North Wind

Brad Trost, CPM, CM, has over 33 years of experience in management, project planning, budget control, data collection and analyses, and regulatory compliance. As Chief Treasury Office, Mr. Trost provides ongoing support to North Wind Group by establishing financial policies, procedures, controls, and reporting systems to maximize the return of financial assets. He ensures all legal and regulatory compliance for all accounting and financial reporting functions and manages and oversees general accounting, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, and the financial risk of the company.

Brad graduated from Auburn University where he received his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Civil Engineering. He has over 25 years of design experience covering new construction, renovation and additions to existing structures for institutional, athletic, commercial, municipal and industrial uses. He is registered as a professional engineer in 10 states. Brad is an active member of the Auburn University Engineering Alumni Council, the American Concrete Institute, the International Code Council, Inc. and the Structural Engineers Association of Alabama. He has also served on the Board of Directors for the Structural Engineers Association of Alabama, Auburn University Civil Engineering Advisory Board, and annually assists with the senior civil engineering design class at Auburn University. Brad has authored three articles for Structure Magazine on economical concrete construction.

Brady Bigelow, North Wind Group Chief Business Development Officer, is responsible for all North Wind business development activities throughout the U.S. and beyond, and for identifying significant new opportunities for growth and expansion of the company.

Mr. Bigelow has more than 30 years of domestic and international environmental, construction, and alternative energy experience, including work in the former Soviet Union. He is experienced working with federal agencies and spent more than 17 years managing environmental and construction programs in the western U.S. and Pacific. Mr. Bigelow holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Botany from Ohio University and has completed Denver University’s Executive Leadership Development Program.

Brent Brooks is the President of North Wind Construction Services (NWCS) and North Wind General Contractors (NWG).  Brent brings more than 25 years of experience as a results-oriented leader with proven successes in managing multi-million dollar construction, heavy infrastructure, superfund and environmental projects for government and private-sector clients. He is a technically sophisticated and business savvy management professional with strong leadership qualifications coupled with “hands-on” construction experience.   He previously served as Central Regional Manager for North Wind Group. Brent earned his M.S., Construction Management/Civil Engineering, from Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona; and his B.A., Business Administration/Finance, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, California.

Carsen “Jade” Dye is the CFO of Accounting and Finance for North Wind Group. He has more than 25 years of experience in project management, business management, and technical consulting. His knowledge, training and experience in both the technical and business sides of this industry provide a strong foundation for success. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with additional training in cost and price analysis, business processes, and management accounting. This is coupled with his technical education and experience in geological engineering/hydrogeology (BS), Master’s level Civil Engineering courses, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Mr. Dye has field experience with numerous technical projects and solid working relationships with various clients/customers. He has been with North Wind for over 13 years and has been a solid contributor to its development and growth.

Christopher (Chris) Leichtweis is President/CEO of North Wind Group. Since joining in 2013, Leichtweis and his team, has grown North Wind Group to a thriving company of more than 1,250 employees with revenues exceeding $283M in 2018.

In 1991, Chris founded Safety and Ecology Holding Corporation (SEC), serving as President for more than 20 years. He grew the domestic and international operations to more than 530 employees in eight offices with revenues exceeding $98M. From 2008 to 2011, he served as President and Director of SEC’s parent (public) company Homeland Security Capital Corporation, growing the parent’s portfolio of three companies by 43% and expanding operations into many new commercial and federal markets.

Prior to founding SEC, Chris served in various engineering and management positions at Bechtel National and Bechtel Environmental, Inc., a global Engineering and Construction Company, starting in 1985 and was a key contributor to the environmental clean-up of major federal nuclear legacy programs. He currently serves on many Boards including his undergraduate University’s Foundation Board (State University of New York-Brockport) and is a distinguished Graduate from the University of Tennessee. Chris earned a B.S. degree in Physics from SUNY Brockport in 1983 and received his MBA from the University of Tennessee in 2003. In addition, he is a Certified Industrial Hygienist by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene. Chris was nationally recognized with the Southeast United States 2005 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Dean P. Vanek, DJur has extensive experience and knowledge in regulatory compliance activities, U.S. and foreign government contracting, risk management, contract development and negotiation, strategic planning, is a member of the American Bar Association, and a past member of the Leadership Council of the National Small Business Association. He has experience in the public, private, and corporate sectors, as well as for the government.

Mr. Vanek received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the John Marshall Law School; Government Contracts Certificate from George Washington University Law School; and Bachelor of Arts (Cum Laude) in International Business, with a minor in Economics from Cardinal Stritch University.

Dr. Jace Fahnestock is the President of North Wind Resource Consulting, North Wind Environmental Consulting Services, and North Wind Archaeological Research & Historical Preservation. He provides vision and leadership by identifying new clients, business lines, and opportunities and ensuring that all work is carried out in a professional, technically complete manner. Before forming North Wind Resource Consulting, Jace was the Vice President for North Wind, Inc.’s Natural and Cultural Resource Division from 2002 to 2010.

