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Our Experts

Senior Technical Staff

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Robert K. Kochan, ME, DABFET, FACFEI

President & CEO

Mr. Kochan received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering from Catholic University of America, where he majored in Mechanical-Ocean Engineering.

He is a Fellow, Diplomate, and member of the founding board of the American College of Forensic Engineering and Technology. Mr. Kochan has over 30 years of forensic investigative experience in mechanical marine equipment and system design, personal injury and accident investigation, consumer product defect analysis, petrochemical process system failure analysis, and maritime catastrophic fire and collision events.

He has been qualified as an engineering expert in numerous District, State and Federal courts, and is specifically recognized as a large loss specialist related to mechanical system design, product defect analysis, accident reconstruction, forensic analysis procedures and marine vessel operational safety.

Mr. Kochan is a member of the Hampton and Florida Yacht Clubs, and he serves his community through volunteer efforts as a member of the Hampton City Zoning Board Grievance Committee, and as an active supporter of Virginia Youth Sailing, a 501c-3 organization.

He enjoys spending weekends boating with his family.

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Todd Ford, PE

Vice President of Engineering, New England Region

Mr. Ford boasts a distinguished professional trajectory as a seasoned Professional Engineer (P.E.), amassing an impressive tenure of 25 years in the field, underscored by licensure in no fewer than 25 states across the nation. His academic foundation was solidified with the attainment of a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Hampshire, further complemented by a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University. Committed to continuous professional development, Mr. Ford has zealously pursued postgraduate studies in the domains of forensic investigation and structural analysis, further cementing his status as a true expert in his field.

Throughout his career, Mr. Ford has displayed versatility, seamlessly transitioning between roles in both the public and private sectors, where his engineering acumen has consistently shone. He has distinguished himself as the preeminent authority in the evaluation of structural and industrial failures, lending his expertise to a multitude of investigations that have yielded valuable insights and solutions.

In addition to his comprehensive engineering background, Mr. Ford has augmented his skill set through extensive training in various specialized areas, including but not limited to Haag Certified Roof Inspector, Wind vs. Wave Damage Assessment, Basic and Advanced Flood Investigations, Hail and Wind Roof Inspections, Chimney Fire Damages, and Lightning Investigations. These multifaceted competencies underscore his commitment to excellence and his ability to tackle complex challenges across a broad spectrum of forensic disciplines.

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Kevin Pruemer, PE

Vice President of Engineering, Florida
Mr. Pruemer is an experienced leader and civil engineer with over 15 years of extensive design, project management, and construction experience in the fields of site development and infrastructure. He is a Haag Certified residential roofing inspector, and he has successfully worked and permitted projects within various local, state, and federal jurisdictions including DOT, Army Corps of Engineers, and Water Management Districts. He is skilled in crafting technical proposals/reports and building trusted relationships with clients, government officials, vendors, and other design professionals. In his free time, he enjoys basketball, tennis, golf, and fishing.
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Matthew Hodge, P.E., CMI, BECxP

Vice President of Engineering, Southern Region

Mr. Hodge graduated from the University of Tennessee with a BS in Civil Engineering.  His engineering experience began with DOT roadway design before progressing to forensic engineering in 2008.  Based out of Tennessee, he is a licensed Professional Engineer in 14 states around Tennessee and along much of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

With more than 15 years of civil and structural forensic engineering experience, he has completed thousands of projects and has achieved industry certifications in mold inspection and remediation, building enclosure, and building commissioning.  Typical investigations include structural foundation, framing, and building envelope inspections.  He has extensive catastrophe experience with hurricanes, tornados and NFIP/flooding. 

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Thomas Sanborn, PE

Chief Technical Officer

Mr. Sanborn is a Licensed Professional Engineer with nearly 20 years of extensive experience in engineering, construction, project management, program management, government policy development & management, leadership, and the maritime operations community.

Mr. Sanborn is licensed multiple states all across the county (from Virginia to Alaska with multiple states in between) and has with experience providing expert cradle-to-grave construction project management, casualty response & remediation, and integrated program management with extensive engineering, leadership, and management experience involving military, maritime, commercial & industrial applications as well as in residential design review & construction.

