The OCI Spokane Team is growing! We are excited to welcome our two new Project Engineers, Megan Ehlebracht, EIT, and Kevin Flanagan, EIT.
Megan is a recent graduate from Gonzaga University, with a BS in Civil Engineering and a Minor in Entrepreneurial Leadership. Megan joins us full-time, after her time as a Stormwater Engineering Intern for OCI. During her time as an intern, Megan demonstrated her skills and passion for stormwater by assisting the Spokane team with projects including the City of Ellensburg’s Gateway to the City LID Retrofit Project, stormwater treatment studies for Spokane County, the West Plains PDA Stormwater Management Plan, and WSDOT’s Pullman-Albion & SR 27 Roundabout Hydraulic Report.
Kevin is also a recent graduate from Gonzaga University, with a BS in Civil Engineering. During his time in college, he worked as a Student Research Assistant at Gonzaga to investigate stream discharge in snowmelt-dominated watersheds and completed an internship with a geotechnical engineering firm in North Dakota. His work included green stormwater infrastructure mapping and material testing, where he was responsible for developing detailed field reports for clients.
At Gonzaga, Megan and Kevin worked together on their Senior Capstone project, which involved determining the impact of beaver dam analogs on Latah Creek stream reaches under the guidance of the US Fish and Wildlife and The Lands Council. This project is part of a larger effort to restore water quality in Latah Creek, which is a high-profile project in the Spokane area with many local stakeholders. Their local experience and stormwater backgrounds make them great additions to the OCI Team. Megan and Kevin are excited to continue their work together and expand their skillset with OCI.
“I am most excited about gaining more experience in stormwater and water resources engineering and helping to develop unique design solutions for a variety of projects in my home state,” says Megan about OCI.
“I’m excited to start working for a genuine company who cares about their employees,” says Kevin, “I’m also excited to start learning about and working on projects that benefit the surrounding environment and communities.”
Our Spokane team has also been busy moving into a new and bigger space, to best serve our Eastern Washington clients and allow for continued growth. Then new space includes a lab space that will be used to conduct stormwater research. OCI currently has several research projects for local municipalities to investigate the effectiveness of water quality best management practices (BMPs) for treating stormwater runoff. We will also use the lab space for an upcoming study on testing a new type of porous pavers that are being developed by local company for managing runoff in urban areas. We are looking forward to showcasing our new office, (hopefully in person, but at least virtually) soon!
