Meet the principals who drive the practice forward – leading the way with a fine-tuned understanding of client needs and emphasis on nurturing strong relationships.

Our executive team is seasoned and serious about making infrastructure work harder for clients, their stakeholders and the communities they serve.

Eric T. Overton, President and Chief Executive Officer, is a visionary leader with unbridled enthusiasm to match market needs with the best, brightest talent and technologies. His future-forward approach keeps people attuned to what’s next while applying relevant insight "in the now."

James R. Duncan, Chairman and Chief Engineer, delivers a decades-long track record of breakthrough thinking and highly refined technical skill set for the benefit of clients and team members alike.

Arne R. Berger, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, fervently pursues operating practices and enterprise systems that enhance the firm’s ability to deliver a client experience like no other.

Thomas A. Leonidas, Vice President, brings passion and laser-focus to our healthcare practice. He speaks and writes regularly within the industry, helping to shape the future of engineering for medical facilities.

Jeffrey S. Hankin, Principal, leads our San Diego Office, taking on new initiatives, like developing a strong presence in southern California, with a missionary zeal equal to his depth of expertise. His incredible market leadership skills and service ethic set him apart.

Troy W. Thrun, Principal, enjoys the complexity of working across market categories. His agility is best expressed in an unmatched ability to exceed the expectations of some of the biggest brands on the planet.

Robert A. Prichard, Principal and Technology Practice Leader, is a creative problem solver, strategic thinker and a dynamic technology business leader charged with leading and developing Sparling's technology practice.

Full biographical sketches and contact information for the executive committee and all firm principals follow.

Bios

Sparling Principals
Kristy J.Alley
Gregory S. Batie
Arne R. Berger
James E. Degnan
James R. Duncan
Denise B. Fong
Mary Claire Frazier
Jeffrey S. Hankin
Timothy Janof
Basel H. Jurdy
Jim Kinnier
Kimberly C. Krull
Nathan T. Larmore
Thomas A. Leonidas
Greg L. Livengood
Thomas (Tod) Moore
Michael B. Newbury
Eric T. Overton
Robert A. Prichard
Robert B. Sparling
Troy W. Thrun
Michael R. Yantis
Kristy J. Alley
Principal, Director of Marketing
206/667-0528
kalley@sparling.com

Kristy drives the Sparling brand forward with strong leadership in strategic marketing planning, marketing collateral and communications, and client research initiatives. In her nine years at Sparling, she has received six national Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) marketing communication awards, including “Best of Show” for Sparling's corporate identity program. Kristy served on the SMPS Board of Directors and is currently a roundtable facilitator.

Gregory S. Batie, PE
Principal, Electrical Engineering
206/667-0530
gsbatie@sparling.com
With a healthcare portfolio 300-projects strong, Greg is well prepared to tackle complex, demanding assignments. He designed the electrical system for the world’s first hospital-based proton therapy facility and for the first five Magnetic Resonance Imagers (MRIs) on the West Coast. He is a senior member of IEEE and HFPA and has co-authored communications chapters in industry standards for healthcare facilities and commercial buildings.

Arne R. Berger
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
206/667-0538
aberger@sparling.com
Arne spearheads the team responsible for the firm’s data systems, facilities, project and financial systems. He also leads special projects to enhance the firm’s internal systems and processes for knowledge management. Prior to filling this position, he served as senior project manager for large medical projects in Washington, California and Alaska. Mr. Berger joined Sparling in 1990, was named principal and business manager in 1997, and became a vice president in 2004.

James E. Degnan, PE, LEED®AP
Principal, Electrical Engineering
206/667-0567
jdegnan@sparling.com
Jim's design focus includes power, lighting, emergency, and security systems for healthcare, military, government and commercial projects. He also oversees many sports lighting projects, including stadiums, athletic fields and parks. His 30-year track with large, complex facilities is a testament to his ability to integrate quality design with construction services and incorporate sustainable building practices, wherever possible.

James R. Duncan, PE, FACEC
Chairman of the Board
206/667-0510
jduncan@sparling.com
Jim is a catalyst for design excellence and delivery of integrated, innovative and intelligent design solutions. He contributes groundbreaking ideas to the profession by updating the National Electrical Code for health care facilities, writing national design standards, researching solar power and serving as Vice-Chair of the American Council of Engineering Companies among others. Jim joined Sparling in 1975, became president in 1991, CEO in 2000 and now serves as Chairman of the Board and Chief Engineer.

