Our Leaders

David A. DeLizza, PE, serves as President and CEO. Dave joined Pennoni in 1979, is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, and has extensive experience in civil engineering, client services, and project management. Dave most recently served as COO. Dave graduated with a degree in civil engineering from Drexel University and is a licensed professional engineer in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware.

A member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), Dave also sits on Rowan University’s Civil Engineering Advisory Council, the Advisory Council of the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, and the Stockton College Foundation Board of Directors.

David Pennoni, PE, serves as Chief Operating Officer. Dave joined Pennoni in 1989 and has extensive experience in civil engineering and public works projects involving planning, design, permitting, construction coordination and inspection, contract administration, contractor compliance, and regulatory agency documentation. His project experience includes infrastructure design, stormwater management, water and wastewater facilities, sewage facilities planning, traffic planning, and roadway and bridge systems.

Dave was most recently the Regional Vice President for the Metro Philadelphia/NJ Region. He is a licensed professional engineer in Pennsylvania and earned a civil engineering degree from Lehigh University.

Dave is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), is past Vice Chairman of Springfield Township, Delaware County Planning Commission, is a past board member of the Delaware County American Red Cross, and is a board member of the Pennsylvania State Board of Registered Professional Engineers, Surveyors, and Geologists.

Stacey M. McPeak serves as Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer. She joined Pennoni in 1991 and is a Certified Public Accountant. She has extensive experience in forecasting and budgeting, cash management, and Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). Stacey is responsible for managing the financial systems that supply management with timely and reliable information necessary to make sound business decisions. She is a trusted advisor to owners, shareholders, and executives on accounting, finance, and tax matters. She also serves as an administrator of the 401(k) and ESOP. Stacey earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting and her master’s degree in taxation from Widener University.

Peter J. Coote, PE, Esq., serves as General Counsel, Secretary, and Vice President. Peter joined Pennoni in 1997 and is a licensed professional engineer in Virginia. Peter is responsible for risk management and contract administration, interpretation and negotiation, legal compliance, and litigation management. He earned his civil engineering degree from the United States Military Academy, and a Juris Doctor with honors from the University Of Illinois College Of Law.

Peter is a member and past chair of the Legal Counsel Forum of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). He is also a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and Association of Corporate Counsel.

Peter is an attorney for Protect our Defenders, a non-profit organization that supports soldiers, sailors, and airman who have been sexually assaulted. He has also lectured cadets on Engineering Law and Ethics at the United States Military Academy.

Joseph Viscuso, PE, PLS, ENV SP, serves as Senior Vice President and Director of Strategic Growth, including involvement in newin new initiatives and technologies. He also assists with the firm’s mergers and acquisition activities.

He has more than 40 years of experience in a wide range of projects involving urban land engineering, roadway and highway design, utility and drainage design, environmental infrastructure, and energy and sustainability. As well as, surveys, survey and mapping, traffic signalization, planning and environmental studies, municipal engineering, project specifications, cost estimating and contract and construction administration.

He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Joe also serves as an adjunct professor at Widener University teaching a course in the land development approval process. He has spoken at national conferences on the use of technology in the field of Engineering and has authored numerous articles on the approval and entitlement process for both developers and communities.

Joe earned a bachelor’s degree from Widener and a master’s degree from Villanova University. A resident of Downingtown, PA, he has served on many boards and commissions, including the Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry, the Advisory Board for Widener University’s School of Engineering and the YMCA of the Greater Brandywine.

Markus Weidner serves as the firm’s first Chief Innovation Officer (CINO). Markus is a seasoned information technology executive with more than 20 years of experience in the industry. His expertise includes technology infrastructure, enterprise resource planning, business process and workflow reengineering, document and project management, social/collaborative platforms, and voice/video communications systems.

Markus has held a number of director roles in the past, of which most have been in firms heavily focused on business transformation and growth through acquisition. His experience includes serving as Associate Vice President and IT Director at Pennoni from 1999 to 2013. Markus is a two-time Temple University alum with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, as well as a master’s degree in Management Information Systems.

Pennoni’s creation of the CINO position ushers in a new era for the firm with a renewed and more obvious emphasis on a “technology first” delivery approach. It is also an acknowledgement that many clients’ needs have evolved beyond standard engineering services and a real need for ingenuity across all regions and service lines called for a dramatic shift in focus at the top.

