People
Equity Engineering people are recognized as some of the most talented in the industry – the "go to" consultants for hard-to-solve problems. But we’re also known for offering practical advice and solutions that clients can implement in a timely fashion.
Because our engineers have hands-on plant experience, we understand the changing dynamics of an operating environment and the pressures you face. We know your concern is for safety, reliability and optimizing your plant’s operating conditions – and not needlessly inspecting, replacing or shutting it down.
Equity engineers lead industry development committees in Fitness-For-Service, Risk-Based Inspection and Materials/Corrosion, and have consulted on more than 1000 projects in these and related areas.
David A. Osage, P.E.
President & CEO
Mr. Osage is responsible for engineering consulting services for pressure containing systems including pressure vessels, piping and tankage. His responsibilities include stress and thermal analysis of pressure vessels, piping and tankage; advanced finite element methods; Fitness-For-Service analysis of in-service equipment; high temperature design and remaining life assessment; failure analysis and resolution of lessons-learned; implementation of design changes and problem solving at shut-downs; and troubleshooting and recommendations for repairs to damaged equipment.
Mr. Osage is internationally recognized as an industry expert and leader in the development and use of FFS technology. As the architect and principal author of API 579 Fitness-For-Service, he developed many of the assessment methodologies and supporting technical information. Mr. Osage was the recipient of a Certificate of Appreciation from API for his work on API 579. As the chairperson for the API/ASME Joint Committee on Fitness-For-Service, Mr. Osage was instrumental in completing the update to API 579 entitled API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 Fitness-For-Service. For his efforts, he received a Resolution of Appreciation from API and a Certificate of Acclamation from ASME. Mr. Osage provides instruction on Fitness-For-Service technology to the international community under the API University Program.
Mr. Osage also has considerable expertise in the design of new equipment. As the lead investigator and principal author of the new ASME, Section VIII, Division 2 Pressure Vessel Code, he developed a new organization and writing style for this code and was responsible for introducing the latest developments in materials, design, fabrication and inspection technologies. These technologies include a new brittle fracture evaluation method, new design-by-analysis procedures including the introduction of elastic-plastic analysis methods, and a new fatigue method for welded joints. For his efforts in the development of the new ASME, Section VIII, Division 2 Pressure Vessel Code, Mr. Osage received a Certificate of Acclamation from ASME. Mr. Osage has delivered lectures on the new pressure vessel code in Europe and Japan and will be offering a training course highlighting advantages of the new code for use with refinery and petrochemical equipment.
Mr. Osage is the lead investigator in revamping the API Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) technology and software. The main focus of this effort is a clean sheet re-write of API 581 Risk-Based Inspection and the development of a new version of the API RBI software. Mr. Osage is currently working on the next generation of RBI technology where Fitness-For-Service assessment procedures will be used to compute the Probability of Failure for Risk-Based Inspection.
Mr. Osage provides engineering consulting for all levels of refinery capital projects including preparation of design specifications, coordination of design reviews, development of engineering standards for refinery equipment, and QA/QC procedures for project administration. As an Adjunct Visiting Assistant Professor at Stevens Institute of Technology, Mr. Osage has taught graduate level courses in strength of materials and elasticity, structural analysis and finite element methods, and structural optimization.
William F. Christensen
Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Christensen, with more than 35 years of experience in the energy business, is responsible for the day-to-day operations management of the E2G consulting areas, including administrative, personnel and fiscal oversight. Responsibilities include developing efficient and cost-effective policies, procedures and systems that improve delivery of E2G products/services to clients.
Mr. Christensen has held senior management positions with major owner-users in the oil refining and petrochemical industry, bridging both business and support positions in the refining, marketing, technology, ventures, shipping, coal and corporate areas. His experience includes operations management, forecasting, and analysis; business development; contract negotiations and regulatory compliance issues; and logistics.
He has negotiated various joint venture opportunities for a major refining company, gaining Board approval to acquire a state-of-the art coal technology facility for $9.5 million. He had full responsibility for commercializing this venture and finalizing licensing agreements in both the U.S. and internationally. He expanded the technology application to other minerals and the clean-up of hydrogen-contaminated soil, and supervised a staff responsible for operations, lab, pilot plant, patent estate, government affairs, transportation, planning, sales and economic evaluation. The asset was successfully sold at a profit in late 1990. Most recently, Bill was a member of the senior management team in the business unit of a major refiner, responsible for union relations, performance management and compensation processes, recruiting, personal development, succession planning, organizational development, and training.
Gerrit M. Buchheim, P.E.
Vice President
Mr. Buchheim is responsible for engineering consulting services for metallurgy, corrosion, inspection, and Fitness-For-Service (FFS) for petrochemical facilities. His responsibilities include damage mechanism identification, shutdown workscope reviews using Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) techniques, FFS assessments, including high temperature remaining life assessment, materials selection, corrosion control plans and failure analysis, with a focus on existing/aging equipment. Other areas of expertise include evaluation of NDE techniques for finding expected damage, mechanical integrity audits, inspection benchmarking, development and maintenance of engineering standards; implementation of design changes and problem solving at shutdowns; and troubleshooting and recommendations for repairs to damaged equipment of fire aftermath.
An internationally recognized industry expert and leader in the development and use of FFS technology in the refining and petrochemical industry, Mr. Buchheim is involved in numerous API Materials and Inspection committee activities involved in developing FFS, RBI and remaining life standards. He is active in industry programs which address equipment degradation.
Mr. Buchheim provides technical support and engineering consulting for all levels of refinery and petrochemical plant technical experts and management. He also has extensive experience in the preparation and delivery of training courses and technical presentations, and has taught numerous industry-related courses to practicing engineers. He has extensive experience working at plants and in central engineering groups on a worldwide basis.
Gregory C. Alvarado
Vice President
Mr. Alvarado is responsible for business development and strategic planning for metallurgy, reliability, corrosion, inspection, and FFS consulting, services, software and technology for chemical, refining and petrochemical facilities. His areas of technical expertise include damage mechanism identification, shutdown workscope reviews using Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) techniques, materials selection, and group strategizing facilitation with a focus on strategies for existing/aging equipment. His other areas of expertise include evaluation of NDE techniques for finding expected damage, mechanical integrity audits, inspection benchmarking, development and maintenance of engineering standards. He has extensive experience working with plants and central engineering groups on a worldwide basis.
Mr. Alvarado is a specialist in RBI training and project management, and is a member of the API Sub-Committee on Inspection, a working member of the API group that created API 580, Risk-Based Inspection, and a member of the API team preparing test questions for API 571, Refinery Damage Mechanisms, and API 579, Fitness-For-Service.
He has extensive experience the in preparation and delivery of training courses and technical presentations, and has taught numerous industry-related courses to practicing engineers and technicians. Mr. Alvarado is also the publisher of Inspectioneering Journal magazine.
Fitness-For-Service
Robert. G. Brown, P.E.
Mr. Brown is a specialist in pressure vessel design/analysis and performing Fitness-For-Service (FFS) assessments using the rules of API 579. He has advanced skills in Finite Element Analysis with emphasis on non-linear behavior such as plasticity, buckling, contact, creep, and large deformation behavior. He uses advanced analytical methods to provide practical and cost effective solutions to solve design and operational issues related to fixed equipment.
Mr. Brown has assisted with the development of API 579 and has been a consultant for the PVRC effort to develop a new ASME Code for pressure vessels, taking into consideration latest developments in materials, design, fabrication, and inspection technologies. He is an active member of the Battelle International Joint Industry Project on the Structural Stress Method for Fatigue Assessment of Welded Structures and performs fatigue assessment/review of equipment in cyclic service. In addition, Mr. Brown serves on the ASME Subgroup on Design Analysis and performs code compliance calculations and interpretations for pressure vessels. He performs design reviews for pressure vessels as part of major refinery capital projects, including expansions, revamps and de-bottlenecking project, and has been the lead pressure vessel engineer for major refinery capital projects.
