Meet Our Team
Yi Zhang, P.E., S.E., MSCE
President, Principal Engineer, Mechanical
Yi has over 25 years of experience in engineering design and project and construction management. She currently works in diverse industries including food and meat processing, oil and gas, energy, power, refinery and petrochemical sectors, manufacturing, processing facilities and EPC services. She has experience in Mechanical, Civil and Structural Engineering and Construction Management including Greenfield and Brownfield food processing facilities, thermal oxidization, combustion system and waste heat boilers; petroleum tank terminals and tank farms; pressure vessels and crude pipelines, energy and ISO auditing. Yi has further experience in boiler/steam generation/heat exchanger systems; blower/compressed air/vacuum systems and HVAC systems, power, process, hydraulic, utility and wastewater piping systems and facility due-diligence surveys. She is a Professional Engineer (P.E.) in 40+ states. and an S.E. in Oklahoma. Yi is also a RETA Certificated Industrial Ammonia Refrigeration Operator I.
Dainer Smith, PMP
Lead Project Engineer
Dainer is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. Within the oil and gas industry, Dainer has led and managed technical projects at all levels, from upstream to midstream to downstream. He is a licensed Project Management Professional with skills in construction, project control and documentation, piping and instrumentation drawing, mechanical engineering, and refinery operations.
Jeff Cartwright, P.E.
Lead Electrical Engineer
Jeff Cartwright is a licensed Professional Electrical Engineer with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Arkansas Tech University. With years of experience delivering excellence on complex commercial and industrial projects, he refined his skills while working for a Fortune 500 company, where he worked on assignments in the commercial and food processing industries.
Eric Kunkel, CPA
CFO & Director of Business
Eric has many years of experience working in the public accounting industry including as a business founder, owner and managing partner. He has worked extensively with entrepreneurs with middle-market and smaller companies in the manufacturing and distribution, upstream and midstream oil and gas, real estate development and construction, and professional services sectors, including work with multi-national companies resulting in recognition from the U.S. Commercial Service, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the Oklahoma Governor. He is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified in Financial Forensics, Accredited in Business Valuation, and a Certified Valuation Analyst. He is a graduate of the University of Tulsa, with a Bachelor of Science degree and, a Master’s degree in Business Administration.
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Mukarram Mir
Principal Structural Engineer
Mukarram holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Muffakham Jah College of Engineering & Technology and a Master of Engineering from Osmania University. He is an experienced design engineer and structural engineer, with a proven track record in analysis and design of residential and commercial buildings and analysis and design of structures in cement and power in the residential and commercial sector. He has worked with Indian, American, and British codes of practice. Mukarram has hands-on experience with structures ranging from coal mill buildings, conveyor galleries, trstles, transfer towers, equipment foundations, steel sheds, showrooms and workshops, and substations with special foundations such as raft, raft on pile foundations, and raft on soil treated with ground improvement techniques such as stone columns.
Steve Chromy PE, SE, P.Eng
Senior Structural Engineer
Steve has a BS in Civil Engineering, and a Certificate in Construction Administration. He will be the senior structural engineering checker for the CSA team and is part of PEPM’s continuous quality control effort. Steve is a licensed structural engineer and a licensed professional engineer in both the US and Canada. Steve has many years of engineering experience in process facilities, industrial, commercial, and municipal buildings, as well as wastewater treatment structures.
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Kolby Kirk, EI
Senior Structural Engineer
Kolby holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of South Alabama and brings over six years of expertise in structural and civil engineering across industrial and commercial buildings, as well as steel and concrete structures.
Derek Gates, P.E.
Lead Electrical Engineer
Derek is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He specializes in electrical and mechanical design, with a primary focus on commercial, municipal and industrial electrical systems. He has performed many designs related to emergency power generation (generators up to 1.5 MW), street and highway lighting, power distribution and lighting for commercial clients, and phone/data and UPS systems.
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Barry Jones
Senior Process Engineer / Senior Project Engineer
Barry brings over 30 years of experience in F&B process engineering and design especially in poultry and RTE, and project engineering, capital project management, and industrial operations across the food and manufacturing sectors. Throughout his career, he has led process design for complex projects, provided and managed start up services, managed cross-functional teams, and driven successful plant and process improvements. Barry has managed contractors, developed project scopes, and coordinated production schedules alongside major capital installations, giving him a well-rounded perspective on delivering efficient, high-impact process design and engineering solutions. Barry holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Arkansas and brings strong expertise in F&B process design, capital project execution, and industrial systems.
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Brian Banuelos, PE
Senior Electrical Engineer
Brian is a licensed Professional Engineer in electrical engineering with over 6 years of engineering and design experience. He brings a strong background in delivering high-quality design solutions for Fortune 500 company projects, along with deep expertise in tools like Revit and AutoCAD. He has executed electrical design for remodel and new construction projects, including power distribution systems, lighting layouts, and equipment coordination. Brian graduated from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. His experience leading electrical design, coordinating multidisciplinary teams, and ensuring code-compliant, efficient systems makes him a valuable addition to our organization.