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William Forbes, PE, BCEE, CXLT

Senior Vice President of Engineering, Virginia

Mr. Forbes has 30 years of experience in Civil and Environmental Engineering and is particularly experienced in design management including new facility site planning, infrastructure rehabilitation and redevelopment, sewage system design, environmental protection, and construction surveillance.

He has managed numerous facility planning, design, and building efforts in Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland. Additionally, he has managed projects in Italy, Puerto Rico, and Cuba for the U.S. Navy. A significant part of this experience has involved the determination of adequacy of existing facilities for existing or intended uses, compliance with codes, regulations and standards, and suitability for continued use.

Mr. Forbes is also a Board-Certified Engineer in Water Supply/Wastewater and performs forensic analysis of civil, structural, product defects, waterfront structure and environmental engineering failures.  In addition, he is a Certified XL Tribometrist with experience in investigating slip and fall and trip and fall accidents.

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Dana F. Shave, PE

Vice President of Engineering, Mid-Atlantic Region

Dana F. Shave, P. E. is a Professional Engineer licensed in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Virginia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama and New York. He is also a Licensed General Contractor in North Carolina. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth with a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has more than 45 years of experience in high quality, highly engineered products and complex large-scale engineering services.

During Mr. Shave’s career, he has been employed in various engineering, design and manufacturing organizations included aircraft, aerospace and the power industry where he has held positions in engineering and design, project engineering, project management, business development and senior executive (division management and general management) positions. A common thread within his employment has been his continuing involvement with high quality, highly specialized engineering products and services for critical service applications. In his spare time, he plays “attempted golf”.

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Craig Callewaert, CXLT

Staff Mechanical Engineer, Lab Manager

Mr. Callewaert’s professional career includes over 35 years of experience in the field of heavy equipment design engineering, testing, and failure analysis. Mr. Callewaert is a licensed Professional Engineer in Virginia and Wisconsin. He received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University and a Master of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bradley University. Craig is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP). He has also been a Certified Operator of cranes, forklifts, telehandlers, backhoes, wheel loaders, aerial work platforms (AWP), and compaction equipment.

Expert Consultants

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Danny M. Smith, PE

Senior Forensic Engineer 

Mr. Smith graduated from Auburn University with a BS in Civil Engineering. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Virginia, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. Mr. Smith was Haag certified on residential and commercial roof systems in 2012. Mr. Smith has extensive experience in building pathology and performing structural forensic investigations to determine the cause and origin of damage to residential and commercial buildings and building components. 

 His areas of expertise include damage from severe weather events, impact damage, vibration damage, roof systems and building envelope, source of moisture and duration of damage, ceramic tile and wood flooring and premises liability investigations. 
Mr. Smith worked in the construction industry for 25 years as project manager, estimator and field supervisor on residential, commercial, industrial (co-generation and peaking power plants), institutional projects, assisted living facilities, and heavy highway/bridge projects obtained by competitive bidding, design-build and negotiation. 
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Joshua B. Cook, PE

Principal Forensic Engineer

Mr. Cook has over 15 years of experience in civil, construction, and structural engineering fields. This experience involves analysis and design of highway bridges, mast arms, signage and miscellaneous structures. His bridge design experience includes AASHTO/FIB beams and flat slab design.

He also has extensive experience with land development and civil engineering, where he has been responsible for design and inspection of storm water drainage systems, retention ponds, potable and waste water systems, along with land development processes.
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Joel A. Jewett

Forensic Chimney / Fireplace Defect Specialist
Mr. Jewett is an accomplished professional with 30+ years of experience in chimney and fireplace defect analysis, code compliance and post fire evaluations, and chimney / fireplace installation and repair. Mr. Jewett also boasts 30+ years of experience in the aerospace industry in both the corporate and private sectors. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University School of Applied Science.
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Mark J. Keith, PE, MSECE

Senior Electronic & Electrical Engineer

Mr. Keith is a licensed Professional Electrical Engineer in the state of North Carolina. He is a proud graduate of Penn State University, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University and his Master’s in Electrical & Computer Engineering.