I. Warren Brown, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Dr. Brown’s experience covers the full plant life-cycle, including design / procurement, construction / commissioning, plant maintenance and failure analysis / Fitness-For-Service / decommissioning activities in both the upstream and downstream petrochemical environments. He uses advanced engineering principles and analysis, including Finite Element Analysis methods, piping flexibility analysis, API 579 FFS analysis and code or first-principle engineering design, to provide practical solutions to design or operational problems.
Dr. Brown is an internationally recognized leader in the design, analysis and operation of pressure vessel and piping bolted flanged joints. He has developed test and analysis methods to obtain the elimination of heat exchanger joint leakage problems on a refinery-wide basis. He has also developed and implemented advanced joint assembly methods that reduce the assembly time by half and actually result in improved joint sealing performance. He provides specialized consulting and training on the analysis and assembly of bolted joints, with emphasis on the stream-lining of plant maintenance activities, gasket selection and achieving "leak-free" joint operation.
Dr. Brown has published over 20 peer-reviewed papers on joint design and operation, and has three Welding Research Council Bulletins in publication. He has been involved with both the PVRC and ASME committees on bolted flanges, and his work was the basis for PVRC training on "Best Practices for Flange Assembly and Maintenance."
Dr. Brown’s work has involved both technical specialist/design engineering roles and leadership roles in the construction and commissioning of major capital projects. He has provided engineering support of inspection, failure analysis, re-build and maintenance activities during plant Turnarounds. His diverse experience allows him to bring a broad perspective to the leadership of major projects and to the solution of complex technical problems.
James C. Sowinski, P.E.
Mr. Sowinski provides plant engineering support to maintenance and inspection personnel in both the refining and power utility industries. His plant experience in start-up, normal operations and shutdown environments along with his stress analysis and mechanical design experience has enabled him to develop advanced skills in solving a wide range of industry problems.
Mr. Sowinski uses FEA to simulate equipment behavior to supplement failure analysis, engineer repairs and develop design modifications. He provides FFS evaluations in accordance with API 579 to extend equipment life as well as design and analysis of pressure containing equipment to evaluate mechanical integrity and improve availability. Mr. Sowinski performs pipe stress analyses to evaluate new and existing piping system layout, debottleneck design conditions, and piping vibrations. He also performs pressure vessel and heat exchanger design and rerate calculations utilizing industry standards. Mr. Sowinski is responsible for the "R" Certificate of Authorization issued by the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors.
Mr. Sowinski is a consultant to the PVRC effort to develop a new ASME Code for pressure vessels, taking into consideration latest developments in materials, design, fabrication, and inspection technologies. He also serves on the ASME Section VIII Subgroup Design committee.
Kraig S. Shipley, P.E.
Mr. Shipley is skilled in thermal and stress Finite Element Analysis (FEA) with emphasis on non-linear behavior such as buckling, contact, creep, plasticity and large deformation behavior. He has applied his FEA skills to pressure vessel nozzle designs, expansion joint designs, remaining life of high temperature components, hot-to-cold wall transitions, corroded equipment, hot spots, FCC equipment (orifice chamber, reactor, regenerator, expansion joints, slide valves, etc.) and specialty equipment.
Mr. Shipley extends equipment run times through Fitness-For-Service evaluations using the rules of API 579 and FEA. He has prevented premature replacement and justified increased operating conditions of high temperature components through the application of high temperature creep assessments. He performs ASME B31.1 and B31.3 piping flexibility stress analyses evaluating piping failures, piping vibration, debottleneck design conditions, removal of expansion joints, and new piping system layouts. Mr. Shipley also performs numerous pressure vessel and heat exchanger rerates using the ASME Sec. VIII Div. 1 and 2 design rules and FEA to justify metal loss or increased operating conditions. Design and selection of expansion joints, piping components, specialty and commodity valves, and gaskets/packing are other areas of his expertise. He is an active member of the ASME B31.3 Design Task Group, maintaining and implementing technical design issues in the ASME B31.3 Process Piping Code.
Mr. Shipley has supported major refinery capital projects as lead technical specialist through equipment design reviews, code interpretations, vendor evaluations, development of equipment specifications, bid reviews, pre-construction meetings, shop inspections, and supervision of field installation. He has developed over 100 refinery engineering specifications for piping and piping components and over 200 piping classes and 1000 valve data sheets petrochemical facilities worldwide.
David R. Thornton, P.E.
Mr. Thornton is a specialist in pressure vessel and piping design/analysis and performing FFS assessments using the rules of API 579. He has developed advanced skills in FEA analysis, with emphasis on non-linear behavior such as plasticity, buckling, contact, creep, and large deformation behavior. He uses advanced analytical methods to provide practical and cost effective solutions to solve design and operational issues related to fixed equipment.
He serves as a member of the ASME and API technical committees responsible for the development of API 579. He has applied API 579 rules in evaluating localized corrosion, crack-like flaws, high temperature remaining life, and equipment distortion. He also has hands-on experience from a former position as lead mechanical and structural engineer at a major refinery, where he provided direction and guidance in evaluating and solving problems associated with fixed equipment.
Mr. Thornton performs transient pressure analyses of liquid-filled piping systems and is experienced in evaluating piping vibration and recommending solutions that mitigate both the source of vibration and its effects. He also performs design and analysis of pressure vessels and their internals as part of refinery capital projects. He has extensive experience related to the design and analysis of equipment associated with high temperature FCC units, including pressure vessels, refractory-lined piping, and specialty valves.
Robert C. Davis, P.E.
Mr. Davis provides design and analysis of pressure containing equipment to evaluate mechanical integrity and improve availability. He performs Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Fitness-For-Service evaluations of in-service equipment, fracture mechanics and fatigue assessments, high temperature equipment design and remaining life assessments, ASME Code design of pressure containing equipment, piping stress and vibration analysis, and field problem solving support during turnarounds.
Mr. Davis has extensive experience in solid modeling, product design and development, product and project engineering, and stress analysis in the refining, petrochemical, automotive and water treatment industries. This experience includes design specification and drawing development and review, development of product and process specifications, preparation and review of bid packages, product development and testing, process and design review (including PFMEA and DFMEA, six sigma and lean processes), vendor evaluation and qualification, and solid modeling and FEA of new and existing products and equipment.
Mr. Davis uses advanced stress analysis techniques to perform comprehensive assessments to optimize equipment process operation, evaluate damage mechanisms, and extend equipment life. He has developed advanced skills in FEA, including non-linear behavior such as plasticity, buckling, contact, creep, and large deformation behavior. He also uses FEA to simulate equipment behavior to supplement failure analysis, engineer repairs and develop design modifications. Mr. Davis performs code compliance calculations and interpretations for pressure containing equipment. Mr. Davis is also skilled in the use of API 579 and VCESage software.
S. Michael Cooch, P.E.
Mr. Cooch is responsible for fixed equipment Fitness-For-Service evaluations using the latest tools and techniques, including Finite Element Analysis methods, API 579 analysis, and code or first-principle engineering design. In addition, he provides mechanical engineering support for maintenance work involving both stationary and rotating equipment, work prioritization, planning and scheduling, and coordinates field execution of multi-craft maintenance activities. His broad experience has enabled him to develop skills in solving problems related to a wide variety of equipment and processes.
