Meet Our Team
The JMT team is comprised of experienced project managers and technical experts who specialize in large, urban linear infrastructure improvements in the Mid-Atlantic region. They are predominantly located in Hunt Valley, MD, and Washington, D.C., and bring differentiating knowledge of the D.C.-metro area’s infrastructure system and regulatory environment from decades-long work with D.C. clients, including DC Water. From the smallest of water main projects to the award-winning trenchless installation of the Oregon Avenue Sewer Rehabilitation, we have helped DC Water and its staff deliver safe, clean, and reliable water for the D.C. community.
Project Manager
PE, ENV SP
Water/Wastewater Practice Leader
JMT D.C.
Office Leader
Lead Design Engineer
Principal Engineer
Principal Engineer
Environmental Scientist
Traffic Engineer
Steven Pickel, PE
Project Manager
Steve has 23 years of experience in water and wastewater design and serves as JMT’s Linear Design Leader for pipeline projects. Water utility clients from Washington, D.C. to Texas have depended on Steve to provide timely, expert, cost-effective solutions in their pipeline construction projects. Steve has been involved in several DC Water projects over the past 10 years, including the Piney Branch Sewershed Rehabilitation and the Bryant Street Pumping Station. Steve is the lead designer or quality control manager for numerous infrastructure projects in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Steve has specific expertise in the incorporation of trenchless construction methods for the installation of pipeline systems, including pipe cleaning, cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining, pipe bursting, sliplining, horizontal directional drilling, microtunneling, and jack and bore.
- (410) 316-2496
- spickel@jmt.com
Robert Koechert, PE, ENV SP
National Water/Wastewater Practice Leader
Rob serves as a Senior Vice President and the National Water/Wastewater Practice Leader at JMT. With 27 years of experience in water/wastewater engineering, he has extensive expertise in water distribution and sanitary sewer collection and conveyance systems for major utilities in the mid-Atlantic region, including DC Water. Rob offers regional support to numerous JMT water clients by providing insights from other regions and assigning appropriate staff to various projects. He oversees design guidance for project teams, ensuring that project delivery expectations are met, quality control procedures are executed robustly, and adherence to ISO standards is maintained.
- 302-533-3973
- rkoechert@jmt.com
Gregory Murrill
JMT D.C. Office Leader
Greg has 30 years of federal experience in technical, policy, and leadership positions with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and in the private engineering consulting industry. He served for over a decade as the FHWA Maryland division administrator, where he was the principal representative for the state, providing leadership in stewardship and oversight of the federal-aid highway program, including the administration of federal legislation, regulations, policies, procedures, and programs. He served as an area engineer in the FHWA Delaware division, overseeing many federal-aid highway projects. He researched highway safety under the former FHWA Grants for Research Fellows program at the agency’s Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, Virginia.
Brenda Hui, PE
Lead Design Engineer
Brenda has 19 years of experience in the design, planning, and construction of water, wastewater, and drainage systems. Her work includes extensive experience in water and sanitary sewer rehabilitations in the mid-Atlantic, involving hydraulic modeling, preparation of contract documents, permit applications, and construction services. Over the past nine years, she has collaborated with DC Water on tasks such as Oxon Run, Service Life Restoration Program (SLRP) and Piney Branch Sewer Rehabilitation. In her current role as Project Manager for these tasks, Brenda has managed permitting, coordinated DDOT approvals, and facilitated construction administration processes on behalf of DC Water. Her experience managing multiple design and construction phase linear infrastructure projects has provided her with detailed knowledge of DC Water’s processes and procedures.
Ben Asavakarin, PE
Principal Engineer
Ben has 25 years of experience in the areas of water and wastewater process engineering, pumping stations, gravity and force mains design, instrumentation and controls (I&C), hydraulic modeling, water distribution systems, and sewer collection system design. Ben has managed and engineered several successful assignments for DC Water and understands the nuances associated with DC Water’s processes, standards, and specifications. Over the span of his career, he has successfully managed and delivered more than $950 million of total construction value to leading utilities in the metro-D.C. and Baltimore areas – the largest being the award-winning $430 million Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant Headworks Improvements and Wet Weather Flow Equalization CMAR for the City of Baltimore.
Michael Bezanson, PE
Principal Engineer
Mike has 20 years of professional experience in water, wastewater, and water resources fields. Starting in the construction industry, Mike developed a solid understanding of water and wastewater construction means and methods and complex project management before entering the design consultant industry. He has managed the design of several miles of water and wastewater pipeline in and around Washington, D.C. for major utilities such as the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, City of Baltimore, Baltimore County, and Prince George’s County.
Michael Cunningham
Environmental Scientist
Mike is a Senior Environmental Scientist with 25 years of experience in environmental management and permitting, natural resource assessments, and ecological restoration, including many projects for DC Water. Mike’s career has been focused in the Maryland/D.C. area where he has managed programmatic environmental permitting and compliance for major transportation and utility projects under both alternative delivery (design-build) and traditional design-bid-build procurements. Over the last 10 years, Mike has developed strong working relationships with Rock Creek Park NPS staff and has become a trusted expert in NEPA and environmental permitting by DC Water, which led to him being part of a team contracted by DC Water to deliver two separate multiple day training sessions on the requirements and procedures for NEPA, NHPA, and environmental permitting.
Jerry Baxter, PE, PTOE
Traffic Engineer
Jerry has 22 years of experience in traffic engineering design. He is proficient in traffic operations and traffic studies, such as origin-destination and traffic signal system studies. Jerry previously served as JMT’s Washington, D.C. Office Leader from 2018 – 2023 and brings a thorough understanding of applicable standards, specifications, local agency preferences, and stakeholders. He has managed more than 100 traffic projects, including award-winning projects throughout Washington, D.C., for key clients such as DDOT, the Department of Energy and Environment, and the Federal Highway Administration.