Burns & McDonnell Adds to Staff

Kansas City, Mo.-based Burns & McDonnell, an engineering, architecture, construction, environmental and

Robert Craggs

consulting services firm has retained Robert Craggs and Fred Doran to lead the firm’s Minneapolis solid waste team within the Environmental Practice Group. According to the company, the hires will position Burns & McDonnell for significant growth in the solid waste consulting marketplace.

In addition, Burns & McDonnell has announced that Michael Cook has joined the firm’s Sioux Falls, S.D., office as a civil engineer in the Environmental Group. Cook will focus on providing facility siting and design, permitting, environmental reporting and construction management services for municipal solid waste programs.

Craggs and Doran will be tasked with developing a solid waste consulting center of excellence in Minnesota for the company. The firm’s solid waste group provides expertise in planning, services procurement, feasibility, permitting, operations and program assessments, design, and construction oversight, as well as engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects. The two will provide services to clients within Minnesota and throughout the central region of the United States.

Fred Doran

“Bob and Fred bring tremendous experience to the firm that will take our solid waste practice to the next level,” says Gene Sieve, principal and regional manager of Burns & McDonnell in Minneapolis. “Their areas of expertise complement each other and are synergistic with our current in-house capabilities so we’ll be able to serve a broader array of clients with a full range of project activities from beginning to end.”

Craggs brings nearly 25 years of experience in the environmental consulting field to the company. Craggs has expertise in assisting local governments and private companies with integrated solid waste management planning, recycling, solid waste conversion technologies and program/operations assessments. Craggs’ legal background enables him to assist clients in grasping statutory and regulatory requirements, as well as to formulate creative approaches to integrate solid waste management. Prior to joining Burns & McDonnell, Craggs was the national director of R.W. Beck/SAIC’s Solid Waste Section.

“Fred and I were attracted to Burns & McDonnell because of its outstanding reputation and strong client relationships as well as the firm’s employee ownership business culture,” Craggs says.

Doran brings more than 25 years of consulting experience to Burns & McDonnell. As an environmental engineer,

Michael Cook

Doran works with local governments on planning, permitting, construction, operation assessments and regulatory compliance for solid waste management facilities. Prior to joining Burns & McDonnell, Doran was a local practice leader in R.W. Beck/SAIC’s Solid Waste Section.

Cook has in-depth knowledge and vast experience in many areas of solid waste operations, including the design and construction of a landfill disposal cells, leachate management, and landfill gas collection and energy recovery. His expertise and geographic position in South Dakota round out the company’s solid waste practice, helping to ensure the right expertise is available on the ground to assist municipalities.

Cook is a registered professional engineer in North Dakota, South Dakota and Washington and is a frequent contributor to solid waste industry conferences and journals.