In addition to plant maintenance experience, Mr. Cooch has worked on Turnaround scope development for mechanical equipment, providing field technical support including troubleshooting, Fitness-for-Service evaluation, and repair scope development for stationary equipment. His shutdown experience with rotating equipment includes overseeing the rebuild of a recycle compressor and support for repairs of other major reciprocating and centrifugal compressors.
J. Ryan Jones, P.Eng.
Mr. Jones is experienced in the full project life-cycle including design/procurement, construction/commissioning, plant maintenance, and failure analysis/Fitness-For-Service/decommissioning activities in petrochemical environments. Mr. Jones uses advanced engineering principles and analysis tools to solve design or operations problems, including advanced Finite Element Analysis methods, piping flexibility analysis, API 579 Fitness-For-Service analysis and code or first-principle engineering design.
Mr. Jones brings a wealth of experience from his years working as a mechanical engineer at a large bitumen upgrading plant, where he provided engineering support and leadership to operations, maintenance, and plant turnaround activities. He has worked as a project engineer, plant maintenance engineer, team leader for the maintenance engineering department, and most recently as an internal consultant providing technical leadership, failure investigation, and mechanical analysis in support of facility reliability. He has provided engineering support of inspection, failure analysis, re-build and maintenance activities during plant Turnarounds. He has also been involved in the development of technical specifications and standards.
Derek Rinas, P. Eng.
Mr. Rinas uses advanced engineering principles and analysis tools to solve design or operational problems in the most practical, cost-effective manner. These tools include advanced Finite Element Analysis methods, piping flexibility analysis, API 579 Fitness-For-Service analysis, and code or first-principle engineering design.
Mr. Rinas’ background includes experience as a Maintenance/Reliability Engineer at a heavy oil upgrading facility in northern Canada. The work involved providing engineering technical support for maintenance activities during plant turnarounds, unplanned shutdowns, and routine day-to-day operations. He also performed failure analyses and design work, and provided design, procurement, and construction support for capital projects. His broad knowledge of the various stages in the life of fixed equipment allows Mr. Rinas to be a valuable consulting resource in the petrochemical industry.
Brian Macejko
Mr. Macejko brings experience as both a consultant and owner-user providing engineering support to petrochemical facilities. The primary focus of his experience has been in the maintenance/repair and failure analysis/Fitness-For-Service activities for fixed equipment in petrochemical environments. In addition, Mr. Macejko’s experience includes design / procurement and construction / commissioning as well as a strong background in assessing and promoting fixed equipment reliability. Mr. Macejko is proficient in a number of the latest technical evaluation tools and techniques including Finite Element Analysis methods, piping flexibility analysis, API 579 Fitness-For-Service analysis, and code or first-principle engineering design.
Prior to joining Equity Engineering, Mr. Macejko worked as a Maintenance/Reliability Engineer at a refinery and as a Reliability Engineer at an inorganic chemical company. The work involved providing engineering technical support with inspection, failure root cause analysis, and maintenance activities during plant turnarounds, unplanned shutdowns, and routine day-to-day operations. He also initiated and justified capital improvements to eliminate plant bottle necks and maximize plant profitability through reliability assessment techniques, including six sigma methodologies. His broad experience with the various stages in the life of fixed equipment allows Mr. Macejko to be a valuable consulting resource in the petrochemical industry.
Thomas R. Dirham
Mr. Dirham’s materials engineering areas of specialty include high temperature creep analysis and remaining life assessments mainly of heater tubes and the susceptibility of equipment to High Temperature Hydrogen Attack. In the field of creep damage to heater tubes, he has extensive experience with the Omega strain rate testing method as well as remaining life prediction using the Omega method (with or without destructive testing) and the API RP530 method (without testing).
On the mechanical engineering side, Mr. Dirham has performed Hot Tap assessments, ASME code calculations, Fitness-For-Service analyses, and Piping Flexibility Analyses. Hot Tap assessments are performed to check for the potential for weld cracking and pipe burn-through prior to performing the actual welding operation. API 579 FFS calculations are performed on damaged equipment to determine if it can remain in service or must be replaced. Tom also provides support for the other engineers assisting with technical specifications, code compliance, re-rating of fixed equipment, and material selection.
In his capacity as a consultant and through various assignments, Mr. Dirham has provided on-site technical assistance to numerous petrochemical facilities across the United States, primarily covering materials selection, corrosion, creep damage, fire damage, metallurgical testing and Fitness-For-Service.
Matt Saxon Schaser
Mr. Schaser is a consultant in the petrochemical industry, focusing on using the finite element approach to perform Level 3 evaluations of pressure containing equipment and components with accordance to API 579 assessment methodology. Mr. Schaser performs finite element stress analysis (FEA), Fitness-For-Service evaluations of in-service equipment, remaining life assessments, and ASME Code design of pressure containing equipment.
Mr. Schaser joined The Equity Engineering Group, Inc. (E2G) in July of 2007. Since his commencement date, Mr. Schaser has performed pressure vessel design calculations and Level 2 and Level 3 FFS assessments. In conjunction with his code calculation and FFS capabilities, Mr. Schaser provides engineering TAR support.
Jeannie A. Lewis
Ms. Lewis focuses on using the finite element approach to perform Level 3 evaluations of pressure containing equipment and components with accordance to API 579 assessment methodology. She performs finite element stress analysis (FEA), Fitness-For-Service evaluations of in-service equipment, remaining life assessments, piping stress analysis, and ASME Code design of pressure containing equipment. In addition, Ms. Lewis performs piping and pressure vessel design calculations and Level 2 and Level 3 FFS assessments. In conjunction with her code calculation and FFS capabilities, she provides engineering TAR support and on-site support for piping Tmin assessments.
Nick A. Carr
Mr. Carr is a consultant in the petrochemical industry, focusing on using the finite element approach to perform Level 3 evaluations of pressure containing equipment and components in accordance with API 579 assessment methodology. Mr. Carr performs Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Fitness-For-Service (FFS) evaluations of in-service equipment, fracture mechanics and fatigue assessments, high temperature equipment design and remaining life assessments, piping stress and vibration analysis, and ASME Code design of pressure containing equipment.
Mr. Carr has taken part in the development of the Buckeye Sampler for obtaining material samples for metallurgical/physical evaluation from pressure vessels. In many cases the sampled equipment does not require post-sampling repairs.
Mr. Carr has performed numerous Level 2 and Level 3 FFS assessments as well as pressure vessel and heat exchanger design and rerate calculations utilizing industry standards.
David J. Dewees
Mr. Dewees is a consultant in the petrochemical industry, focusing on the innovative use of finite element techniques to solve difficult heat transfer and structural problems. He has performed extensive weld residual stress and distortion analyses in support of pressure containing equipment. He also performs Fitness-For-Service evaluations of in-service equipment, fracture mechanics and fatigue assessments, high temperature equipment design and remaining life assessments, and ASME Code design of pressure containing equipment.
Prior to joining The Equity Engineering Group, Mr. Dewees spent several years in the nuclear pressure vessel industry, participating in the design of both government and commercial nuclear power plants. He is a participant in the ASME subgroups on Design Analysis and Fatigue Strength. He is also a member of the American Welding Society (AWS) Investigative Task Group on Computational Welding Mechanics.
John N. Buccilli, MBA, PMP
Mr. Buccilli brings a depth of experience covering the full project life-cycle; from business requirements gathering, to design/procurement activities, to construction/commissioning activities, to operations activities, and finally to closeout activities in various types of projects. Mr. Buccilli uses the PMBOK principles and project management analysis tools to solve problems in the most practical, cost-effective manner.
