FUELED | A Fenstermaker Podcast

Fenstermaker

Our corporate podcast brings a 360° perspective to issues and topics that concern the diverse industries within our Client portfolio, offering a variety of professional insights, fueling a greater understanding and awareness of Fenstermaker's expertise. read less
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Episodes

S3 Ep5 Ehab Meselhe, PhD, PE, on the Louisiana Watershed Initiative
26-04-2023
S3 Ep5 Ehab Meselhe, PhD, PE, on the Louisiana Watershed Initiative
Dr. Ehab Meselhe is a Professional Engineer and Professor in the Department of River-Coastal Science and Engineering at Tulane University. Born in Egypt, in a small town at the tip of the Nile Delta, he spent the first part of his career studying the Nile basin. Ehab left Egypt to study Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Iowa, there earning his master’s and PhD.It was the University of Louisiana at Lafayette that brought Ehab to Louisiana, where he was a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering for 15 years. One of Louisiana’s leading experts on coastal systems, Dr. Meselhe has nearly 30 years of experience researching coastal wetland hydrology, sediment transport, and computer modeling of coastal wetland systems. Ehab holds particular interest in the integration of physical, ecological, and social processes for inland watersheds’ riverine, deltaic, and coastal systems.  Serving as Louisiana’s technical lead for the 2013 Mississippi River Hydrodynamic and Delta Management Study, Ehab’s work in predictive modeling has also contributed heavily to Louisiana’s $50 billion 2017 Coastal Master Plan. Ehab has worked as an educator, researcher, and practitioner with extensive experience working with academic institutions, government agencies, and the private sector. Ehab strongly believes that the next generation of scientists and engineers need to be taught to collaborate and seek public input in order to develop solutions for large-scale issues related to local and global coastal land loss.
S3 Ep4 Billy Williamson, PE, on the Louisiana Watershed Initiative
12-04-2023
S3 Ep4 Billy Williamson, PE, on the Louisiana Watershed Initiative
Billy Williamson is the Statewide Flood and Watershed Evaluation Programs Administrator with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Prior to his near 9-year tenure with LADOTD, Billy worked within the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources as a Professional Engineer upon graduation from Louisiana State University with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.  In his current role with LADOTD, Mr. Billy Williamson provides management and oversight for the Watershed and Flood Protection Programs in the Public Works and Water Resources Division, including the Louisiana Watershed Initiative (LWI), the Statewide Hydrologic and Hydraulic Modeling and Statewide Flood Control Programs, the Roadway Flood Mitigation Program, and the Federal Highway Administration’s formula program, Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost Saving Transportation (or PROTECT) which seeks to enable the resiliency of our surface transportation infrastructure.   Billy often speaks to the ongoing efforts of the Louisiana Watershed Initiative, presenting regularly at American Society of Civil Engineers seminars and conferences, along with providing detailed project progress updates to local stakeholder groups and the public.   A recent recipient of the Louisiana Engineering Society’s Andrew M. Lockett Medal, Billy was recognized in February of 2022 for his distinguished service as an engineer, acting in the best interest of the Public even in the absence of compensation. Having taken great care to contribute to the civic well-being of his community, surrounding Parishes, and the State of Louisiana, Billy serves as an inspiration to other engineers, that they may follow his lead in this exceptional service.
S3 Ep3 Austin Doucet, EI, on the Louisiana Watershed Initiative
29-03-2023
S3 Ep3 Austin Doucet, EI, on the Louisiana Watershed Initiative
Austin Doucet began his career at Fenstermaker in 2017 as a Civil Engineering Student Intern shortly before his graduation in 2019 from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. For the duration of his now 6-year tenure with our firm, and through his current position as an Engineer Intern, Austin has been working toward obtaining his Professional Engineering Licensure with mentorship and supervision from Engineering Director, Jeanne Hornsby, who leads our Water Resources team. Austin has been involved in reviewing and developing flood study analyses, the designing of open channel and subsurface drainage systems, and has assisted and managed the development of hydrologic and hydraulic numerical models as part of Fenstermaker project teams.  Austin has worked heavily in dealing with Calcasieu Parish Regional Watershed Modeling and Planning. He has played a vital role in the ongoing development of a Stormwater Master Plan for Calcasieu Parish, his main responsibilities including that of data collection and inventory, hydrologic and hydraulic numerical modeling, the creation of a Drainage Infrastructure Watershed Report Card, along with the effective implementation and monitoring of the masterplan itself.  Austin has routinely assisted in the development of hydrologic and hydraulic models which are in turn used to analyze the current and future flood risk and vulnerability of communities. Austin and his colleagues are also skilled in making determinations as to the effectiveness of proposed water resources projects.  It is Austin’s excellent professional and technical skills that have afforded him the opportunity to serve as Region 4’s Program Manager for our current work as part of the Louisiana Watershed Initiative, the topic of our podcast this season.