Denise Fong, IALD, LC, LEED®AP
Principal, Candela
206/667-0518
dfong@candela.com
Nationally recognized for her work, Denise collaborates with architects, developers, building owners, and retailers to bring a high level of creativity and design excellence to diverse project types. With 25 years of experience developing award-winning lighting design strategies, she’s sought after as a keynote speaker and writer internationally. Her passions include green design, sustainable manufacturing processes for lighting equipment, and lighting for a sustainable future.

Mary Claire Frazier, IALD, LEED®AP
Principal, Candela
206/224-3635
mfrazier@candela.com
Mary Claire is a design powerhouse with 25 years of experience as a lighting consultant, designer, and instructor. With a Masters degree in Architecture, she brings a spatial perspective to award-winning solutions for museums, libraries, and public art projects. Commissioned by internationally acclaimed architects, she works on signature projects in commercial, hospitality, education and civic developments. She’s a featured author in professional journals and frequent speaker at national and international events.

Jeffrey S. Hankin, PE, LEED®AP
Principal, Electrical Engineering
858/622-2722
jhankin@sparling.com
At the forefront of innovation, Jeff leads the San Diego office with a focus on healthcare and life sciences, leveraging his 19 years of design experience for power, communication and lighting systems. He’s worked on three million sq. ft. of healthcare facilities, including more than 600 projects for some of the nation’s largest hospitals, laboratories and medical clinics. He is an expert in OSHPD requirements and a vocal advocate for sustainable design solutions.

Timothy Janof, PE, LEED®AP
Associate Principal, Electrical Engineering
206/667-0503
tjanof@sparling.com
With 18 years of experience, Tim is an expert in electrical system design for data centers serving commercial, high technology, healthcare, military and municipal clients. He is skilled in specialized applications for low and medium-voltage power distribution, fire detection, security systems, CCTV and site-power distribution. Tim eagerly pursues sustainable solutions, with active interest in energy effectiveness and the promise of photovoltaics and wind power. He also serves as Dean of the firm’s internal employee education program called Sparling University.

Basel H. Jurdy
Principal, Acoustical Design
206/224-3685
bjurdy@sparling.com
Recognized for exceptional partnering skills, Basel specializes in mechanical equipment noise and vibration control, architectural acoustics and environmental noise assessment. With 16 years of experience, his design work spans diverse market sectors such as healthcare, education, high technology, municipal facilities, performing arts centers, mixed-use buildings, office environments and industrial facilities. He combines the drive for design excellence with devotion to client service.

Jim Kinnier
Principal, Technology Consulting
503/273-0080
jkinnier@sparling.com
Known for his innovative technology strategies in the healthcare, education, research and government sectors, Jim Kinnier brings a unique and versatile perspective to technology applications for the built environment. As Principal, Technology Consulting for our Portland office, Jim keeps his finger on the pulse of technology information and advanced studies related to building design.

Kimberly C. Krull, LEED®AP
Principal, Electrical Engineering
503/273-0071
kkrull@sparling.com
Kim’s personal charisma and drive are key to a glowing track record over 16 years of electrical engineering design experience. She leads the Portland office with a focus on major healthcare, commercial, retail and municipal projects. Kim’s strength is her unique ability to conceptualize designs and set budgets at the earliest stage of a project. She’s an excellent communicator who has a keen eye for detail and a proven ability to meet project deadlines and budgets, thereby delivering high value to clients without exception.

Nathan T. Larmore, CCNP, ICNC, MCSE
Associate Principal, Information Technology Consulting
858/622-2711
nlarmore@sparling.com
Accurately described as smart, focused, passionate, sincere, forward-thinking and dynamic, Nate has implanted Sparling with his own brand of strategic leadership, technology vision and dedication over the years. He leads the technology group in the San Diego office focusing on healthcare, higher education and life sciences. During his more than five years at Sparling, Nate has received numerous awards for his outstanding technology solutions.