Mr. Buccilli is well known for his work in crisis management for troubled projects and has significant experience in delivering successful results from troubled projects for various clients. He has developed methods of project management and implementation that have been applied to the ongoing operations of multimillion and multibillion dollar corporations. His knowledge and implementation of a multitude of project management methodologies gives him the ability to use the best tools for the project and situation at hand.
Mr. Buccilli has worked as both a consultant and adjunct professor providing project management support to both private industry and government clients with operations worldwide. His diverse project experience allows him to bring a broader perspective to the leadership of major projects and to the solution of complex problems.
Risk-Based Inspection
Philip A. Henry, P.E.
Mr. Henry is responsible for engineering consulting services in the areas of Pressure Relief, Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow. He is a specialist in the design, installation, sizing and selection of pressure relief devices and relieving systems, and is currently chairman of the API Pressure Relieving System Subcommittee’s Task Force on API 520 related to the design and installation of pressure relieving systems. He conducts audits of pressure relieving systems to ensure compliance with OSHA PSM legislation and ASME, API and DIERs Standards, Codes and Publications. He also teaches the official API Pressure Relieving Systems course.
He is actively involved in the development of technology for the API Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) methodology, is co-author of the re-write of API 581, Risked-Based Inspection Base Resource Document. He has been responsible for the development and implementation of RBI programs for pressure relief valves and heat exchanger bundles at many refining and petrochemical plants.
Mr. Henry is also an expert in the area of mechanical and thermal design of unfired heat exchangers, including troubleshooting of performance problems, fouling evaluation, network optimization and pinch analysis, mechanical vibration and field performance testing. He performs steady state and transient hydraulic evaluation of piping systems, including multi-phase flow systems, and develops bolting procedures for flanged joints including use of hydraulic torquing, tensioning, and ultrasonic elongation equipment. Mr. Henry has significant experience with the design and analysis of in-service fixed equipment. He has been responsible for rerating vessels to the ASME Code and NBIC and has applied FFS assessments in accordance with API 579. He has provided problem-solving support during numerous refinery shutdowns.
Valerie L. Magyari
Ms. Magyari has process engineering and design experience for chemical, refining, and manufacturing clients. She has been responsible for several pressure relief valve system studies, and has been involved in projects ranging from small chemical plant improvements to the design, construction, and start-up of a high-purity glass facility.
Ms. Magyari has also been involved in risk-based inspection (RBI) evaluations for refinery and chemical plant relief valves. She has conducted relief valve RBI studies using a qualitative approach, and participated in the development and implementation of the relief valve RBI methodology for API RBI, which analyzes relief valve risk from a quantitative perspective.
Additionally, Ms. Magyari has been involved with mix and injection point reviews. These reviews, conducted with a metallurgist, evaluated refinery P&ID’s for process mix and injection points, and after taking into account the process conditions and possible corrosion mechanisms, identified areas that may require additional corrosion monitoring.
Steven Devillier
A recognized industry expert and leader in the use of Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) technology, Mr. DeVillier is involved in the ongoing development and implementation of API RBI methodology and is also expert in competing RBI programs.
He is experienced in engineering consulting services for corrosion, Risk-Based Inspection (RBI), and inspection planning for refining and petrochemical facilities. His responsibilities include project management, damage mechanism identification, evaluation of NDE techniques for finding expected damage, and shutdown work scope reviews using RBI techniques. His other areas of expertise include mechanical integrity audits and inspection benchmarking.
Mr. DeVillier provides technical support and consulting for all levels of refinery technical experts and management. He also has experience in preparation and delivery of training courses and technical presentations, and has taught numerous RBI related courses to practicing engineers and inspectors.
Ken Gottselig, P.E., P.Eng.
Mr. Gottselig has worked for over two decades in a technical specialist role as an owner-user providing engineering support to operations, maintenance, turnarounds and major projects for refineries and petrochemical plants. He has been the senior technical advisor responsible for Fitness-For-Service, code compliance and Risk-Based Inspection for over 20 manufacturing facilities worldwide. He is also a specialist in pressure vessel and piping design/analysis and performing Fitness-For-Service assessments using the rules of API 579. Mr. Gottselig has developed advanced skills in Finite Element Analyses (FEA) including assessments using non-linear behavior. He has performed assessments on all types of pressure equipment, pipelines and flare stacks in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia.
Mr. Gottselig serves as a member of the ASME and API technical committees responsible for the development of API 579. He has applied API 579 rules in evaluating localized corrosion, creep, crack-like flaws, high temperature remaining life, and equipment distortion. He has experience as the lead mechanical engineer at a major heavy oil upgrader.
Mr. Gottselig is the past chairman of the API 581 Risk-Based Inspection Committee and has also been a principal driver for owner-users on the API RBI User Group since 1998, where he has led RBI analysis, evergreening implementation and written/revised RBI and inspection procedures. He has also been involved as lead mechanical integrity auditor of various petrochemical sites in the USA and Europe.
Edward P. Hlavacs
Mr. Hlavacs has process/process mechanical engineering and design experience in the fields of refining, petrochemical, tire/rubber, steel-making and various manufacturing disciplines. He has been the project leader responsible for equipment specification, design and on-site installation for several process-related endeavors. Equipment installed ranged from oxygen enrichment flow systems to heat treating equipment. He has also been involved in several on-site studies gathering and analyzing data for various refining, petrochemical and steel-manufacturing operations.
Mr. Hlavacs has been involved in several process hazard analyses, HAZOPS, and pressure relief valve system studies in accordance with API RP 520/521 and Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) evaluations for refineries and petrochemical facilities. He has conducted relief valve RBI studies using a quantitative approach for both pressure relief devices and heat exchangers and has dealt with fixed-equipment RBI studies.
Mr. Hlavacs was also responsible for the design, fabrication, testing and commissioning of heating/cooling equipment for the tire and rubber industry. Units ranged in size from small portable units to several ton skid-mounted units. Mr. Hlavacs was in charge of all structural, mechanical, process, electrical and PLC component specifications.
Jimmie R. George
Mr. George has over a decade of experience in the petrochemical industry from both an owner-user and a consulting perspective. Mr. George has actively managed and worked in the areas of mechanical integrity, Risk-Based Inspection, materials/corrosion engineering, and inspection planning for refining and petrochemical facilities. His emphasis has been on mechanical integrity issues for fixed equipment installation and repairs, installation for piping, vessels, tanks, pressure relieving devices, heat exchangers and pumps. His key areas of responsibilities and accomplishment have included implementation of RBI projects, shut-down planning and conducting Plant Mechanical Integrity reviews.
Prior to joining E2G, Mr. George worked for Borden Chemicals and Plastics providing plant support in his specialty areas.
Matthew K. Caserta
Mr. Caserta is responsible for fixed equipment and relief device Risk-Based Inspection evaluations. He is also involved in piping circuitization and relief valve and heat exchanger failure analysis.
Mr. Caserta has experience as a process engineer for plants producing food and beverages where his responsibilities included leading the design and development of process systems, heat and material balances, Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&ID’s), equipment specifications, operating procedures and process troubleshooting. Other aspects of his responsibilities included centrifugal pump system design, heat transfer analysis, process utility sizing, and process control and measurement equipment specification.
Mr. Caserta has extensive experience in capital project management and equipment installation. A partial list of equipment installations include centrifugal pumps and blowers, gas and steam fluidized bed dryers, dust collection equipment, and packaging equipment. In addition, he has spent considerable time on shutdown and turnaround planning and execution. He has expertise in process hazard analysis, process safety management, food safety management, and personnel leadership. He is also proficient in computerized maintenance management, process control, rotating equipment maintenance and preventative maintenance technologies including: fixed equipment inspections, vibration analysis, lubrication analysis, and thermography.