S3 Ep2 Bradford Habetz Millett, PLS, EI, on the Louisiana Watershed Initiative
15-03-2023
S3 Ep2 Bradford Habetz Millett, PLS, EI, on the Louisiana Watershed Initiative
Bradford Millett is a Licensed Professional Land Surveyor in the state of Louisiana with a decade of tenure here at Fenstermaker. Bradford’s career at Fenstermaker began in 2013 when she joined us as an Engineer Intern, coinciding with her graduation from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette having earned a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. Serving in a dual capacity as both engineer and surveyor, Bradford combines her training in civil engineering with her exceptional proficiency in survey work to engage in cross-disciplinary projects such as the Louisiana Watershed Initiative, the topic of this season of FUELED, our corporate podcast.  As a Professional Land Surveyor and Engineer Intern at Fenstermaker, Bradford is responsible for completing and overseeing all survey-related services for our Engineering Division and Municipal Clientele. She specializes in topographic, boundary, construction and as-built surveys, watershed surveys, project control establishment, along with subdivision, topographic, right of way, and servitude plats, LA DOTD right of way maps and ALTA surveys. Throughout her ten-year history with our firm, Bradford has been involved in a broad swath of projects ranging from road construction and water treatment facility design to surveying dredging operations, diversion canals and channel realignments. Perhaps most relevant to today’s conversation surrounding the Louisiana Watershed Initiative, Bradford has been heavily involved in Fenstermaker’s efforts toward Calcasieu Parish’s Regional Watershed Modeling and Planning. In this capacity, she has been responsible for managing survey field crews and processing field data along with supporting documentation related to hydraulic structure analyses, assessing impacts on proposed drainage improvement activities.  Bradford is one of Louisiana’s six women currently licensed and practicing as a professional land surveyor. Her efforts and accomplishments to-date make her uniquely qualified to speak on behalf of the work being done for the Louisiana Watershed Initiative.
S2 Ep5 John Fenstermaker on the History of the Fenstermaker Family Firm in 'Seeking CHF'
16-05-2022
S2 Ep5 John Fenstermaker on the History of the Fenstermaker Family Firm in 'Seeking CHF'
John Fenstermaker is a Registered Professional Land Surveyor, Vice Chairman and Vice President of Business Development here at Fenstermaker. John leads our Business Development Team, managing the promotion of our firm’s services. While in his former role as Vice President of the Survey & Mapping Division, John built a vast network of contacts consisting of both long-time and new clients. His experience with the company includes project planning, quality assurance and quality control, data acquisition and management.Under John’s leadership, our firm’s Survey & Mapping Division grew into what is now one of the most respected surveying firms in the country. John and his team developed new workflows and field communications, ensuring the company’s position at the forefront of technology. With a focus on client satisfaction and technology integration, John has led some of the most efficient, well-equipped, and experienced teams in the industry.John is a member of the American Association of Professional Landmen, the Lafayette Association of Professional Landmen, the Permian Basin Landmen's Association, the Pipeliners Association of Houston, the American Petroleum Institute, the American Association of Drilling Engineers, the Louisiana Gas Association, the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association, the ADAM Energy Forum, and the International Right of Way Association.Thank you, John, for participating in this Season of FUELED, which we are calling ‘Seeking CHF,’ an attempt to gain insight into our origins as a company, our founder, Charles Howard Fenstermaker, Jr., and of course, your role in the development and trajectory of our family business to where we are today—over 70 years in the making!
S2 Ep1 Bill Fenstermaker on the History of the Fenstermaker Family Firm in 'Seeking CHF'
22-03-2022
S2 Ep1 Bill Fenstermaker on the History of the Fenstermaker Family Firm in 'Seeking CHF'
William H. Fenstermaker, better known as “Bill” Fenstermaker, is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of C.H. Fenstermaker and Associates, LLC., our family’s surveying, mapping, engineering, and environmental consulting company that has been conducting operations for over 70 years. He has been employed in this capacity since 1971 and is responsible for the financial and operational stability of the company headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana, with offices in Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Shreveport, Mandeville, and New Orleans, Louisiana, along with Houston, San Antonio and Midland, Texas.Bill Fenstermaker is not only recognized as a leader in his field, but a leader in the state of Louisiana. In addition to his role with Fenstermaker, Bill was Chairman of the Board of IBERIABANK Corporation a $32B bank holding company, which recently merged with First Horizon out of Memphis, TN. Bill is a member of the World Presidents’ Organization, Chief Executives Organization, and the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. He serves on the Board of the Community Foundation of Acadiana, he’s on the Entergy Louisiana Advisory Board, and is immediate past chairman for the Board of Trustees at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center, the largest full-service medical facility serving the Acadiana region.Mr. Fenstermaker also sits on the Board and is Past Chairman of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), he is the past Chairman of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Foundation, past member of the Board of Regents for the State of Louisiana, he also serves on the Advisory Board of the Louisiana Geological Survey. Bill is on the Board of Directors and is Past Chairman of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, and is a founder, Past Chairman, and Trustee of Blueprint Louisiana. This list of the key roles he has played with local non-profit, civic and business organizations is indicative of his commitment to our community. His honors include Business Person of the Year (by the Times of Acadiana) in 1998, the Lafayette Civic Cup in 1999, the Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Award in 2001, and was named Executive of the Year by Acadiana Business Magazine in 2009. He also received an Honorary Doctorate of Science Degree from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette in 2003 and most recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his service to Lafayette General Medical Center.Bill Fenstermaker joins us for Season 2 of FUELED, ‘Seeking CHF,’ an attempt to better know our company’s founder and origin story.