He has over 30 years of experience spanning various electronic and electrical industries and products. His expertise is in the areas of electrical and electronic hardware design, product compliance, patent infringement, failure analysis, surge analysis, fire investigation and telecom and data communications, industrial automation, and controls, embedded processor design, and high speed circuit design in both analog and digital systems. He has investigated numerous cases for attorneys, Insurance companies, industry and government.

In addition, he is a founding and current board member of Liquid Software Designs Inc., providing Practice Management and EMR software solutions to the eye care industry.

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John Mutiso, MS, P.E.

Mr. Mutiso has evaluated and analyzed a wide variety of buildings and building systems, including concrete, masonry, steel, and wood structures, envelopes, roofing systems, and foundations, as well as non-building structures, including retaining walls, docks, pavement etc. He has provided expert opinions related to the cause and extent of damage and prepared recommended remedial actions for property owners, insurance carriers, and attorneys. Mr. Mutiso’s project experience includes commercial, industrial, residential, institutional, educational, and agricultural facilities that have been subject to damage related to installation, construction, and design defects, collapses, vehicular or tree impact, fires, explosions, windstorms, tornados, hurricanes, and non-uniform soil movement. Mr. Mutiso has experience in litigation. He has performed engineering evaluations, inspections and damage reports for numerous storms including Hurricane Eta, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Harvey, and Hurricane Michael. Mr. Mutiso has given technical presentations on causes of damages to different building components to adjusters and peers.
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Frank J. Miller, Jr., PE, CFEI

Mr. Miller is a Licensed Professional Engineer in 19 states and a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator. He has over 15 years experience performing forensic analysis and investigations on a wide variety of electrical and mechanical failures. He also has over 11 years of design and reliability engineering experience with a major automotive manufacturer, and over 25 years experience in the computer industry. He has provided expert testimony at trial. He holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree from Youngstown State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology from Pennsylvania State University. He is an honorably discharged Vietnam era US Army veteran.
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Evgeny Nemirovsky

Senior Forensic Engineer

Civil engineer practicing forensic engineering. Completed over 2000 forensic engineering cases, including water intrusion, storm damage, building envelope, structural assessment, foundations, drainage investigations, fire / smoke damage, etc. The primary sector is property loss / insurance claims response, providing cause and origin analysis and expert opinion for litigation cases. Served as an expert witness at trials in multiple states. Additional expertise include green infrastructure, stormwater management, research / development / experiment design, data‐driven monitoring, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, erosion and sedimentation control, grading and drainage, site development, and code study.

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Glen Lawson, CFEI, CVFI, CMI, CMI Instructor

Principal Fire Investigator

Mr. Lawson is a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator as well as a Certified Marine Investigator. Mr. Lawson’s background includes fire service, law enforcement, and private industry work that spans over 25 years. Mr. Lawson served on local and state law enforcement levels before his time in the private industry with a major insurance carrier.

Mr. Lawson is not only skilled in the public sector, but also in the insurance industry where he spent ten years with the SIU fire division of a major insurance company. During his tenure as an insurance professional, Mr. Lawson held the titles of fire investigator, and lead fire investigator, and participated in the leadership development program.

Mr. Lawson has testified in both state and federal courts as an expert witness in both fire and marine investigations. Mr. Lawson has held certifications as a police officer, firefighter 1 and 2, fire inspector 1 and 2, HAZ-MAT, Certified Marine Investigator, Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator and LA Certified Fire Investigator. During his tenure as a state investigator, Mr. Lawson was selected as the 2004 LA Investigator of the year through the Louisiana Chapter of IAAI.

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Andres Lopera, PE

Senior Forensic Structural Engineer

Mr. Lopera earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Structural and Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Central Florida.

He is a licensed Professional Engineer and brings over eleven years of experience as a structural engineer for hundreds of projects including churches, office buildings, amenity centers, multi-family buildings and custom ocean-front homes. Mr. Lopera is fluent in Spanish.