C.R. “Chuck” Pennoni, PE, is Pennoni’s Founder and Chairman. As a young engineer, Mr. Pennoni learned early that reputation means everything when providing consulting services. Doing good work for clients at a fair price and making sure to communicate with them every step of the way, helped him to build an excellent reputation as a professional engineer. That reputation provided the building blocks for the success of the firm that he founded.

Mr. Pennoni has more than 60 years of experience in civil engineering, planning, and related disciplines with particular interest in municipal and land planning, design, and construction. He was employed by Albright and Friel Consulting Engineers, the City of Philadelphia, and C & J Construction Company prior to founding Pennoni Associates Inc. in 1966. He has taught strength of materials and structural design at Temple University, lectured at numerous colleges and universities, and authored 46 papers (seven refereed) on the subjects of engineering, planning, ethics, and professional development.

In addition to his role with Pennoni, he has served as President of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Mr. Pennoni also served as the 2009-2010 Interim President and CEO of Drexel University, the institution where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering. This was a repeat service for him, having served as Interim President from 1994-1995, as well as having previously served as a University Trustee and Chairman of the Board and has been granted the honor of President Emeritus. Mr. Pennoni received an honorary doctorate from Drexel University in 1992 and was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 2000.

Mr. Pennoni served on the Engineering Advisory Boards of Widener University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Drexel University. He was Vice Chair of the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Mr. Pennoni currently serves on the Boards of Parke Bank and Drexel University, and was past trustee of Lankenau Hospital. 

Thomas Davis Rust, PE, FAICP, is Vice Chairman and a member of the Executive Committee. He previously served as Chairman and Senior Principal of Patton Harris Rust & Associates, whose assets were acquired by Pennoni in 2011. Tom has a diversified engineering and planning background, as well as an extensive community and civic involvement knowledge base. He participates in the leadership, outreach, and client interaction for the firm and is actively involved in projects. Tom earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Virginia Tech, a master’s degree in engineering from George Washington University, and a master’s degree in environmental and urban planning from the University of Virginia.

Tom spent five years on the Town Council of Herndon, Virginia, before serving as the Mayor for 20 years. He has served in the Virginia General Assembly in the House of Delegates since being elected in 2001 and retired in 2016. The Washington Post has called him, “one of the more effective lawmakers in the General Assembly.” Tom has also worked in the Virginia higher education system by serving in leadership positions and on the Longwood University and Virginia Tech Boards of Visitors.

Tom has also been recognized by many groups for his work, having received the “Tower of Dulles” and “Dust, Blood and Sweat” awards for his work promoting transportation. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Service for the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce and was named the 2011 Legislator of the Year from the American Planning Association. In 2015, he received the OPAL award from the America Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Albert Gallatin Infrastructure Leadership Award from George Mason University. Additionally, he was recognized as Virginia Tech’s Distinguished Alumnus at the 2015 graduation ceremonies.  

Richard L. Piccoli, PLS, President Emeritus, serves as a Senior Consultant for contracts involving public works and infrastructure markets. He has extensive engineering management and survey experience in local government services including bridge and roadway systems, and water and wastewater facilities.

Rick joined the firm in 1971 as an Associate. Rick was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from 1983-1994 and President from 1994-1998. At the end of 1998, Rick retired as President after 27 years of loyal and dedicated service to the company. He remained with the firm’s Board of Directors and serves as a Senior Consultant.

Rick has served on the Pennoni Board of Directors since 1971.

Nicholas DeBenedictis is the former Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Aqua America (now Essential Utilities) from June 1993 to July 2015. The company grew from a market capitalization of $100 million in 1992 to $6 billion today and experienced twenty years of record earnings.

Prior to joining Aqua America, Nick spent three years (1989-1992) as senior vice president of corporate and public affairs for PECO Energy, a $4 billion publicly traded nuclear utility. He was responsible for government relations, economic development and environmental policies, plus implementation of the utility’s public policy positions. He now serves on the Board of Exelon, of which PECO is a subsidiary.

From 1986 to 1989, Nick was president of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. He successfully designed and implemented various economic and business development programs to service the Chamber’s growing membership, which dramatically increased to more than 5,500 businesses, putting it among the five largest in the nation.