Thomas A. Leonidas, Jr., PE
Vice President
206/667-0515
tleonidas@sparling.com
Recognized for his business and financial acumen, Tom brings a strategic perspective together with hands-on engineering skills. He moves with agility through highly technical healthcare, laboratory, commercial and design-build projects. Tom regularly contributes his expertise to healthcare governing bodies charged with setting standards and codes and holds professional engineer registrations in eleven states. He joined the firm in 1982 and became a vice president in 1991.

Greg L. Livengood, PE
Principal, Electrical Engineering
206/667-0517
glivengood@sparling.com
Greg’s strengths include design of power, lighting, emergency, communication, fire alarm and security systems. For more than 18 years, he’s served clients in the military, commercial and higher education sectors. His deep technical knowledge, experience with complex facilities, ability to bring together multiple stakeholders and agility in implementing innovative design solutions set him apart. He particularly enjoys his long-term relationships with clients and continuing to deepen his understanding of their business.

Thomas (Tod) Moore, RCDD
Principal, Technology Consulting
206/224-3609
tomoore@sparling.com
Tod’s natural leadership skills compel him to write and speak nationally on the future of technology. He runs Sparling’s technology consulting practice and applies his 21 years of experience to clients’ challenges, from inside and outside plant design of fiber optic and copper infrastructure to operations/data centers to LAN/WAN configuration for multi-building campus and multi-story building environments. He brings particular passion and insight to the connectivity issues facing healthcare owners today.

Michael B. Newbury
Principal, Electrical Engineering
206/667-0513
mnewbury@sparling.com
Mike enjoys crafting relevant, hard-working solutions for clients. With 15 years of design experience for power, lighting and security systems, he works across markets, including healthcare, commercial, retail, hospitality and mixed-use projects. He is experienced in navigating the technical issues associated with complex facilities. And, he takes pride in integrating quality design with construction services to assure that the end result delivers on the program requirements while meeting the owner’s bottom line.

Eric T. Overton
President and CEO
206/667-0545
eoverton@sparling.com
A breakthrough thinker, Eric revels in the quest to understand where markets are moving, how user needs are shifting and what skills best support owners’ ability to perform at the highest level. He cultivates an abiding commitment to clients’ best interests with a serious drive to fuel innovation at every turn. With 23 years of experience and a career-long commitment to the firm, he’s attuned to the dynamics of his team. His goal is to make Sparling the central address for the top talent in the nation.

Robert A. Prichard, RCDD/NTS, NCE
Principal, Technology Practice Leader
206/224-3640
rprichard@sparling.com
Bob Prichard has successfully led companies and delivered value in IT and telecommunications operations/engineering and client technology consulting for over 20 years. Drawing upon his background in telecommunications and business, Bob is best known for his hands-on, energetic, and action-oriented leadership style. His work has spanned a variety of business domains including information services, technology, healthcare, finance, telecommunications, and utilities.

Robert B. Sparling, PE
Principal, Electrical Engineering
206/667-0520
rsparling@sparling.com
Bob’s relationship with the firm started at infancy. His father founded Sparling in 1947. Since joining the firm in 1974, his passion for military and other public sector projects has grown. His specialized experience in military facilities includes more than 200 projects for the U.S. Department of Defense. His client base also extends to city governments and public utilities for major urban centers across the Pacific Northwest.

Troy W. Thrun, PE, LEED®AP
Principal, Electrical Engineering
206/224-3660
tthrun@sparling.com
Troy is a visionary leader specializing in educational, museum, commercial and civic projects with 20 years of electrical engineering design and management experience. His expertise is tapped for many of the firm’s largest, most prestigious projects, including signature projects for Fortune 500 and noteworthy public sector clients. He is also adept at creating innovative and flexible design solutions to protect and preserve the environment.

Michael R. Yantis, PE
Principal, Acoustical Design
206/224-3680
myantis@sparling.com
Michael leads Sparling’s acoustical design practice, sharing his 30 years of experience with clients and employees alike. His expertise spans architectural acoustics and vibration, mechanical system noise and vibration control, environmental noise assessments and electronic sound system design. His broad-reaching portfolio includes projects in the healthcare, commercial, education, municipal, residential and entertainment sectors. He applies practical knowledge to each project along with a sincere service ethic.

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