.
• I have performed numerous building envelope surveys including due diligence surveys and prepared detailed evaluation reports of schools, churches, high-rise condominiums, apartment buildings, residences, and office buildings. 
• I provide expert witness services in Construction Dispute Litigation and am very familiar with the typical and sometimes atypical leaky building problems often addressed in such cases. 
• I have working relationships with distributors and manufacturers of the construction materials related to my work.
• I have good public speaking skills and have conducted many Pre-Bid and Pre-Construction Conferences, given Building Evaluation Presentations to Homeowners Associations, and given depositions to lawyers.
• I have worked directly with many quality-oriented roofing and waterproofing, sheet metal, plastering and siding, as well as general contractors.
• I have completed the core classes at CSL and have been accepted into Prac 1.
• I play several stringed instruments and I sing

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Name: J (Joerg) 'Nartano' Scharnhorst, DBA

Building program expertise:

·        20 years of general construction and mechanical systems experience. 

·        Degree in HVAC design technology, 2 years hands-on experience designing and implenting a building control system upgrade at North Seattle Community College. Program focus on computerized building control systems.

·        3 years experience analyzing, designing and implementing hydronic and electric radiant heating systems.

·        3 years experience analyzing, designing and implementing ventilation systems.

·        Controlled daylight systems / solar shading systems.

Brief descriptions of skills:

Familiar with all aspects of large scale construction.

Experience in project management and supervision.

Special interest in hydronic source mixed delivery systems.

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Also:
Past Committee Members

Kimberlee Saidoo

Dan Crandall