December 20, 2023

Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates

Simon

Kovach

Crase

Wong

Becker

Stanton

Skondre

Stutts

Buhl

Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE) Seattle is recognizing several staff members.

Maggie Becker recently transferred to Seattle from the firm's Austin office. She is involved with investigation, assessment, and rehabilitation of various new and existing structures. Prior to joining WJE, she was a graduate research assistant at the University of Texas at Austin. Her work involved a collaboration between the university and WJE, investigating the bond strength of unreinforced concrete-to-concrete interfaces. She studied various substrate surface roughnesses representative of new precast members and partial depth repair applications.

Rebecca Wong has been recognized for her achievements in historic preservation as a conservator and architectural historian, and is now an American Institute for Conservation Professional Associate and Association for Preservation Technology International Recognized Professional.

Wong is an architectural historian in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards and holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Regis University and a master's in historic preservation from Savannah College of Art & Design. She has been with WJE since 2013.

Wong helps contractors, building owners, and architects preserve and repair existing structures, with an emphasis on materials science, both historic and contemporary. Wong is currently leading WJE's efforts for the Tacoma Municipal Complex exterior refurbishment project for the city of Tacoma.

John Crase and Jonathan Kovach have been promoted to associate principal. Crase has broad-based experience in the construction industry, working on projects involving timber, steel, and concrete on a variety of industrial, commercial, and transportation structures. He focuses on the investigation, evaluation, and repair of structures, and provides clients with practical solutions that balance economics, serviceability, and life cycle. As manager of WJE's Seattle office, he supports a diverse group of engineering, architecture, preservation, and geotechnical professionals.

Kovach is a professional engineer and building enclosure consultant experienced in building enclosure condition assessments, design peer reviews, building enclosure commissioning, field testing, investigations of new and existing structures, repair design, and construction phase services for various building types. Since joining WJE in 2003, he has provided professional services for numerous projects involving a variety of building enclosure systems including brick masonry, stone, terra-cotta, wood, windows, curtain wall, storefronts, skylights, metal wall panels, roofing, and waterproofing.

WJE is also extending its gratitude to the following employees for their industry leadership this year: John Crase, SMPS DEI Committee director; Becky Wong, APT Northwest director; Anita Simon, SeaBEC board member; Jamie Buhl, SMPS DEI Committee member; and ACE Mentors Zachary Stutts and Becky Skondre. The company is also congratulating Andrew Stanton on his election to the board of the IIBEC Puget Sound chapter.