Nick served in two cabinet positions in Pennsylvania government: Secretary of the Department of Environmental Resources (1983-1986) and Director of the Office of Economic Development (1981- 1983). Before joining the cabinet, he spent eight years (1973-1981) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, first as the Assistant Regional Administrator for Region 3, based in Philadelphia, before being transferred to serve in Washington, D.C. from 1980-1981.

Nick received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Drexel University in 1968, and a Master’s degree in environmental engineering and science from Drexel in 1969. He served in the Army Corps of Engineers between 1970 and 1973 reaching the rank of Captain. Nick has received an Honorary Doctorate of Science degree from Widener University, an Honorary Doctorate of Letters degree from Drexel University, and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Misericordia University.

Nick is currently Chairman of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (PCVB) Board  of Directors and is the past president of the Pennsylvania Society. Nick is a member of the Executive Committee of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. He also currently or has served on the Board of Directors for many regional businesses, economic and environmental organizations. These include: Drexel University, Exelon Corporation, PNC Bank – Southeast Pennsylvania Advisory, P.H. Glatfelter Company, Independence Blue Cross, and Mistras Group, in addition to Aqua. He is a past president of the National Association of Water Companies. Nick has received numerous awards for public service and civic leadership.

Nick has served as a member or advisor of the Pennoni Board of Directors since 1997.

David A. DeLizza, PE, serves as President and CEO. Dave joined Pennoni in 1979, is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, and has extensive experience in civil engineering, client services, and project management. Dave most recently served as COO. Dave graduated with a degree in civil engineering from Drexel University and is a licensed professional engineer in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware.

A member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), Dave also sits on Rowan University’s Civil Engineering Advisory Council, the Advisory Council of the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, and the Stockton College Foundation Board of Directors.

E. Michael McCarthy, PE, serves as Vice President. He joined Pennoni in 2016 when the firm acquired the assets of McCarthy & Associates, Inc., the firm he founded in 1985. Mike is responsible for the continued growth and success of the Clearwater, Delray Beach, and Tallahassee offices through the management of client relationships and business development efforts.

His engineering expertise includes more than 40 years of structural analysis, design and construction of both new and renovation projects throughout the country and internationally. Mike is a recognized expert in the design of buildings located in high wind hurricane zones and flood hazard areas.

He is a Professional Engineer in Florida and Ohio. Mike earned a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University in 1978. He is a Special Inspector of Threshold Buildings with the State of Florida, and is a licensed instrument rated pilot.

Mike has served multiple terms on the Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board and currently serves as the chairman of its Board of Adjustments and Appeals. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) “Flood Resistant Design and Construction” committee.

Judith Nitsch, PE is the founding principal of Nitsch Engineering. Her work over the past 40+ years in the civil engineering field has focused on the design and management of site development and infrastructure-related projects. A graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Judy has been a Registered Professional Engineer in 27 states and the District of Columbia. She received an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 2010 and an Honorary Doctor of Engineering from WPI in 2015.

Judy was the 2014 President of CREW Network (Commercial Real Estate Women). She has also served as President of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts and President of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section/ASCE.

In 1989, Judy was elected the first alumna member to WPI’s Board of Trustees; she served as Chair of the Facilities and Campus Infrastructure Committee for 16 years. She has been a Trustee of the Boston Architectural College since 2016 and is the 2021-22 Board Chair. Judy served on the board of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and co-chaired its Real Estate Development Committee for over 10 years. She is a Trustee of Eastern Bank, and a Fellow of ACEC, ASCE, SWE, and SMPS. Judy has served on the Pennoni Board of Directors since 2012.

Carolann Wicks, PE served as the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) Chief Engineer and then as DelDOT Secretary of Transportation. She was responsible for the capital program, managing statewide transit services, motor vehicle services, revenue collections, and the maintenance and operation of 90% of the state’s transportation system. She successfully implemented multi-modal capital investments, statewide, through the six-year Capital Transportation Program.

After she left DelDOT, Carolann served as a partner at the engineering firm RK&K where she was involved in setting strategic direction, managing the financial resources of the firm, supporting client relationships, business development and overall support for the firm’s transportation department.

Currently, Carolann is the sole proprietor at CDW Consulting providing transportation professional services. She is a Senior Policy Fellow at the Institute for Public Administration at the University of Delaware. In this role she investigates research opportunities involving transportation, leadership training, and public policy issues.

