Detroit, Oct. 22, 2012 – As Giffels Webster strengthens its existing services and expands into new areas of expertise, the firm has hired a senior project manager, senior engineer and two project managers, announced Scott Clein, LEED AP, president and partner at Giffels Webster.
“As Giffels Webster continues to grow, we want to ensure we have the right people in place to offer our current and future clients the best talent possible,” Clein said.
The new Giffels Webster hires include:
James Pistilli, senior project manager
Pistilli has joined Giffels Webster’s Macomb County team as senior project manager from the office of the Macomb County Public Works Commissioner. His experience includes the design, management, construction and administration of roads, drainage,sanitary sewers and water supply systems for various municipal and public agencies. He also worked as a hydrologist and water supply engineer in Indonesia and Nepal and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Detroit-Mercy. He is a licensed professional engineer in Michigan and holds a S-1 Water Distribution System Operator Certification. He earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering and master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Michigan.
James Foster, project manager
Foster specializes in project management for government and private projects with a focus on municipal and regional development, re-development, construction, utilities and more. He spent more than 23 years as a Detroit municipal employee and worked on major development projects in the city. He is a member of theInternational Right of Way Association and the City of Detroit Wrecking Board of Examiners. He has a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from University of Detroit and a master’s degree in civil engineering from Wayne State University.
Kirit Ravani, project manager
With more than 38 years of experience, Ravani specializes in environmental consulting and water and wastewater treatment systems. The General Motors executive committee previously recognized Ravani for an innovative environmental program that simultaneously implemented 19 wastewater treatment plants and multiple plant closures in less than 18 months to meet a consent decree. He also has served on the Environmental Justice Task Force of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Ravani earned his master’s degree in management from University of Michigan-Dearborn and master’s degree in civil engineering from Wayne State University. He is a licensed professional engineer in Michigan and South Carolina and is a member of the Engineering Society of Detroit and Water Environment Federation.
Michael Lens, senior engineer
Lens previously worked with the Wayne County Department of Public Services and has about 30 years of experience working on municipal projects, including road, bridge and culvert improvement projects, mutual agreements with public and private agencies, and general project supervision on projects up to $12 million. At Wayne County, he was responsible for coordinating road improvement projects between the county, cities and townships, along with the Michigan Department of Transportation. He earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Detroit and is a licensed professional engineer in Michigan.
About Giffels Webster
Giffels Webster is a collection of people — civil engineers, landscape architects, planners, surveyors and environmental specialists — who choose every day to make communities better. The Michigan-based firm serves public, private, and institutional clients throughout the United States with their infrastructure needs. Since its inception in 1950, Giffels Webster has evolved to offer a broad scope of services centered on helping clients achieve their project or programming goals, including civil engineering, municipal consulting, planning, land development consulting, landscape architecture, and environmental consulting. www.giffelswebster.com.