Prior to joining North Wind, he worked as a research scientist at Colorado State University and the University of Wyoming. He has more than 15 years of experience in university-related research and education. Jace is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and has authored or co-authored 30+ scientific publications and has been the Principal or co-Principal Investigator on several National Science Foundation (NSF) and U.S. Department of Agriculture grant awards. He has been a reviewer for 12 scientific journals and for the NSF and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Jace has also served as an advisory panelist for the Long-Term Ecological Research Cross-Site Research Panel for the NSF’s Directorate for Biological Sciences.

Jack MacRae has over 30 years of business management experience, domestic and international, across multiple functions and industries. Mr. MacRae has supported start-ups, rapid growth, and recovery operations; stood-up programs and functional departments; led merger, acquisition, and recapitalization efforts; supported strategic planning; and managed international operations. His primary emphasis with North Wind has been the development and management of value-add processes and activities that directly contribute to the sustainability and growth of the company and the integration of its operations and support functions.

For more information about contracting with North Wind through our wide variety of contracting vehicles,

Jim Furr is the CIO (Chief Information Officer) for North Wind Group and President of North Wind Services, LLC. Previously he served as President of North Wind, Inc., the Vice President and Operations Manager for North Wind’s Southeast Region and Program Manager for North Wind contracts with the USACE Savannah District, DOE Savannah River and Oak Ridge sites, and for numerous industrial and commercial clients in the southeast. Jim is a Licensed Professional Geologist, and an accredited Project Management Professional (PMP) with 30 years of experience in project management, operations, geological and hydrogeological site investigations, and site remediation and closures. He currently manages large industrial site closures, remediation of firing ranges, abatement and demolition projects, and multi-media remedial investigations, feasibility studies, and corrective actions for industrial and Federal clients.

Prior to joining North Wind in 2007, Jim was a managing partner for 17 years with Kubal-Furr & Associates. He has served on the South Carolina Board of Registration of Professional Geologists, the Geological Sciences Advisory Committee for Clemson University College of Engineering and Science, and the Carolina Geological Society. Jim has a B.A. degree in Geology from Clemson University and a M.S. in Geology from Eastern Kentucky University.

Jeff Scott is President of North Wind Portage, Inc. where he manages an annual budget of over $115M in environmental projects across the U.S. and internationally. Prior to his current role, Jeff served as North Wind’s Eastern Regional Manager from 2013-2018. Under his leadership, revenues within the region grew from $15M annually (in 2013) to $110M in 2017. Jeff directed a team of over 450 personnel actively engaged on projects and regional operations. As Operations Manager for the Eastern Region, he was responsible for resource allocation and project performance for approximately 65 active projects annually in the areas of radiological and nuclear waste processing, disposal, decontamination and demolition; construction; operations and maintenance; infrastructure support services; and environmental characterization and remediation.

Jeff is an experienced Senior Manager with 22 years of leadership and management experience that spans the full range of construction, remediation and D&D services, including environmental geology and engineering, hydrogeology, and hazardous and radiological waste management, project management, decontamination and decommissioning, demolition, construction, and environmental remediation. He holds a BS degree in Agricultural Engineering (1995), an Executive MBA in Strategic Leadership from The University of Tennessee (2020), and has been a Certified Project Management Professional since 2011. Prior to joining North Wind in 2013, Jeff served as Director of Project Management for a small company performing remediation, construction, logistics and security services for the U.S. government, primarily in overseas locations. He managed approximately $25M in projects and operations annually. Before that, he served as Chief Technical Officer, Vice President, and Program Manager for an environmental remediation company, managing up to $90M in projects and programs annually.

John Bukowski has 25 years of experience in environmental management, facility operations, engineering, and construction. Since joining North Wind Group in 2000, John has served in executive positions including Chief Business Development Officer, Team Lead for Mergers and Acquisitions, and is currently President of subsidiary firms North Wind Solutions, LLC, Portsmouth Mission Alliance, LLC, North Wind Dynamics, LLC, and North Wind Technical Solutions, LLC.

During the most recent five years, John was responsible for achieving 60% CAGR with $335 million in consolidated gross revenue and net earnings in the top 10% of peer companies. Currently, John has corporate responsibility for $350M in prime contracts with the Department of Energy. He also has corporate responsibility for $90M in facilities maintenance and engineering/construction contracts with the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon and other east coast locations, the Navy Space and Warfare Command, and the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. Previously, John held the position of Senior Scientist for Parsons and Lockheed Martin, where he was involved in nuclear waste cleanup programs.

John is a registered Professional Geologist and accredited Project Management Professional. John has a B.S. in Environmental Science, M.S. in Hydrogeology, and an MBA from the University of Tennessee. He has also completed Dartmouth College’s Executive Education in Leadership and Business.

