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.

The foundation of Doug’s structural engineering background began in undergraduate and graduate programs at the University of Minnesota. As he started his career at VAA as an intern, Doug received 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.

Like he does on the ballfield, Doug 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 everyone’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 associated with the Minnesota Concrete Council, serving as Vice President and President in 2020 and 2021 respectively, while also contributing insight as a member of the American Concrete Institute (ACI)’s Committee 313. The ACI group produces the standards that govern design and construction of concrete bins and silos in the U.S. Doug welcomes opportunities to learn from industry peers and share his knowledge gained throughout his career.