W. LeRoy McGallian
Mr. McGallian has been involved in consultation work for 2 years in the refining industry. Key areas of responsibilities and accomplishment have included participating in the implementation of RBI and Mechanical integrity projects.
Before joining E2G in 2005, Mr. McGallian worked for Shell Oil Products, US for 34 years. His work experience included time as an operator, supervisor, turnaround, and project management. He interfaced with Inspection, Maintenance, Engineering as well as various disciplines outside of Shell.
Mr. McGallian has a proven record of excellence in working in a cross-functional team as well as independent situations. He has been instrumental in the implementation of the Risk-Based Inspection criteria for all unit equipment while working closely with the Engineering and Inspection groups. Mr. McGallian has served as the Project Manager in the execution of the project work associated with construction and tie-ins shared with Calpine Deer Park Energy Center. He identified, justified and implemented 6 new projects needed to facilitate operation of the DPEC-Shell interfaces. In addition, Mr. McGallian served to establish unit initiatives to meet VPP Safety standard and ISO 14000 certifications.
Robert C. (Clint) Burkey
Mr. Burkey has been involved for over 16 years in the petrochemical industry with experience ranging from NDE Technician to Site Manager. He has advanced through the ranks of technicians and inspectors gaining classroom and invaluable hands-on experience running, maintaining, and repairing pressure vessels, boilers, tanks, and piping. Mr. Burkey has led teams of inspectors and NDE technicians during the initial implementation of several mechanical integrity programs, during outages, and in day-to-day operations in the US and abroad.
For the past 5 years, Mr. Burkey has served as Unit Inspector for three units at Rohm and Haas where he has been directly involved with normal inspection operations, numerous repairs, equipment replacements, planned and unplanned outages, population of the new electronic equipment file system, maintenance of unit drawings and documentation, and assisting another contract company with the integration/population of their Risk-Based Mechanical Integrity program.
Mr. Burkey has a proven track record of excellence in independent or team situations with a focus on adaptability and innovation. His previous experience includes positions with major contract companies such as M. W. Kellog, Brown and Root, Fluor Daniel, and Elliott Services providing support in his specialty areas.
John Hargrove
Mr. Hargrove is responsible for the systemization of the piping for numerous RBI projects. He assists the RBI Team with data collection/management.
Mr. Hargrove has over a decade of experience as a journeyman fitter/welder at Dow Chemical, South Texas Nuclear Project and Texas Instruments. He was also responsible for the implementation and supervision of quality programs at the new Freeport LNG Project.
In addition, Mr. Hargrove is a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) and a Certified Site Safety Supervisor/Technician. He is currently completing his Construction Management Degree and will be taking the upcoming API 510 tests.
T. Fred Robertson, Jr.
Mr. Robertson has been involved in plant consulting for 22 years in the petrochemical industry. He has worked in many aspects of specialty product design, support, project management, and in custom-designed temperature measurement devices. In addition, Mr. Robertson works in the areas of mechanical integrity, Risk-Based Inspection, materials/corrosion engineering, and inspection planning for refining and petrochemical facilities. His key areas of responsibilities and accomplishment include participating in the implementation of RBI and Mechanical Integrity projects, as a Database Manager.
Alfred Gonzales, Jr.
Mr. Gonzales is responsible for developing Mechanical Integrity Programs towards obtaining regulatory compliance for petrochemical facilities utilizing Benchmarking Assessment protocol. He develops Mechanical Integrity, NDE, and NBIC R-Stamp/Owner-User Procedures in conjunction with the recognized API, ASME and NBIC Codes and Standards adhering to OSHA mandated guidelines towards Program execution. He reviews mechanical data and the interpretation of inspection data of fixed equipment and piping used to populate mechanical integrity databases. He also reviews the systemized piping systems to facilitate the application of the RBI Module and to focus customers’ inspection teams on areas of possible detriment.
Mr. Gonzales has extensive experience in the petrochemical industry within the structure of the Inspection Department. He has hands-on experience monitoring, maintaining, and repairing of ASME pressure vessels, boilers, tanks, and process-piping systems, and has led teams of Inspectors and NDE Technicians during the initial implementation of several Mechanical Integrity Programs, major Turnarounds/Unit Shutdowns, and the day-to-day plant’s normal operation. His previous experience included positions which enabled him to provide the needed Inspection support relative to his specialized areas.
Mark Harmody
Mr. Harmody assists with the development of E2G’s Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) technology, including consequence analysis and modeling. He also plays a supportive role as an RBI Specialist during implementation projects, and maintains and provides technical support to E2G’s heat transfer equipment engineering practices. Mr. Harmody has experience in piping stress analysis, mechanical and thermal designing of unfired heat exchangers, managing capital improvement projects for refineries and terminals, turnaround support and retail design of gasoline stations.
Mr. Harmody has over a decade of experience as a physics and mathematics instructor. He has taught numerous courses at community colleges, high schools and distance-learning charter schools.
Debbie Samodell
Ms. Samodell is responsible for the web graphics and technical drawings for a process engineering intranet-based knowledge website as well as the technical drawings and data input for Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) evaluations and technical manuals for refinery and chemical plant relief valves. In addition, Ms. Samodell is in charge of data input for an internet-based project management tool that updates the status and workflow of chemical and refining equipment.
Ms. Samodell has a depth of experience in the aerospace industry where she was responsible for 2- and 3-dimensional drawings for the production of commercial and military wheel, brake and antiskid systems as well as the supporting technical manuals for these products. She was also responsible for all artwork for presentation and proposal submittals.
Fluid Thermal Systems
Robert A. Sadowski, P.E.
Mr. Sadowski is responsible for pressure relief device system studies in refinery, chemical plant and pipeline transportation operations. He is also involved in heat exchanger vibration analysis as it relates to the tube rupture relieving scenario. Mr. Sadowski has experience as a lead process engineer for plants producing petrochemicals, specialty chemicals, and food and beverages, where his responsibilities included leading process system design and development, associated control instrumentation, process calculations, heat and material balances, process flow sheets, piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&ID’s), equipment specifications and operating procedures. He also has experience as a plant engineer responsible for the design and management of plant projects as well as troubleshooting mechanical and processing problems.
Mr. Sadowski is proficient in all types of specialty and petrochemical plant processes and utility systems and is an expert in process hazard analysis, relief and vent systems design including runaway reaction scenarios and process safety management. He has extensive knowledge of ASME Codes, API standards, pressure vessels, piping, relief devices and storage tank codes and is fluent in Chem-Cad process simulation software.
Scott M. Thompson, M.S.
Mr. Thompson brings valuable experience of fluid systems design and operation to the E2G Fluids Group . His expertise in mass transfer and fluid mechanics allows him to successfully tackle the complex problems that he and his team encounter. He previously worked at Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. (Menlo Park, CA) as a Research and Product Development Engineer.
Materials & Corrosion
Jonathan D. Dobis, P.E.
Mr. Dobis specializes in practical solutions to corrosion and materials problems in the refining and chemical process industries, with over 25 years of experience. His areas of specialization include all aspects of refinery corrosion, implementation of Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) strategies, assessment and repair of damaged equipment, and metallurgical failure analysis. He is one of the few world-wide recognized experts in the realm of corrosion and operation of HF Acid Alkylation Units.
Mr. Dobis is also recognized for his contributions to the understanding of refinery damage mechanisms, and served as project manager and primary author of API RP 571 - Damage Mechanisms Affecting Fixed Equipment in the Refining Industry. He is an instructor for the API 571 course and has developed the VCEDamage Mechanisms software program which is used by refineries internationally to help all levels of refinery personnel understand the effects of operating conditions on corrosion and other forms of damage.