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Richard Pearlstein, PE

Forensic Electrical Engineer
Mr. Pearlstein is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree. He is licensed in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, North & South Carolina, and holds a Georgia unrestricted electrical contractor’s license. Mr. Pearlstein has extensive experience in power, industrial process control, communication systems, and commercial and residential electrical systems. This experience includes all facets of design, project management, installation and commissioning. He has investigated a wide variety of fires, power system failures and accidents, electrocutions, lightning and surge damage claims. He has also acted as expert witness on control systems and fires of electrical origin
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Erich Roscher, PE, CBO

Senior Civil Engineer

Erich Roscher, PE, CBO is a Professional Engineer and Certified Building Official with a diverse background in all aspects of building design & construction.

Mr. Roscher has over 10 years of experience in the building structural and construction industries. He has a diverse experience in residential, commercial, and industrial design and construction with projects all over the world. He specializes in light frame construction, high wind zone design, and code analysis. Erich serves as the structural collapse lead for the local rescue squad as a Safety Assessment Program Evaluator through CalOES and FEMA Structural Specialist through the Army Corps of Engineers.

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Matthew Richardson, P.E.

Mr. Richardson has over 23 years of engineering experience spanning both the public and private sectors. He is the Owner/Principal of Richardson Engineering & Forensics, PLLC, and he has over 17 years in Civil Structural Forensics and 6 years in Roadway Construction. Mr. Richardson’s experience includes storm damage evaluations (tornado, wind, and hail), roof covering damage, leak analysis (including fungal growth), foundation damage assessment (settlement, subsidence/ground movement, and sinkhole activity), vehicle and/or tree impact damage (residential, commercial, and roadway structures), vibration damage analysis (blasting and earthquake), and other forensic engineering investigations.

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Nizar Alrafie

Senior Forensic Engineer

Mr. Alrafie is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the states of Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, California, and Louisiana. Mr. Alrafie is the Founder and Principal Engineer at Slanted Engineering, LLC. Mr. Alrafie specializes in the determination of the cause, origin and duration of water losses associated with insurance claims. Mr. Alrafie has over 7 years of experience in the engineering, specification, and assessment of Mechanical systems serving residential, commercial, educational, healthcare, and industrial facilities. In this capacity he conducts site investigations and, when necessary, serves as an expert witness representing either the defendant or plaintiff when an insurance claim seeks resolution in court. Mr. Alrafie supports his opinions with results obtained from published research studies of which he is a contributing author.

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Luis De Jesus

Senior Forensic Engineer

Mr. De Jesus attended the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, and he is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in 19 states. Mr. De Jesus is a bilingual engineer who stays updated on the latest industry trends and certifications with experience in a variety of facets such as civil and structural engineering, forensic engineering, construction management, equipment maintenance, and regulatory compliance. He is also a Registered Roof Consultant (RRC), and a Certified Professional Building Designer (CPBD). He has analyzed residential and commercial properties via forensic studies to determine their structural integrity and/or failure and prepared repair and improvement plans. Amongst the portfolio of studies he has conducted are roofing and exterior cladding, structural components, and interior coverings, project sites, and evaluation of contractors engaged in installing exterior weatherproofing membranes, metal roofing, and lining applications. His project experience includes civil and structural design for new construction, remodeling, and remedial repairs on both residential and commercial properties to guarantee compliance with design specifications and with an increased focus on sustainability and green building practices.

Corporate Administrative Staff

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Meagan McBride

Chief Financial Officer

Meagan holds the responsibility of overseeing the overall operations of FAEC’s multi-state technical and administrative services. As Chief Financial Officer, she oversees all Financial, Human Resources, and Operational activities within the firm’s growing enterprise.

Meagan is a graduate of Old Dominion University with a B.S. in Accounting, and is currently working on completing her Master’s in Business Administration with Columbia Southern University.  In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and hiking with her son.

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Stephanie Warren

Corporate Operations Manager

Stephanie manages and facilitates projects and operations within the company. Her work includes overseeing the daily operations, client relations, and quality assurance for the firm.

Stephanie is continuing her education in Business Administration and Project Management.  She also enjoys helping in our laboratory when she has the chance.  In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and enjoying live music.