S1 Ep5 Professional Engineer, Jeanne Arceneaux Hornsby, on Drainage Infrastructure
17-01-2020
S1 Ep5 Professional Engineer, Jeanne Arceneaux Hornsby, on Drainage Infrastructure
Jeanne Arceneaux Hornsby is a Professional Engineer and Director at Fenstermaker with 15 years of numerical modeling, water resource engineering, planning, and project management experience. Mrs. Hornsby earned her Master’s of Science degree in Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette under the direction of Dr. Ehab Meselhe and Dr. Emad Habib. Currently Mrs. Hornsby leads Fenstermaker’s Water Resources Team throughout the company’s offices in Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, and New Orleans, LA. Her main responsibilities include leading multi-million-dollar projects that range from coastal and watershed modeling and management to roadway design and construction for both the public and private sectors. She has obtained her experience and expertise by working on projects in Louisiana, Texas, and Florida, with the majority of her hydrologic and hydraulic modeling experience focused on Southwest Louisiana, specifically the Vermilion, Teche, Mermentau, and Calcasieu watersheds. As a Certified Floodplain Manager, Jeanne assists many area communities in flood mitigation project funding through the use of available grant programs. She also assists communities in drafting flood protection and drainage ordinances as well as leading participation and renewal activities in the FEMA Community Rating System (CRS). Jeanne was raised and currently resides with her family in Lafayette Parish.
S1 Ep3 Dr. Kam Movassaghi on Transportation Infrastructure
20-12-2019
S1 Ep3 Dr. Kam Movassaghi on Transportation Infrastructure
Dr. Kam Movassaghi is currently President and CEO of Movassaghi Group, PEC, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He has experience in civil engineering in the areas of consulting, academia, and government. Dr. Movassaghi received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette in 1963. He then went on to earn his Master of Science and his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University’s Civil & Environmental Engineering Department in 1965 and 1971, respectively.Dr. Movassaghi served as an engineer in several engineering firms in his early career. He then joined the faculty at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette where he was selected to head the Department of Civil Engineering. Under his direction the department expanded programs in research, developed a design computation laboratory, developed a graduate engineering management program, and received very successful ABET accreditation reviews.In 1998 Dr. Movassaghi was appointed by then Governor “Mike” Foster as Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. With this position, Dr. Movassaghi was able to increase the annual construction project lettings by 78 percent with no net increase in annual revenues. He also implemented a comprehensive management plan to expedite completion of the TIMED program, the largest construction program in the history of the department. Dr. Movassaghi accomplished these and many among other notable feats in the 6 years as he served the state in this role.Dr. Kam was also the President of Fenstermaker from 2005 – 2014 and was excited to be a part of our first season of Fueled.
S1 Ep1 Professional Engineer, Dax Douet Speaks on Infrastructure
22-11-2019
S1 Ep1 Professional Engineer, Dax Douet Speaks on Infrastructure
Season 1 of FUELED is focused on infrastructure. Each guest appearing on Season 1 brings a unique vantage point, knowledge and experience with the topic, beginning with Dax Douet, PE:Dax Douet is an Engineering Director with 22 years of professional experience in design, planning, and project management. He has designed highways, roadways, drainage systems, interchanges, roundabouts, standard intersections, and various site developments. Mr. Douet also has numerous years of experience in the bidding and construction administration of projects. During his tenure here at Fenstermaker, Dax has performed multiple reviews of construction plans to determine constructability of designs under actual field conditions and live traffic loading. Additionally, Mr. Douet managed the preparation of over thirteen transportation feasibility studies for the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development. These feasibility studies were conducted for a wide range of transportation projects throughout the State of Louisiana to include roadway improvements, interstate highway interchanges, and grade-separated bridge structures. Mr. Douet has also led the preparation of geometric line and grade studies to support more than five Environmental Assessment documents in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) guidelines. He has managed various multi-disciplinary projects and performed roadway corridor studies, traffic safety analyses, and feasibility studies, which encompass design, right-of-way, environmental, and utility work. Mr. Douet was previously a city engineer responsible for roadways, drainage, development review, municipal code development, utilities systems, and various other municipal engineering tasks. Throughout his career, Dax has worked with various local, state, and federal agencies. A life-long resident of Acadiana, Dax was born and raised in St. Martinville, Louisiana and currently resides in Youngsville, Louisiana.