Doug knows a thing or two about teamwork as a player and coach of VAA’s softball team since 2007. His participation in the rec sport not only helps motivate others on the field but extends within the walls of VAA.

He started his career at VAA as an intern. Doug’s structural engineering growth came from the undergraduate and grad programs at the U of M and hands-on guidance from VAA senior leadership in steel, concrete and slipform design. Today, he pays it forward as he lends design insight on grain storage silos for agricultural and industrial facilities across North America and offers evaluations of process enhancements and retrofits for fabricators, owners and design-build contractors.

As Doug does on the field, he also emphasizes the fundamentals in his design work. He stresses how to apply structural codes and understand code origins. These engineering fundamentals are applied to processes and equipment that handle a variety of agribusiness commodities and result in producing “no frills” structural design plans. Doug continues to energize his team by developing the team’s knowledge and reiterating the importance of engineering basics while seeking opportunities to share best practices with other VAA teams.

An active member in the engineering community, Doug is Vice President of the Minnesota Concrete Council and a member of ACI Committee 313. The ACI group produces the standards that govern design and construction of concrete bins and silos in the United States. Doug welcomes the opportunities to learn from industry peers and share his knowledge gained throughout his career.