Inquire Now Leadership | JPS Consulting Engineers

People

We hope to continue building our future together - Through design

Leadership

Bangalore A. Prakash, PE

President

Prakash brings a wealth of knowledge in structural engineering to our organization. His experience in both steel and concrete structures comes from many different backgrounds. Early in his career, he served as a seismic design specialist while working in California on complex high rise structures. He served a similar role while working for one of the world′s largest high rise design companies while he lived in Chicago. He spent 8 years in Indianapolis designing healthcare and higher education facilities before moving India where he ran a large team that was responsible for the design of 20 million square feet of various different building types while under his supervision. His design abilities are recognized by his fellow structural engineers, and they have involved him in many peer reviews of challenging structures. Prakash has a willingness to solve problems and to meet the needs of the client which makes him an asset to any design team.

Prakash is a licensed PE and SE in numerous states and is a Fellow with the Institution of Engineers in India.

Clayton E. Springer, PE

Principal

Clay provides seventeen years of experience in the structural engineering field with an ability to communicate and follow through to create successful projects. His experience is in both steel and concrete structures, many of which are very complex buildings. He has extensive experience in large fast track projects with multiple bid packages, and has simultaneously completed numerous smaller to mid-sized projects. Clay enjoys creating solutions to allow the structure to fit within the architecture, giving his clients the ability to obtain their vision on each and every project. Clay attention to detail and collaborative abilities combine to make him a great addition to any team.

Clay is a licensed PE in numerous states.

Andrew D. Swanson, PE, LEED AP, BD+C

Director – Site / Civil Engineering

Andrew adds value to the project team through his knowledge of unique site work challenges including phasing, utilities, permitting and sustainability. He analyzes existing information and develops site designs that exceed owner and user expectations and compliment the architecture and engineering disciplines. As a professional engineer, Andrew has experience in site development, design and management of higher education, healthcare, life science and commercial facilities throughout the country. He specializes in low impact development and sustainable site design, creating balance between the built and natural environments

Design Professionals

Daniel B. Johnson, PE, SE

Sr. Project Manager

Dan has over 36 years of design experience, with an overriding focus on solving problems for his clients. In the most recent portion of his career, he has focused on the forensic side of structural engineering, allowing him to bring large amounts of flexible experience to the table. He has completed significant projects in one and two way concrete systems, steel composite slab structures, wood framed structures and masonry buildings resulting in over 7.5 million square feet of new construction. His communication skills facilitate the implementation of the appropriate solutions in an efficient manner. When presented with a significant challenge, his creativity and tenacity often resolve the challenge with a cost-effective and practical solution.

Dan is a licensed PE and SE in numerous states.

Jeff Bischoff, PE

Chief Technical Officer

Jeff has been professionally involved with the site design of facilities since 1994. He is motivated by a belief that for every complex problem there is a unique and elegant solution. He brings his attention to detail and methodical approach to the process of design to bear on projects so that potential problems are identified early and risk can be managed.

Richard A. Berger, CSI, LEED AP, BD + C

Sr. Site Planner

Rick has over 35 years of experience extending the role of the built environment and its support of healing, learning and discovery into the surrounding landscape through strategic site planning, design and analysis. Rick is an ardent supporter of environmentally conscious site design and has been developing design solutions that are low impact and sustainable. Rick’s ability to focus on the logistics of site design relating to the phasing of utility infrastructure, parking,and access for critical facilities has proven to be successful for complex projects.

Chad M. Smitley, PE

Sr. Project Manager

Chad Smitley is a Senior Project Manager with JPS. Chad’s 18 years of experience involves engineering
and management functions for all types of buildings including steel, concrete and masonry. He has been
involved in all phases of the project from concept through construction with a strong ability to
communicate with both the design team and the construction team to deliver a successful project to the
owner. Chad’s attention to detail during the design phase along with his collaboration with all
disciplines helps to deter potential construction conflicts early on to keep the project on schedule and minimize construction change orders.

Chad is a licensed PE in the state of Indiana.

Crystal Miller

Sr. Site Designer

Crystal is a senior site designer with more than 12 years of experience in the civil engineering field. She embraces the principles of collaborative design and is well versed in the latest site modeling software. Crystal fosters design solution from conception through completion and is responsible for a wide range of functions including project coordination, design layout and analysis, site development and construction document creation.

Jim Burke, PE, SE

Sr. Project Manager

Jim Burke is a Senior Project Manager with JPS. He has 16+ years of structural engineering experience in a variety of project types from hospitals to high-rises. Jim heads our multi-family design group. Jim is a registered Professional Engineer and Structural Engineer in numerous states.

Jonathan Badua

Sr. BIM Technician

Jonathan Badua is a Senior CAD Technician with JPS and has been with the company since day one. He has 15 years of CAD and design/drafting experience. Jonathan is fluent in all methods of computer aided design and drafting including Autocad and Revit. He is capable of managing heavy workloads and tight deadlines for all sizes and types of structural projects.

Nicholas B. Vergatos, PE

Project Manager – Site / Civil Engineering

Nicholas became an engineer because he loves finding solutions to problems. Engineering gives him the opportunity to take that passion for problem solving and apply it toward designs that help people and improve the built environment. Looking at the entire site and how it connects to the building, as well as the end users, is something particularly important to him. When Nicholas is not at work, he enjoys volunteering his time with a youth mentorship program. While working with middle and high school students has a unique set of difficulties, Nicholas has always enjoyed taking on new challenges. His work and experience with a younger generation has also led him to passionately embrace sustainable practices both in design and his own life and to always remember to never take himself too seriously.

