Certified Manager of Quality/Operational Excellence (CMQ/OE)
The CMQ/OE champions process-improvement initiatives corporately and within projects, and shares best practices within Raba Kistner and among the clients we serve. The CMQ/OE monitors client and consultant relations, evaluates staff, supports strategic planning initiatives, develops systems to determine organizational improvement, determines and evaluates risk, and employs tools and techniques in resolving organizational challenges.
Certified Quality Engineer (CQE)
Raba Kistner CQEs understand principles of product and service quality evaluation and control. They are educated in quality engineering and quality control and are trained in researching and preventing unnecessary costs through lack of quality, lost production costs, and lost market share due to poor quality. The CQE certification is given by the American Society for Quality.
Certified Quality Auditor (CQA)
Raba Kistner CQAs understand the standards and principles of auditing and the auditing techniques of examining, questioning, evaluating, and reporting to determine a quality system’s adequacy and deficiencies. They analyze a quality system and judge its degree of adherence to the criteria of industrial management and quality evaluation and control systems.
Joe A. Irizarry
Prior to joining Raba Kistner in 2004, Joe Irizarry spent most of his career with a Fortune 500 service industry firm, focusing on sales management, strategic planning, leadership development, and process improvement. He now leads Raba Kistner’s business development and marketing initiatives, and enjoys helping the firm, its clients, his community and business networks elevate their performances. A Southwestern University graduate, Joe also is chairman of the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Council.
Newel White, PE
Newel has extensive experience managing civil engineering and construction projects. As Vice President, he takes on substantial managerial responsibilities for our work on infrastructure projects. Newel has been involved in the execution of the some of the largest projects performed in the Western U.S. including the $1B South Mountain Freeway, $1.5B City Creek Center and the $1.1B Utah I-15 Corridor Expansion. His roles included management of quality plans, inspection programs, and materials testing, off site fabrication inspection, design review and construction engineering.
David White, RRC, RWC, RRO, CDT, CEI, CIT-III
David’s primary duties consist of facilities project management with emphasis on scope development, budget estimates, roofing inspection reports, surveys, roofing redesigns, and engineering solutions with attendant specifications. He actively serves as the client’s trusted advisor by planning, staffing, and executing projects involving roofing and building forensics services. Additionally, David oversees project management tasks covering roofing consulting and design work. He monitors the professional practice of his staff, including QA/QC protocols, and ensures compliance with generally accepted policies.
Devin Williamson
Devin brings over 20 years of sales and marketing experience to Raba Kistner. His primary responsibilities include establishing and managing client relationships throughout the Central Texas region covering New Braunfels and the IH-35 corridor, along with participating in project development for geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, environmental and cultural services, and building science services. These responsibilities have overlapped to our sister company, Project Control, since he helped launch the Austin office in 2016, which provides project and program management services.
Martin Vila, PE, F. ASCE
Martin has over 30 years of engineering experience and has supported Raba Kistner’s clients since 1994. As Senior Vice President, he oversees Raba Kistner’s consulting operations in the Houston area. He is responsible for the management, administration, and coordination of geotechnical, environmental, construction materials engineering and testing, forensic, and due diligence studies. Martin oversees infrastructure, transportation, healthcare, commercial, industrial, and residential projects.
Steve A. Tomka, PH.D, RPA
As the Cultural Resources Program Director, Dr. Tomka is responsible for all Cultural Resources activities of the firm. He works closely with Prehistoric and Historic Project Archaeologists and Field and Laboratory Technicians to complete archaeological projects. He has more than 35 years of experience in archaeology. Dr. Tomka has authored 60 cultural resource management reports, peer-reviewed 23 journal articles, and delivered 27 papers at national and international meetings in his areas of expertise.
Yvonne G. Thomas, PE
Yvonne is responsible for the management, administration, coordination, and reporting of a variety of geotechnical engineering projects throughout Texas, with a primary focus in north and central Texas regions. As a geotechnical engineer, her responsibilities include subsurface investigations and engineering analysis and consulting of the design and construction of foundations, pavements and roadways. She has consulted on various foundation and pavement design recommendations for residential, commercial institutional, schools, industrial projects, as well as infrastructure.
Merrill Stanley
Through collaboration and building consensus, Merrill Stanley approaches each project with excitement for transforming an Owner’s vision into reality. His involvement in creating facilities that have a meaningful impact upon the community is truly humbling, one that he considers a privilege and an honor. Merrill brings over 22 years of significant healthcare project management experience to his role as Vice President of Healthcare. Merrill is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin and Texas State University.
Ben Reese, PE
Ben brings more than ten years of experience in inspection management to Raba Kistner. Mr. Reese is responsible for overseeing Construction Materials Engineering and Testing projects in the San Antonio area. He has technical and managerial expertise in soils testing and inspection, foundation inspection, reinforcing steel placements, structural steel inspection, asphalt pavements, and concrete plant and placement inspection. He works closely with architects, engineers, contractors, owners, and developers on various types of projects.