Freese & Nichols, Inc.

Bob Herchert served as President and CEO of Freese and Nichols from 1990 to 2001, and as Chairman of the Board from 2002 to 2016. He led the creation of many of the company’s management institutions, including the continuous improvement program; human resources group; annual employee survey; and Freese and Nichols University, which provides professional training for employees and clients.

A graduate of the University of Kansas with a master’s degree in public administration, Bob was a municipal manager for 16 years, including seven years as Fort Worth City Manager. He has held leadership roles in many professional and civic organizations, including the Texas Association of Business and Chamber of Commerce, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, International City Management Association and Women's Center of Tarrant County.

Brian Coltharp became President and CEO in January 2017.  He established a reputation for outstanding client service throughout his distinguished engineering career, in which he oversaw several billion dollars in design and construction projects. During his time as Chief Operating Officer and Water Practice Leader, he coordinated Freese and Nichols’ comprehensive approach to delivering across-the-board services to clients. He maintains that commitment in his new leadership role, focusing on continuing Freese and Nichols’ legacy of responsiveness and top-quality work.

Brian has been with Freese and Nichols for his entire career, joining the firm in 1992 shortly after receiving a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Cindy Milrany joined Freese and Nichols in 1984 and was named the company’s first Chief Financial Officer in 1994. She oversees the company’s financial activities and customer-focused systems and manages all corporate functions except human resources. Cindy also leads strategic planning and continuous improvement, which have transformed the way Freese and Nichols does business. This ongoing journey has led to increased satisfaction among clients and employees and helped Freese and Nichols become the only engineering firm to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Cindy now helps cities and school districts pursue performance excellence in their own organizations.

Cindy’s extensive community involvement includes serving as Chairwoman of the Board of the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas Christian University.

Larry Eckersley is Freese and Nichols’ Chief Operating Officer serving clients in Texas and Louisiana. During his years as Division Manager and Group Manager, he oversaw expansions of Freese and Nichols’ Construction Services, Program Management and Transportation disciplines. His strategy of aggressively pursuing third-party construction management projects enabled that group to expand beyond in-house work; the ensuing growth propelled Freese and Nichols into national rankings in both Construction Services and Program Management. As Construction Services Group Manager, Larry drove the formation of FNB Project Partners, a Freese and Nichols LLC dedicated to delivering projects through Alternative Project Delivery (APD) methods, including Construction Manager at Risk, Design-Build and Public-Private Partnerships. He has conducted numerous APD workshops, informing owners about these new delivery methods and helping them successfully apply these methods to their projects.

Before joining Freese and Nichols in 1990, Larry worked for the City of Dallas Water Utilities department for 10 years in their Construction Management group, receiving their Excellence in Service Award in 1990. Larry currently serves on the University of North Texas College of Engineering Advisory Board, and he holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Mike Nichols is Chief Operating Officer serving clients and offices outside of Texas and Louisiana, including Freese and Nichols’ operations in Georgia, North Carolina and Oklahoma. As Chief Marketing Officer from 2002 to 2016, he oversaw implementation of client-centered marketing, a comprehensive approach to exploring clients’ needs and developing solutions over the course of a long-term relationship based on quality service. Mike played an integral role in Freese and Nichols’ geographic expansion, which opened 12 new offices and enabled the firm to provide local service to clients across the Southwest and Southeast United States. He also led our growth and operations in Central Texas in recent years.

Earlier in his career, Mike served in several technical management roles, leading high-profile projects such as improvements at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and the development of Circle T Ranch. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and a master’s degree from Texas A&M University, both in civil engineering.

Bob Pence became Freese and Nichols Chairman after serving as President and CEO for 15 years. He led the company through the difficult financial period that followed 9/11 and into a highly productive expansion that continues today. Under his leadership, Freese and Nichols added 12 offices, more than doubled its workforce and added service lines in urban planning, oil and gas, and coastal engineering. During this time, Freese and Nichols became the first engineering/architecture firm to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and also received national honors for ethics and for employee satisfaction.

Throughout his tenure, Bob has championed corporate support for professional education, membership in professional organizations, and volunteer service. He is a familiar presence in the community, having served in leadership roles for the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Communities in Schools in Greater Tarrant County and numerous other organizations.

An accomplished environmental engineer, Bob began his career at Freese and Nichols in 1978. He is an Army veteran and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M University.

Alan Greer oversees business development efforts for the infrastructure practices. He has been instrumental in developing emerging market areas during his time at Freese and Nichols. In 1995, Alan led the initiative to establish Freese and Nichols’ presence in Dallas; during his 17 years of leadership there, our office grew from one employee to 70. He also helped establish the Houston office and served as Southeast Regional Manager during the mid-2000s. Most recently, Alan has focused on growing business in West Texas and with the Texas Department of Transportation. He also serves as Freese and Nichols’ Program Director for the Texas high-speed rail project between Dallas and Houston.

Alan is active in professional organizations and has held leadership roles in local chapters of the American Council of Engineering Companies, American Society of Civil Engineers and Texas Society of Professional Engineers. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Texas Tech University and was inducted into the Texas Tech Civil and Environmental Engineering Academy in 2006.

Thomas Haster oversees business development efforts for water practices. Since joining Freese and Nichols in 1991, he has earned a reputation for providing outstanding service to water clients. Thomas played a critical role in the development of the Water and Wastewater Master Planning Group, for which he was Group Manager from 2004 to 2013. He led more than 60 water/wastewater master plans, condition assessment/asset management programs and impact fee studies. He also assists utilities by conducting workshops on impact fee program development and alternative cost recovery planning.

Thomas is a member of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) National Water Quality Committee and is a co-author of the AWWA M-32 Manual on Water System Planning. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Texas A&M University.