Ramesh D. Patel, PE, SE

Sr. Project Manager

Rebecca K. French, PLA

Director - Landscape Architecture

The user is at the top of Becky’s mind throughout the design process and creating user friendly spaces is always the goal. Becky stands by the idea that site design can and should bring with it a sense of pride and ownership to all who visit, whether it be patient, doctor, student or neighbor. From easy way-finding, to the detailing of a seat wall, it all matters when creating a first and lasting impression.

Through conceptual graphics and models, Becky helps clients visualize future spaces to ensure the most suitable solution is reached and project goals are met. She strives to create landscape designs that are functional, maintainable and create a sense of place. Her belief that artfulness and functionality go hand in hand is the basis for creating positive user experiences.

Anil Tripathi, EIT

Structural Engineer

Anil joined JPS Consulting Engineers in 2019 after earning a Masters degree in Structural and Earthquake Engineering from University at Buffalo. His areas of interest include seismic analysis, design and detailing of steel and concrete buildings. After joining JPS, he has been involved in projects including jails, research facilities and recreational facilities. Prior to enrolling for his Masters degree, Anil worked as a practicing engineer for two years in Kathmandu where he gained experience in design and construction of reinforced concrete buildings. Anil is proficient with structural engineering analysis, design, and drafting softwares. When not at work, Anil enjoys spending his time hiking, travelling and watching European soccer league games.

Nick Swanson

Graduate Civil Engineer

Nick joined JPS Consulting Engineers after graduating from Purdue University in 2021 with a degree in Civil Engineering. He became an engineer because he loves to find solutions to complex problems and to work on projects from the beginning design phases through the completion of construction. Since graduating he has helped on projects at Hospitals and various Parks. In his free time, he enjoys participating in or watching sports, camping and spending time with friends/family.

Michael Cima

Site Designer

Michael joined JPS consulting engineers in 2021 after earning a bachelor's degree in Architectural Engineering Technology from Murray State. He is knowledgeable about technical principles of design and drafting and also has a passion for landscape architecture. Outside of work, Michael enjoys gardening and landscape projects.

Ragda Azawi

Civil Engineering Intern

Ragda Joined JPS after earning a master’s degree in engineering management from Indiana Tech University. She is a Civil Site Designer with a background in transportation, lighting, and traffic design. Ragda's future goals include obtaining her PHD in civil engineering and getting more experience and knowledge to leave her mark on the civil engineering industry.

She believes in a work life balance and that every woman can pursue her career dreams while maintaining a happy family. Her passion and reason to become a civil engineer is being able to transfer complex ideas to the real world to help improve the world infrastructure to create a better future and improve people's lives.

Elise Stueve

Landscape Architecture Intern

Elise joined JPS in January as a landscape architectural intern. She is a landscape architecture student studying at Ball State University. She is pursuing minors in sustainability and natural resources which inform her design goals and decisions. In her free time, Elise loves to travel, and those experiences help her keep an open mind to new ideas. She will be graduating in spring 2023.

Sean Dotson

Sr. Project Manager

Sean has worked in a variety of civil engineering roles prior to focusing his career on structural engineering. He has had the opportunity to refine his structural knowledge by working through many projects with unique challenges ranging a wide variety of construction materials. Sean has experience with complex steel and post-tensioned concrete structures in addition to multifamily wood construction. Sean’s enthusiasm for delivering quality work is consistently supported by both his effective leadership and his team-oriented character. Sean is a licensed PE and SE in several states.

Niraj Shrestha

Structural Engineer

Niraj joined JPS consulting engineers in 2021 after earning a master’s degree in Structural and Materials Engineering from the University of Houston. His areas of interest include seismic analysis, design and detailing of steel and concrete buildings, and structural material selection. Outside of work, Niraj enjoys spending his time playing music with his friends, cooking and getting involved in volunteering activities.

Naveen

Structural Engineer

Naveen has close to 19 years experience as a structural engineer and 11 years as a licensed project manager. He has worked on numerous projects utilizing structural steel, concrete, masonry, wood and light gauge steel. In the recent year, Naveen has been involved with complex renovation / remediation projects including large mixed-use, retail, federal projects and older structures. Various project types that Naveen has managed include mixed-use, retail, office, health care, institutional, higher education, warehouses, tornado shelters and schools.

Thomas Jones

Landscape Architect

Tom Joined JPS in 2022 as a Landscape Architect. He obtained his degree in Horticulture and Landscape Design from Purdue University. He has been in the industry for the past 7+ years working in various fields of landscaping from maintenance to design and sales. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf, picking the guitar, and traveling with his wife.

Manoj Sutaria

Manager of Construction Inspection

Manoj joined JPS Consulting Engineers in 2022. Prior to joining JPS, Manoj was the office manager at K & S Engineers for over 4 years. Before K & S, Manoj worked for more than 22 years with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) in various roles. With INDOT, Manoj has worked in work zone safety, bridge management, product evaluation, and highway lighting design.
Prior to working with INDOT, Manoj also worked 8 years as a Field Engineer with Porcello Engineering in New Jersey. Before coming to the United States, he worked in the government sector as an assistant design engineer for over 2 years. Manoj brings over 37 years of civil engineering experience. When not at work, Manoj enjoys spending quality time with his friends and family, traveling, music, movies, and following the game of cricket.