Carolann is a member of the Delaware Association of Professional Engineers, Association of State Highway Engineers, and the International Women’s Forum. She also chaired the Northeast Corridor Commission which was established by Congress to develop rail initiatives. Carolann served as President of NASTO, Chairperson for AASHTO’s Subcommittee on Geometric Design, and served on AASHTO’s Board of Directors. She had the honor of serving as an executive member of the Diamond State Port Board and the University of Delaware’s Civil Engineering External Advisory Committee.

Carolann earned her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and her Master of Public Administration from the University of Delaware. She has been inducted into the Association of State Highway Engineers Hall of Fame, was named Engineer of the Year by the Delaware Association of Professional Engineers, received the Governor’s Order of the First State in recognition of meritorious service and has over 35 years of experience as a professional, licensed engineer.

Darwin Walker serves on Pennoni’s Board of Directors. Darwin, a nine-year NFL Veteran widely regarded as one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL during his career, is best known in the Philadelphia area for the integral role he played on the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles from 2000-2007. Darwin also played for the Chicago Bears and the Carolina Panthers in 2008 and 2009. The slogan on his website, “Engineered to Sack,” speaks to his second passion, civil engineering. He grew up in the construction industry; his parents own Walker Construction Company in Walterboro, SC, and are both retired licensed contractors.

Darwin earned his civil engineering degree at the University of Tennessee and co-founded Progressive Engineering Group in Knoxville, TN. After developing the firm into a thriving full-service structural engineering and consulting firm, Darwin merged his firm with Pennoni. He has an extensive background in real estate and currently owns numerous commercial and residential properties along the East Coast.

In his role on Pennoni’s Board of Directors, Darwin is responsible for creating business opportunities utilizing his vast relationship network.

He is active in many charitable and community-based organizations through the work of his foundation. The Darwin Walker Foundation (DWF), established in 2002, focuses on assisting youth in pursuing their academic goals. DWF awards five college scholarships annually to high school students. DWF has also assisted in the purchase of new football uniforms, funded new surfacing of school tracks, provided hundreds of books for elementary students, and provided assistance with mentoring programs. Darwin also donates his time as a motivational speaker for students, stressing the importance of academics.

In 2007, Darwin was honored as the keynote speaker at the University of Tennessee College of Engineering Graduation.

Mark T. Celoni, PE, serves as Regional Vice President for our Greater Philadelphia region. He joined Pennoni in 1988 and has managed some of the region’s largest multidisciplinary projects for the firm. His expertise is in feasibility studies, master planning, and expert testimony at zoning hearings. He has additional expertise in subdivision and land development, environmental permitting, demolition, storm water management, utility design, and technical reports and specifications. He earned his bachelor’s degree in commerce engineering sciences and his master’s degree in engineering management from Drexel University, and is a licensed professional engineer in Pennsylvania.

Mark serves as a board member for the University City District and Central Philadelphia Development Corporation. He also serves on the Advisory Council for ACE Mentor Program, Eastern Pennsylvania and Charter High School for Architecture and Design. He is also a member and active in many technical and community organizations including UNICO, the Engineers’ Club of Philadelphia and the Urban Land Institute.

Alan Lloyd, CIH, CSP, ENV SP, serves as the Regional Vice President for the Northern New Jersey, New York, and New England Region. Alan has been with the firm since 2001 and has more than 20 years of experience in industrial hygiene and environmental remediation, having worked on projects throughout the United States. He has been responsible for conducting asbestos building surveys, abatement oversight and air monitoring, indoor air quality investigations (including mold assessments), pandemic response planning (including SARS-CoV-2), air permitting, noise assessments, health and safety oversight, and phase I, II and III environmental site assessments. In addition to performing as a reliable and competent expert witness, responsibilities have also included on-site project management, proposal development, maintaining client relationships, and technical specifications.

Alan has been a Certified Industrial Hygienist since 2005 and earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from the University of Delaware and a master’s degree from Western Washington University. Alan is also a Certified Safety Professional and an Envision Sustainability Professional.

He is the past President of the Delaware Section of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and active member of the American Society of Safety Professionals.

Gregory Rogalski, PE, LEED AP serves as Regional Vice President for Pennsylvania North and West. He has more than 25 years of experience working on all aspects of land development, water/wastewater, and municipal engineering. His project experience includes the preparation of a variety of land development plans and infrastructure construction documents, sanitary sewer treatment and conveyance system design, municipal appointments, public meeting attendance and project management tasks.

