The Nevada Connection – October 2021

Tom Matter

Tom Matter was elected by the Board to serve as vice-chairman effective July 1, 2021.  Tom is the first public board member to serve as vice-chairman on the Board.  He was initially appointed to the board by Governor Brian Sandoval April 18, 2018, to finish a partial term of a board member that was unable to complete their three-year term. Governor Sisolak reappointed Tom, July 1, 2019, to serve a second three-year term.

Tom is currently the Project Manager for Mountain West Builders and resides in Reno, NV.  At Mountain West Tom oversees multiple vertical building projects across a multitude of business sectors.  Prior to joining Mountain West Builders, Tom worked for Granite as the Vertical Market Manager with the primary responsibility of growing Granite’s Vertical Construction group regionally.  And prior to Granite, he was atCH2M HILL as part of its Industrial and Advanced Technologies Group focusing on front-end solutions for high-tech clients.

Tom earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and his MBA from the University of Nevada, Reno.  Since graduating with an engineering degree he has over 10 years of experience in both construction and engineering design work.  Tom and his wife Kara have two children, Kolten and Reese.  For fun, Tom enjoys skiing, golfing, exercising, and coaching his children’s various athletic teams.  Tom is also an active board member for the University of Nevada Alumni Football Association and Strengthen the Pack, a fundraising group with a goal of assisting the University of Nevada, Reno in building nationally ranked athletic programs.

Karen D Purcell, PE

Governor Sisolak reappointed past Board chair Karen Purcell, PE to her third term on the Board effective July 1, 2021.

Karen Purcell, PE, is the founder, owner, and president of PK Electrical, Inc, a thirty-six-person electrical engineering, design, and consulting firm with offices in Reno, NV and Denver, CO.  She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Widener University in Pennsylvania.  Karen has more than 30 years of experience in electrical engineering. She has had the honor of working on several exciting projects such as Project Neon, University of Nevada Engineering Building, Nevada State Veterans Home, and the Denver Concourse B and C expansion.

In 2015, Karen was first appointed by Governor Brian Sandoval to the Nevada State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors and is the immediate past-chair of the Board.

Greg P DeSart, PE

Governor Sisolak has reappointed Board member, Gregory P DeSart, PE, CEM, LEED AP.

Greg is the Principal/President of Geotechnical & Environmental Services, Inc (GES), and is the owner of Eagle Drilling Services, LLC in Las Vegas. Since founding GES in 1992, Greg has managed and performed materials testing and inspection, geotechnical, and environmental engineering services for over 4,000 projects throughout Nevada. Greg is a licensed civil engineer in both Nevada and California. He is a native Nevadan, having been born in Henderson. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in geological engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Greg has been very involved in the engineering community throughout his 29 years of owning and operating GES and Eagle Drilling Services. He has served as President and National Director for the American Council of Engineering Companies in Nevada, Chairman for the Air and Waste Management Association, and Past Chairman for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Civil and Environmental Engineering Advisory Board. Greg’s current affiliations include the Nevada Alliance for Quality Transportation Construction, National Society of Professional Engineers, American Public Works Association, American Council of Engineering Companies in Nevada, and the Association of Energy Engineers.

Angelo A Spata, PE

Governor Sisolak reappointed Angelo Spata, PE, to the Board effective July 1, 2021.

Angelo is a licensed professional engineer in Nevada and four other western states. Angelo is a licensed professional engineer in Nevada and four other western states. He’s the Engineering Director for Kiewit Engineering Group, Inc working from their Las Vegas, Nevada, office. He was the design manager for Project Neon Design-Build in Las Vegas and has focused his career on overseeing engineering and design projects throughout Nevada and the Western States.

Angelo has lived in Nevada since 1976, graduating from Chaparral High School, attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and obtaining his PE in 2002. He is an active member of the Nevada chapters of the American Public Works Association and American Society of Civil Engineers. He has overseen a variety of community and educational activities, such as the Clark County School District’s education program, All People Promoting Literacy Efforts (APPLE), a computer funding and reading competition for elementary school students, and the Summer Business Institute Program for Clark County, which funds intern opportunities for local high school students interested in the field of engineering. Angelo is a supporter and contributor to the Nevada Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) initiative that includes scholarships, fundraisers, and outreach promoting students in pursuing technical professions, as well as the Fuel Revenue Indexing (FRI) campaign to modernize, grow, and diversify the needs of our transportation infrastructure.

Robert Fyda, PE

Governor Sisolak reappointed Robert Fyda, PE, REHS, to the Board effective July 1, 2021.

Robert is a licensed professional engineer in environmental engineering with the Southern Nevada Health District who currently oversees the Safe Drinking Water program, Legionella investigations, and the septic system plan review program. Robert’s engineering passion is for decentralized wastewater and water system design and operation. By working with local jurisdictions and other state agencies, Robert works to protect Southern Nevada’s groundwater supply through sustainable development, proper engineering design, and good operational and maintenance practices.

He studied at the University of Nevada, Reno and received his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. He went on to receive his Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University in New York City. As a Bloomberg Fellow, Robert is now working towards earning his doctorate in Public Health as a part time student attending the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where he is working on addressing environmental challenges in America today.