R. KENNETH SHEARIN, JR.
Vice President and Manager, Engineering Manuals Group

Education: Bachelor of Science Degree, Civil Engineering, University of Virginia (1974)

Professional Affiliations:

• Individual Associate, Transportation Research Board
• (Former) Member, TRB Committee A2A04 “Roadside Safety Features”
• (Former) Member, TRB Committee A3A08 “Operational Effects of Geometrics”
• American Society of Civil Engineers
• Tau Beta Pi

Mr. Shearin has 40 years of professional experience in working with State DOTs on a variety of highway engineering applications. Since 1990, he has been Manager of Jorgensen’s Engineering Manuals Group, which is solely devoted to the preparation of engineering manuals nationwide. During his 33 years with Jorgensen, Mr. Shearin has served or is serving as Project Supervisor/Project Manager on the development of 40+ engineering manuals for AASHTO and 18 State DOTs. These manuals have addressed a wide range of engineering disciplines (e.g., construction, structural design, hydraulics, road design, traffic engineering, environmental procedures, pavements).

CRAIG R. BIRKHOLZ, P.E.
Assistant Manager, Engineering Manuals Group

Education: Bachelor of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota, Institute of Technology (1983)

Registration / Professional Affiliations:

• Member, Institute of Transportation Engineers
• Chi Epsilon
• Registered Professional Engineer: Connecticut, Mississippi and Tennessee

Mr. Birkholz has over 30 years of professional experience in working with State DOTs and Abu Dhabi on a variety of highway engineering applications. Mr. Birkholz is currently or has served as Project Manager on 30+ engineering manual projects for 12 State DOTs, Federal Lands Highways and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Mr. Birkholz has developed engineering expertise or has worked with experts in geometrics, traffic engineering, bridge design, geotechnical, safety, temporary traffic control, environmental, right-of-way, hydraulics, maintenance, and project and plan development.

LORI KESSLER
Associate, Engineering Manuals Group

Education: Bachelor of Science Degree – Management, University of Maryland

Registration/Professional Affiliations:

• Pavement Maintenance and Repair Strategies, ASCE, 2004, 2006
• Pavement Rehabilitation Techniques, ASCE, 2003
• ArcGIS Certification Levels I and II, 2002
• Asphalt Paving Conference, Iowa State University, 2001, 2002
• Construction Inspection Workshops, Iowa State University, 1996, 1998, 2001v
• Nuclear Density Gage Certificate, Humboldt Scientific, Inc., 1998
• Iowa DOT Level I and II Aggregate Technician Certificate # NE234,1995
• TRB Individual Associate and Friends of Committee AFD10 “Pavement
  Management Systems”
• The Road Gang, Washington’s Transportation Fraternity
• Asphalt Recycling and Reclaiming Association

Ms. Kessler has 22 years of experience in civil engineering and construction. Ms. Kessler has a broad background in many areas of civil engineering, including the application and analysis of elements in many highway engineering disciplines – including pavement design, pavement rehabilitation and management, maintenance, construction, inspection, contract administration, standard drawings, and geometric design.

DENNIS MERTZ, P.E.
Bridge Design Specialist

Education: Bachelor of Science Degree, Civil Engineering, Lehigh University; Master of Science Degree, Civil Engineering, Lehigh University; Doctor of Philosophy, Civil Engineering, Lehigh University

Professional Affiliations: Registered Professional Engineer, Pennsylvania

Professor Mertz has developed a national reputation for his expertise in bridge design. After serving as a bridge design engineer for eight years with Modjeski & Masters, Inc., he has been an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering for the University of Delaware since 1992. In this time, Professor Mertz has authored or co-authored more than 120 publications on bridge engineering. Professor Mertz has had a continuous involvement in the AASHTO LRFD Specifications since its original publication in 1990.

Professor Mertz served as Jorgensen’s Bridge Design Specialist on the development of Bridge Design Manuals for the State DOTs of Montana (2002), South Carolina (2006), Nevada (2008), Alaska (2013), Utah (2015) andEmirate of Abu Dhabi (2014), and is currently Jorgensen’s Bridge Design Specialist for the Oklahoma Bridge Manual.

PHILIP L. THOMPSON, P.E.
Hydraulics Specialist

Education: B.S. Civil Engineering, Montana State University (1968); M.S. Civil Engineering, Montana State University (1969)

Professional Affiliations: Professional Engineer, New Mexico, Virginia

Mr. Thompson serves as Jorgensen’s Hydraulics Specialist and has over 40 years of experience in the field of highway hydraulics. Mr. Thompson was the FHWA Chief of the Hydraulics and Geotechnical Branch for 14 years and served as the Secretary of the AASHTO Task Force on Hydrology and Hydraulics. He managed the review of unusual hydraulic and geotechnical structures; and managed the development of hydraulic guidelines, software and training.

Since Mr. Thompson’s retirement, he has served as Jorgensen’s Hydraulics Specialist for the development of the 2014 AASHTO Drainage Manual and for Hydraulics Manuals in Oklahoma (2014), South Dakota (2011) and New Mexico (2010). He currently serves as Jorgensen’s Hydraulics Specialist on Manuals for Mississippi and Montana.

DAREYA COHEN
Graphics Specialist

Education: B.S., Horticulture, University of Maryland (1993); BLA, Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland (1994); M.S., Master of Environmental Science and Policy, Johns Hopkins University (2001)

Ms. Cohen joined Jorgensen in 1995 as Jorgensen’s Engineering Manuals Group CADD Operator. She uses Bentley’s MicroStation CADD software package in the development of Jorgensen’s engineering manuals and standard drawings projects for State DOTs, Federal Lands Highway, AASHTO, and Emirate of Abu Dhabi. In the preparation of these manuals, Ms. Cohen has developed expertise on setting up and drafting CADD figures specifically for a technical manual. She is also responsible for developing the final PDF documents for Jorgensen’s engineering manuals. Ms. Cohen is responsible for all graphics within the group and is proficient in MicroStation, Adobe Acrobat (including Section 508 compliance), and Adobe Photoshop, including their necessary manipulation for incorporation into a manual.

NOREEN ARVIN
Document Production Specialist

Mrs. Arvin has been with Jorgensen since 1988. She has worked on nearly all of the manuals prepared by the Engineering Manuals Group. In the preparation of these manuals, Ms. Arvin has developed a proficiency in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft PowerPoint, and numerous other software applications.