Kevin Brown, PE, SE, SECB, LEED AP is the President of LBYD Federal. He is a graduate of Auburn University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. With over 18 years of structural design experience, Kevin has the knowledge and understanding of all levels of project delivery. His design experience includes engineering building structures for numerous commercial and industrial facilities. Over the past several years, Kevin has concentrated much of his engineering on Federal projects and is fluent in the design of projects that incorporate progressive collapse and Anti-Terrorism Force Protection.

Kevin is a LEED Accredited Professional. He is a licensed professional engineer in 22 states and a licensed structural engineer in the states of Illinois and Arizona. He holds a certificate of verification of his engineering record from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying and has taken and passed both the NCEES Structures I and II Exams. He is also certified by the Structural Engineers Certification Board. Kevin is an active member of the American Concrete Institute, American Institute of Steel Construction, Structural Engineers Association of Alabama and the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). 

Kimberley Kearney is the President of North Wind Site Services and served as the Western Regional Manager for North Wind Group for three years. With more than 30 years of experience in the environmental, engineering and construction industries, Kimberley successfully develops, manages and executes work in the federal sector for North Wind.

Before assuming the role of President of North Wind Site Services, Kimberley served as President of North Wind Services. Prior to joining North Wind in 1997, she worked for large consulting firms in Anchorage, Alaska. Kimberley earned a degree in Petroleum Engineering from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in 1988. She is certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and a volunteer for the ASPCA. She has served on the Anchorage Post board of the Society of American Military Engineers.

In 2018, Tom Selmer was appointed as acting President of Weldin Construction, LLC, a North Wind Company. Tom has 23 years of experience in all facets of construction, including an extensive background in vertical construction with duties and responsibilities in project management, project layout and scheduling, crew supervision, and coordination of subcontractors and supplies. He’s managed multidisciplinary teams, provided staff training, oversight of quality assurance and control, and is well versed in building safety codes, standards and regulations.

Tom has been with Weldin since 2009, and has been leading the North Las Vegas office of construction activities for the last several years.

Andrew (Andy) Kallam has worked in the construction and construction estimating fields for the past 17 years. His career has progressed from equipment operator and laborer to positions of Field Engineer, Project Engineer, Quality Control, Superintendent, and Project Manager. He has worked on construction projects throughout the United States ranging in value from $500K to $350M.

Mr. Kallam joined North Wind Group in 2016 as a Senior Estimator and currently serves as the North Wind Group Director of Estimating. The North Wind Estimating Department supports all North Wind companies and averages $400M+ in annual awarded revenue. He earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering and Structural Design from the University of Nevada.

Stephen C. Martin (Steve) is General Manager of Silver Mountain Construction, LLC. For 39 years, Steve has served in project and program management roles in both the private and federal sectors of the construction industry, to include international and domestic projects ranging from $500K to $1.3B. During his 26-year tenure at companies such as Bechtel and Fluor, he worked in the United States, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Belgium, Australia and India.

Steve’s experience includes successfully managing and delivering projects to companies such as Procter & Gamble, DuPont, AT&T, Philips Semiconductor, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, LSI Logic Corp, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Schering Plough, Carolina Power and Light, Dayton Power and Light, Mississippi Power and Light, and Union Electric. In the government sector, Steve has been integral in winning awards at the Pentagon, and with multiple federal agencies such as USACE, NAVFAC, DOS, ASAID, DHS, VA, and GSA. Federal projects range in size from $1M – $250M and vary between short term firm fixed price, as well as long term IDIQ’s and MACC contracts.

Andy Henderson, SPHR, has more than 19 years of strategic human resources leadership built on a solid history of collaboration to develop and implement human resources (HR) solutions and to meet operational needs while maintaining operational agility. Mr. Henderson has significant experience in implementing, designing, and executing plans for the full range of HR systems, policies, and procedures that are critical to the business. He has demonstrated success in creating practical, non-invasive solutions in dynamic and rapid changing cultures including high growth, international expansion and mergers and acquisitions.

Anne Smith has over 16 years of professional experience in communications and public affairs. Ms. Smith is responsible for the internal and external communications and marketing strategies for North Wind Group. She directs the company’s client relations program, marketing initiatives, multiple publications, advertising, branding and serves as company spokesperson.

Ms. Smith has an Executive MBA and a BS in Communications both from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Ms. Smith brings significant communications experience from her prior work at large corporations, public relations agency experience and government public affairs initiatives.

Ray Peters, ESQ, CIH, CSP, PE, has over 33 years of experience which includes an environmental engineer, safety professional, and program manager. Mr. Peters leads North Wind’s corporate-wide Environmental, Safety, Health, and Quality (ESH&Q) management programs. He has technical experience in environmental, occupational, and industrial safety compliance; environmental and safety regulatory compliance for engineering design; and development of numerous project and program plans.

Mr. Peters’ expert understanding of industrial hygiene, fire protection, emergency, and laboratory safety programs is reflective in his career accomplishments as an ES&H manager and leader across most regulatory bodies, industrial hygiene (ABIH) laboratory safety, and General Industry OSHA committees.