Greg’s additional areas of expertise include wastewater conveyance and permitting, roadway and storm sewer design, stormwater management, permitting, and erosion and sediment control. He serves as an appointed Borough/Township/Authority Engineer and Zoning and Codes Enforcement Officer for six local municipalities. He has been directly involved with providing construction support services, including construction administration and construction management on projects he has designed.

Ronald C. Moore, Jr. serves as Regional Vice President for the Delaware, Maryland, and Washington D.C. region and is the Office Director for the Baltimore and Columbia, MD offices.

Ron has extensive experience in project management, traffic engineering, transportation engineering, municipal engineering, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), land development, and construction. He is very familiar with Department of Transportation (DOT) specifications and has provided training to DOT personnel on various traffic and ITS topics. Ron has also provided public testimony on numerous land development and transportation projects and has served as a traffic expert throughout the Northeastern United States.

Ron is a civil engineering graduate of the University of Delaware. Ron is a member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE).

Ron is also an elected official and Vice President of the Clearview Regional Board of Education, a member of the Boy Scouts of America, Garden State Council Advisory Council. He serves as Chairman of the University of Delaware Civil and Environmental Engineering Department’s External Advisory Council.

Bruce J. Frederick, LS, serves as Vice President and Office Director for our Hampton Roads, VA and Richmond, VA offices. His experience includes managing project teams in the design of water, sewer, and storm drainage systems and more than 27 years of experience in the management of survey projects from start to completion. Bruce is responsible for client services and business development efforts for the Hampton Roads area, as well as the management, growth, and success of the office.

Bruce has supervised numerous boundary and topographic surveys in the Tidewater area as a survey department director. He also has supervised many topographic and construction layout projects, survey calculations, and CADD production. Bruce works with existing and potential clients on a daily basis, as well as all field and office personnel.

A graduate of Bridgewater College, Bruce is a member of the Virginia Association of Land Surveyors, the Society of American Military Engineers, and the National Society of Professional Surveyors.

Andrew J. Pennoni, PE, serves as Regional Vice President and Principal-in-Charge of construction services. He joined Pennoni in 1994 and has over 30 years of engineering-related experience that includes civil engineering, construction management, construction inspection, materials inspection, materials testing, and design. Andrew is responsible for the leadership, growth, and quality of the construction services group.

Andrew is a licensed professional engineer in several states and has obtained industry certifications and training from the American Welding Society, the American Society for Nondestructive Testing, the National Association of Corrosion Engineers, the Prestressed Concrete Institute, the American Concrete Institute, and the International Code Council. He obtained dual degrees in civil engineering and architectural engineering from Drexel University, along with an MBA from St. Joseph’s University.

In addition to his role at Pennoni, Andrew is the Chair of ACEC’s Geoprofessional Coalition; serves Drexel University on its College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council and President’s Leadership Council; and is a board member of the March of Dimes annual TB&C Awards Luncheon. He is also a past board member of the Central Delaware County Authority and Nether Swarthmore Baseball, as well as serving on the Nether Providence Township Parks and Recreation Commission; Drexel University’s Athletic Director’s Advisory Council; and past Chair of ACEC/PA’s Legislative Affairs Committee. Andrew has also participated on multiple quality committees with various departments of transportation and FHWA for more than 25 years, including the Mid-Atlantic QAW, SCEF, PCEF, and NSBA.

John Zarsky, PE, serves as Regional Vice President and Principal-in-Charge of transportation engineering. He joined Pennoni in 2003, and his specific technical experience includes the preparation of highway and drainage designs, right-of-way property plans, specifications, estimates, maintenance of traffic plans, site development designs, and erosion and sedimentation control plans. John is responsible for the overall supervision and coordination of the bridge, highway, and traffic engineering and bridge inspection services for the firm.

John is a licensed professional engineer in Pennsylvania and earned dual degrees in civil engineering and engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE), the Institute of Transportation Engineers, and the Society of American Military Engineers.

Brian Diehl, PE, serves as Regional Vice President for Pennoni’s seven Florida offices. Brian joined the firm in 2013 and has more than 20 years of experience in site design, land development, stormwater management, and infrastructure projects. He has worked as Project Manager and Senior Design Engineer on many large government, commercial, athletic, residential, public transportation, land development, and industrial facility projects. In his role as RVP, Brian’s focus is client service and leading Pennoni’s growth in the Southeast region.