Mr. Dobis is a Registered Professional Engineer in several states, and is a NACE-Certified Corrosion Specialist with 27 publications and technical conference presentations. He has a BS in Materials Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MS in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Jerold I. Danis
Mr. Danis provides metallurgical expertise to the refining segment of the oil industry. His responsibilities include selection of materials for process plants, evaluation of corrosion damage mechanisms, implementation of welding, fabrication and inspection technologies as applicable to maintenance of plant facilities, failure analysis, development/maintenance of corporate standards for the application of materials in process plants and implementation of risk-based technology to refining industry work practices. His activities also include the development of process variable monitoring guidelines as they relate to corrosion in refining process equipment. With field experiences at a number of domestic and international locations, Mr. Danis is expert in providing metallurgical input for the development of refinery Turnaround work plans, development of repair plans/procedures to address unplanned equipment outages and technical direction for the development of equipment condition assessments.
Mr. Danis also has extensive experience with developing and presenting training courses in the areas of metallurgy, corrosion and welding and is an instructor for the API 571 and API 579 courses. He has authored or co-authored a number of papers that have been published by and/or presented at NACE International, AIChE, NPRA and the American Welding Society and has been an active participant and leader on various industry committees.
Renée L. Downie
Ms. Downie is involved in engineering consulting services for metallurgy, corrosion, Risk- Based Inspection, and inspection planning for refining and petrochemical facilities. Her responsibilities include damage mechanism identification, shutdown work scope reviews using Risk-Based Inspection techniques, materials selection, and corrosion control. She provides technical support and engineering consulting for all levels of refinery technical experts and management.
Ms. Downie’s work experience includes more than a decade in the refining industry for Lyondell-Citgo Refining as a Plant Metallurgist and Corrosion Engineer focused on improving reliability and risk reduction. Her expertise includes implementation of Risk-Based Inspection, materials selection, corrosion control planning and troubleshooting, failure analysis, NDE evaluation for finding expected damage, development of standards and procedures, and inspection and repairs packages for shutdown activities. She also provided training courses and technical presentations for plant Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and Inspection on subjects including Risk-Based Inspection, and damage mechanism awareness and prevention.
Ms. Downie is a member NACE, and is active in the API RBI Technical Committee. She has continued her education through API, ASTM and NACE courses focusing on corrosion, repair, and welding techniques.
Robert R. Young
Mr. Young provides welding, metallurgy, and fabrication expertise to the refining and petrochemical industries. Responsibilities include consulting to Project engineering and plant site maintenance and inspection groups, assessment of the need and recommendation of the method for repair of existing equipment, welding procedure reviews for compliance to Code and project specifications, turnaround support technical expertise in the areas of welding, materials, inspection and fabrication.
During the last 35 years, Mr. Young has been involved in refining and petrochemical projects at plants worldwide, providing expertise and technical support for conditions ranging from emergency shutdowns to replacement of major equipment to grass roots projects. He is a member of the ASME Code Committee on Welding Qualifications and the Sub-Group on Materials for Section IX.
J. Edward Cantwell, P.E.
Mr. Cantwell has extensive experience in metallurgical, corrosion, materials and inspection including over three decades with two major international oil companies. He has been an active member of NACE and served on various API subcommittees. He was awarded a Technical Achievement Award from NACE and a Resolutions of Appreciation and Recognition from API for sharing his broad experience with materials and their problems in the refining industry. In addition, he developed a database/reference CD for High Temperature Hydrogen Attack for a joint Materials Properties Council/API project.
Mr. Cantwell has performed materials selection for over 17 grassroots and major refinery/petrochemical plant expansions. He has written the specifications evaluated bids and followed fabrication problems for over 60 large shop and field fabricated vessels and heavy wall reactors, interfacing with both contractors and fabricators. He has conducted numerous inspection group performance and equipment reliability reviews in international refineries as well as refinery inspection and materials due diligence reviews. In addition, Mr. Cantwell has developed and taught a variety of materials/corrosion/inspection training courses for international engineers, operators, maintenance and inspection personnel.
Product Development
Joel L. Andreani, P.E.
Mr. Andreani performs Fitness-For-Service evaluations, engineering specification and design support, engineering training, and project consulting on a wide variety of refinery and chemical plant equipment. A pressure-containment and structural specialist, Mr. Andreani has worked in various refinery technical service groups providing engineering support to refineries and chemical plants worldwide.
Mr. Andreani has developed advanced skills in Finite Element Analyses with emphasis on non-linear behavior. He performs advanced stress analysis in the design and assessment of tankage and spheres, piping, pressure vessels, steel and concrete structures, and foundations. He appraises the service suitability of existing equipment in accordance with API 579. He is also an expert in tank settlement, having been one of the primary developers of API 653 edge settlement procedures, and the leader of a current API project to re-write API 653 rules on differential shell and global bottom settlement. He analyzes vibration of equipment and structures, and performs fatigue assessments, structural reliability evaluations and risk assessments.
Mr. Andreani has managed company specification programs and has developed over 50 design, fabrication, inspection and testing specifications for tankage, piping and structures, and specifications for wind, seismic and blast load criteria for petrochemical equipment and structures for petrochemical facilities worldwide. He performs design reviews for tankage, piping, pressure vessels, structures and foundations as part of major refinery capital projects, including expansions, revamps and de-bottlenecking projects. In addition, Mr. Andreani serves on the API Aboveground Storage Tank Subcommittee on Design, and performs code compliance calculations and interpretations for tankage, piping, pressure vessels, structures and foundations.
Applied Mechanics
Charles Panzarella, Ph.D.
With experience in structural analysis, solid mechanics, metal creep, thermodynamic prediction of fluid mixture properties and atmospheric dispersion modeling, Dr. Panzarella is the technical and management lead on a number of technological initiatives. He is responsible for constantly improving the analytical capabilities of all of the software products to ensure they produce the most accurate and correct results possible.
Dr. Panzarella has years of experience working as a researcher and scientific programmer in academia, industry and government labs. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals which include Journal of Fluid Mechanics, Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer, and Cryogenics.
Previously, Dr. Panzarella worked as a research scientist at the NASA Glenn Research Center where he focused on a variety of problems involving such areas as crystal growth, chemical vapor deposition, contaminant dispersion modeling, ripple turbulence, viscoelasticity, microfluidics, porous media, and cryogenic fluid storage. Dr. Panzarella’s diverse practical experience combined with his rigorous mathematical background and skills as a computer programmer gives him a unique approach to problem-solving.
Jeremy L. Janelle, M.S.
As the product director for the VCESage analysis software, Mr. Janelle’s responsibilities include implementation and validation of the program’s technical content. Mr. Janelle is an expert in finite element and numerical tools to evaluate pressure vessels and piping components. He performs FFS and failure assessments for clients and also teaches training courses for VCESage and API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 assessment methodology.
Mr. Janelle participates in research and development pertaining to crack propagation in ring joint flanges, weld misalignment in cylindrical and spherical shells, crack-like flaw K-solutions for cylinders and spheres, visual assessment of pitting damage, creep coupled assessment of bulges, and assessment methods for the evaluation of LTA’s. Mr. Janelle has authored or co-authored several technical papers on these subjects.
Zhenning Cao, Ph.D.
Dr. Cao is a recognized expert on areas of weld thermal and residual stress analyses as well as welding process simulations. As one of three original developers at Battelle, Dr. Cao created the award-winning mesh-insensitive structural stress method (VERITY) used for fatigue analysis and life prediction. In addition, based on a series of FEM analysis results, he developed systematic mathematical expressions to describe weld residual stress for various pipe structures, which were adopted by API 579, Appendix E in 2007. Dr. Cao has performed a series of fracture and fatigue analysis for variety of pipe structures. He is also responsible for development of analytical-based thermal solution procedures for different types of pipe structures.
Dr. Cao’s primary responsibility in the Applied Mechanics Group is the development of analytical and computational tools for consulting work and software applications. He is responsible for the development and implementation of analytical thermal solutions for Hot-tap in VCESage, the development of weld residual stress formulations of pipes and vessels for API 579, and the validation and implementation of Creep models.
Ruohua Z. Guo, Ph.D., P.E.
Dr. Guo is responsible for engineering consulting services for risk-based structural integrity assessment of petrochemical facilities, including pressure vessels, drilling and production tubular, drilling risers and pipeline. Her responsibilities include nonlinear stress analysis using finite element methods and plasticity models; development of probabilistic/statistical mechanical models; FFS analysis of in-service equipment; remaining life prediction using fracture mechanics, fatigue analysis and NDE techniques; and development and maintenance of engineering standards.
A recognized industry expert and champion in the area of quantitative risk assessment of both downstream and upstream structures in petrochemical industry, Dr. Guo has developed various risk-based structural integrity assessment technologies for FFS analysis, drilling planning and NDE techniques. She was chosen as a reviewer of technical papers for various offshore engineering conferences and journals, and is currently serving on the ASCE Technical Committee on reliability of offshore structure.
Jeff E. Brubaker
Mr. Brubaker performs ASME code calculations and other support activities for the development of the VCESage software which is used in support activities for the petrochemical industry. This work involves the calculations used in the design of pressure vessels per the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Codes. In addition, his experience includes piping design calculations per the ASME B31 series of codes, and the API 579 Fitness-for-Service calculations. Mr. Brubaker is knowledgeable in the various metals used in the refining industry and their associated classifications and also possesses a basic knowledge Finite Element Tools.
Mr. Brubaker has worked in the development and publication of pressure vessels codes and standards, including the development of the tools used to generate some of the curves in the documents. The curves include those related to creep and those used to determine a Minimum Design Metal Temperature considering the brittleness of a material. In addition, he has worked on projects relating to the design of heat exchangers.
In addition to his engineering expertise, Mr. Brubaker has several years of programming experience. This includes experience in the development of e-commerce websites and the analysis of traffic coming to these sites. He has implemented and designed database applications and other client-Server applications, based on technologies such as OSI Soft’s PI System and Microsoft SQL Server. Some of these applications were used for monitoring and analyzing equipment used in electrical power plants.
Maria Litt
Maria Litt is currently involved in developing software for Fitness-For-Service, Risk-Based Inspection, and inspection planning for refining and petrochemical facilities. She has also developed an expert system to provide a qualitative risk assessment for pressure relief valves to set testing intervals in a logically consistent way.
Ms. Litt is an author or co-author of numerous papers published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences. Ms. Litt holds two U.S. patents: “Expert System and Method for Batch Production Scheduling and Planning,” U.S. Patent # 5,148,370, M. Litt et al, 1992 and “Method and Apparatus for Inspecting Surfaces for Contrast Variations,” U.S. Patent # 5,091,963, M.Litt et al, 1992.
Software Development
Timothy J. Blue
Mr. Blue provides guidance and technical assistance in software development for numerous E2G software products. He is involved in both the design and the implementation phases of Java-based Graphical User Interface for the API Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) application used in the petrochemical industry.
Included in Mr. Blue’s 16 years of experience is the design and implementation of a web-based tool for retailers, programmed in PHP and hosted on a Solaris server using Apache. In addition, he designed and implemented a MS Windows application, using MS Visual C++ with MFC Document/View architecture that provided a form-based interface for maintaining a development and production website which required no knowledge of HTML or programming to use.
Jeremy Aufderheide
Mr. Aufderheide has a wide range of experience in planning, developing, and implementing enterprise business management applications, particularly in distributed environments that leverage multiple transport technologies including web and client/server platforms. In addition, he has significant design and marketing experience.
Mr. Aufderheide is the lead developer for several E2G products, including VCEDamage Mechanisms and VCERelief 2.0. He is a core developer on the API RBI team, managing interface look and feel, and developing data integration and enhanced user tools. He is also responsible for managing development of core technologies for upcoming initiatives that will take advantage of his experience in distributed multi user environments.
Jeffrey Bennett
Mr. Bennett is a well-rounded software developer with experience in multiple software languages as well as work in web development. He is currently a staff programmer working on developing and maintaining several software projects – VCESage, VCEIntelliJoint, VCERelief, and PipingTMin Calculator. He also maintains several web-based applications on the E2G website. He is CompTIA A+ Certified Professional as well as Sun Certified Java Programmer, Version 5.0.
Bill Lucarell
Mr. Lucarell currently develops graphical user interfaces for VCESage 9.0 (future release), Hottap, and TBreak. He also develops Web applications using ASP.NET and Microsoft SharePoint and financial reports using SQL and accounting information systems.
Previously, Mr. Lucarell worked as a software developer for ExcelaCom in Arlington, VA as a consultant for Verizon. He maintained and supported Verizon’s request manager’s line loss module, part of its order management software. He fixed C++ code and investigated XML records to make sure that Verizon reported voice and data service losses to the FCC. He converted the C++ code in the line loss module to Java. He also wrote documentation of the line loss system and trained new employees so that they could understand the code. He also examined patents related to data and file management for the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, VA. As an intern for PointeBlank Solutions, he developed a case and count management application with VB6 and MSAccess that is currently used at the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.
Information Technology
Mary E. Buchheim
Ms. Buchheim is responsible for distribution, licensing and support for all Equity Engineering software products - VCESage, VCEDamage, VCERelief and API RBI. She also administers the engineering practices collections for several clients. Ms. Buchheim is responsible for web site management for both E2G and hosted client sites. In addition, she is responsible for editing/processing E2G managed documents such as API 579 and API 571 and ASME Section 8 Division 2.
Ms. Buchheim has a unique mix of engineering and computing experience. As an engineer, she focused on energy conservation, process planning modeling, process design, and engineering computing software for a major oil company. More recently she has focused on computing support, networks, website management, document processing, software development, and engineering standards.
David Marshburn
Mr. Marshburn is responsible for the Risk-Based Inspection software Help Desk, software assurance, RBI verification and validation, and liaison between software developers and field consultants for RBI. In addition, he is responsible for the development of the corporate Software Assurance Plan to be included in E2G’s corporate Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plan. Mr. Marshburn is responsible for testing RBI software prior to public release and helps coordinate issues and enhancements discovered by company consultants and the company’s software developers.
Mr. Marshburn’s experience includes Software Assurance Lead for Science Applications International Corporation, where he worked on Government Furnished Equipment at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, performing Independent verification and validation activities for unmanned vehicles at the NASA IV&V Facility, performing IV&V activities on the U.S. Navy’s Tomahawk Weapons Control System, and designing and developing web-based tools utilizing JAVA and SQL Server. Mr. Marshburn also worked at Lockheed Martin Corporation where he performed systems analysis and design and verification and validation.
Harlan J. Tharp
Mr. Tharp’s experience with computer science began early in the 1980’s. He has worked in a variety of companies including manufacturing, hospitals, and now with Equity Engineering. Mr. Tharp has experience with UNIX, Linux, and Microsoft computers as well as with Novell and Windows networks. He provides support for Equity’s SharePoint applications as well as firewall, VPN, and general network support. He is also in charge of Equity’s disaster recovery plan.
Rohan Patel
Mr. Patel is responsible for the Houston office’s Information Technology systems and the Risk-Based Inspection software Help Desk. Mr. Patel’s IT related responsibilities at the Houston office include networking, servers, backups, computer hardware/software installations, conference room configurations, etc. Mr. Patel is responsible for responding to RBI Help Desk calls, testing of the RBI software prior to public release, and helping to coordinate resolutions of issues and definition of enhancements.
Canadian Services
A. Boyd McKay, P.Eng.
Mr. McKay has worked in a technical specialist role as an owner-user providing engineering support to operations, maintenance and major projects. He is a specialist in pressure vessel and piping design/analysis and performing Fitness-For-Service assessments using the rules of API 579.
Mr. McKay serves as a member of the ASME and API technical committees responsible for the development of API 579. He has applied API 579 rules in evaluating localized corrosion, creep, crack-like flaws, high temperature remaining life, and equipment distortion. He has experience as the lead mechanical and structural engineer at major heavy oil upgraders. He has also led RBI analysis and implementation and is active in RBI technology development. Mr. McKay has developed methodologies for assessing real time threats to pressure joint integrity and real time POF analysis for pressure equipment.
Mr. McKay has extensive experience related to the design and analysis of equipment associated with high temperature residuum hydro-cracking units and cokers, including reactors and specialty valves.
Jennifer Philopoulos, P.Eng
Ms. Philopoulos has experience as a plant materials and corrosion engineer for refineries, specifically at heavy oil upgrading facilities. Her experience includes providing plant support by troubleshooting corrosion issues, and developing corrosion control plans. She has extensive experience in providing damage mechanism identification and shutdown work scope reviews using Risk-Based Inspection techniques. She has provided material selection for upgrades to existing facilities and new projects.
Ms. Philopoulos has facilitated and provided lead technical roles in Root Cause Analysis of equipment failures as well as maintenance reliability issues. She also has extensive expertise with erosion resistant coatings and their applications in various operating conditions.
Her other areas of experience include writing and developing Corrosion Control Documents for refining facilities, as well as establishing Materials Operating Envelopes (Integrity Operating Envelopes) based on damage mechanisms and plant operation. Ms. Philopoulos is experienced in the preparation and delivery of materials and corrosion training courses for various audiences. She previously worked for Shell Canada Ltd.
Business Development & Administrative
Kathy Powers - Marketing & Communications Director
Ms. Powers has more than 25 years of executive management and consulting experience in marketing, and is well-known in the field for creating branding strategies that establish products / services as leaders in their category. She is responsible for E2G marketing / communications, including planning, branding and positioning, corporate identity, pricing, marketing research, advertising and public relations, direct marketing and the company website. Her responsibilities also include developing marketing plans for company software products, as well as the metrics for evaluating these programs.
Prior to joining E2G, Ms. Powers was co-founder of a management consulting firm that developed business and product strategies for Fortune 1000 clients in the financial, energy, telecommunications and investment banking fields among others. She has developed business plans for start-up and emerging companies, as well as divisional plans for larger corporations to introduce / revitalize new products and services. She has also held senior marketing positions in New York, including managing a $20 million international marketing campaign for a financial services company and heading the team the created and introduced MasterCard for a major multinational bank.
Ms. Powers is also a technical writer and editor, and an award-winning journalist who has published articles in national newspapers, consumer and trade magazines.
Tresa Scammel - Communications Manager
Ms. Scammel is responsible for creating and maintaining standards for E2G corporate identity and the development of E2G communications materials, including ads, brochures, promotional bulletins and newsletters. She is E2G’s webmaster, responsibly for keeping the site dynamic and updated. She is also responsible for technical document processing for one of Equity’s major clients, and serves as the contact point for ballot processes, revisions, quarterly updates and rebranding initiatives.
Ms. Scammel has over 15 years of publishing experience in the petrochemical industry, both international and domestic. She has served as technical editor and publisher for several industry organization projects, earning an Award of Recognition from MTI. She has been active in technical document development, revision, cataloguing and publication for both hard copy and electronic distribution. She has extensive experience in engineering practices, marketing operations standards, project specifications, policies and procedures manuals, as well as various technical manuals and guidelines.
Ms. Scammel is a specialist in the formatting and electronic publication of expansive collections of technical documents, focusing on consistency, readability, accuracy, and ease-of-navigation. Her broad range of experience enables her to collaborate with writers, engineers and executives from diverse technical backgrounds.
Gary Frantz
Mr. Frantz has more than 25 years experience in the marketing, sales and business development of professional engineering services. He provides professional sales activities and client contact to further E2G’s corporate goals and objectives. He also represents E2G at selected client-related social functions, trade shows and seminars.
Prior to joining E2G, Mr. Frantz was a co-founder of a forensic engineering consulting firm that specialized in investigation services to key decision makers within the industrial, insurance and legal communities worldwide. These investigation services included analysis into the root cause of major accidents, complex failures, fires and explosions incorporating intellectual property issues, product liability evaluations, damage assessments, litigation support and expert witness services. Mr. Frantz’s background also includes the development of an engineering firm’s forensic division to provide mechanical failure investigations and state-of-the-art analysis and laboratory testing services.
Amanda Banker - General Counsel
As Corporate Contracts Manager, Ms. Banker oversees all corporate contracts, negotiating and analyzing for the purpose of maximizing financial and operational performance and minimizing risk. She systematically and efficiently manages the creation and execution of domestic and international contracts to ensure compliance with company policies and procedures, applicable laws, and customer requirements. Ms. Banker provides objective, focused, practical advice and solutions based on an understanding of the law and E2G’s business, which is essential in a competitive marketplace.
In addition, Ms. Banker is responsible for all corporate intellectual property agreements, software licensing, trademarks, copyrights and patents.
Mary V. Mraz, CPA - Controller
Ms. Mraz provides sound analytical leadership to ensure continued annual revenue growth. With over two decades of experience, she is responsible for the planning, organization, direction and evaluation of all corporate financial business and management activities. She establishes accounting and purchasing policies and procedures to ensure efficient operations as well as compliance with local, state and federal reporting requirements.
In addition, Ms. Mraz develops and implements policies, procedures and financial practices which establish structure within the organization, streamline paper trails and establish strong reporting mechanisms. She directs and monitors budget, financial statements and financial forecasts preparation, and advises the management staff on financial matters.
Ms. Mraz efficiently monitors and directs the investment of corporate funds with outside financial institutions. She prepares financial analysis for product investment decisions and establishes and implements both short-term and long-range operating and financial goals.
Gabriel A. Ortiz - Human Resources Director
Mr. Ortiz is responsible for all aspects of human resource management, employee relations and risk management programs for E2G.
Mr. Ortiz is responsible for the recruitment of required personnel and the coordination of training. He actively participates in college job fairs, and promotes rewarding career tracks for young engineers. He develops, writes and recommends personnel policy and procedures and oversees their implementation and compliance. In addition, he manages and implements the Employee Assistance Program and the Equal Employment Opportunity Program to ensure compliance with all State and Federal employment laws. He also administers the Worker’s Compensation Program and oversees unemployment insurance claims. Mr. Ortiz also administers E2G’s salary and employee benefits, including 401-K programs.
In addition to his Human Resource responsibilities, Mr. Ortiz serves as the corporate liaison for Latin American clients. Mr. Ortiz is fluent in Spanish and has extensive experience in multicultural environments, having served as the Associate Director of Multicultural Markets for a major university as well as the Latin America Director for the Pacific Asia Travel Association.