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Kaushik Raut
Senior Structural Designer
Kaushik joins us with nearly a decade of experience in structural design across offshore & onshore projects, oil & gas, and industrial infrastructure. He has contributed to major refinery projects, bringing deep expertise in structural modeling, foundation design, detail and fabrication drawings, and 3D design tools such as AutoCAD, CADWorx, Tekla, E3D, and SP3D. With a strong background in project and team management, along with hands-on experience in complex structural engineering design, Kaushik adds valuable strength to our growing team. We’re excited to have him on board and look forward to the impact he will make!
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Abhishek Dhandore
Senior Piping - Mechanical Engineer
Abhishek brings 18 years of experience in piping and mechanical engineering, with strong expertise in stress analysis, piping design, and supporting complex oil & gas, energy, and process industry projects. Throughout his career, he has contributed to major global engineering projects and led piping stress activities across multidisciplinary teams. His technical background, including advanced use of CAESAR II and extensive project experience, makes him a great addition to our growing piping stress engineering team and expanded piping stress and design expertise.
Ashton Murphy
Senior Project Engineer
Ashton brings 10 years of experience as a project manager for a Fortune 50 F&B company. He has worked on major capital and engineering projects and has managed large-scale, complex initiatives. Throughout his career, Ashton has led major deployments, developed automation solutions, and helped teams improve operational performance. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Mississippi State University and has received several industry awards recognizing his work in efficiency and innovation.
Taylor Mikles
Senior Mechanical Engineer
Taylor is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He has extensive experience in industrial ammonia refrigeration engineering, supporting large-scale capital projects for food processing facilities from concept through commissioning. Taylor has managed refrigeration projects ranging from small facility upgrades to multi-million-dollar capital investments, providing design engineering, project management, equipment selection, construction oversight, and technical support. His expertise includes industrial refrigeration systems, process safety management (PSM), P&ID development, mechanical system design, project estimating, construction documentation, and multidisciplinary project coordination. Taylor is an Engineer in Training (EIT) and is an active member of IIAR and ASHRAE, with experience developing engineering standards and supporting complex industrial utility systems.
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Curtis Clowers
Designer
Curtis is a graduate of the University of Arkansas and holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. With more than 25 years of engineering and design experience across manufacturing, industrial facilities, and food processing, Curtis has managed projects from concept through production and implementation. His expertise includes Building Information Modeling (BIM), 3D modeling, mechanical design, CAD drafting, finite element analysis, project coordination, and process facility layout. Curtis is highly proficient in Autodesk Revit, AutoCAD, Navisworks, SolidWorks, Siemens NX, and CATIA, with extensive experience supporting multidisciplinary engineering teams, validating designs, documenting projects, and delivering complex engineering solutions.
Suresh Maddineni
Senior Structural Engineer
More than 9 years of experience in Steel and RCC structures in the US, Middle East, UK, India, and Malaysia projects. Suresh’s expertise includes engineering design in oil & gas, power plants, petrochemical, process facility designs, irrigation, water treatment, wastewater treatment, steel building, and bridges.
Education:
Master of Engineering, Structural and Civil Engineering, VIT University
Bachelor of Technology, Civil Engineering, SK University
Industry Experience:
9 years
Rama Reddy
Project Mechanical Lead, Design
Rama holds a B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering from J.N.T University. He is experienced in managing team operations, developing and directing project plans, working with foreign experts, design quality, technical accuracy of drawings, calculating pipe wall thickness, piping system head loss, pipe span, project management, piping and layout methodologies, 3D model reviews, and design changes. Rama's skills include piping design, leading design projects, CADWorx, Aveva PDMS, Autodesk Plant 3D, ASME, ASTM, API, NORSOK, SHELL, and general piping standards.
Kelley Flanagan
Project Engineer
Kelley is a graduate of the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture and will hold a B.S. in Interior Architecture and Design. She has 10 years of experience in the construction industry ranging from being a safety specialist, project engineer, drafter, and designer. She is skilled in AutoCAD, Revit, 3D modeling, Building Information Modeling (BIM) coordination, digital printing, piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), and Adobe CC software. Kelley is originally from San Diego, CA but has called Northwest Arkansas her home for the last 5 years.
Narasimha Akkammagari
Lead Project Structural Designer
Extensive experience as a Lead Structural Designer. Expertise includes structural modeling, general arrangement, detailing, BOM calculations, and reviewing 3D models for structures. Proficient in leading structural design projects and skilled in using CADWorx, SP3D, Tekla Structures, Inventor, AutoCAD, and Revit.
Education:
Diploma in Civil Engineering
Industry Experience:
13 years
Arshad Shaik
Structural Engineer
Arshad holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering and an M.S. in Structural Engineering. With over 6 years of professional experience in designing residential and commercial buildings, Arshad specializes in the analysis and design of reinforced concrete structures, industrial steel buildings, foundations, and low-rise wood residential structures. He has hands-on experience with various structures, including steel warehouses, power transmission line foundations, steel canopies, container buildings, and water-retaining concrete structures.
Sandeep Mohite
Senior Designer
Sandeep studied Mechanical Engineering at Rajasthan University, and is proficient in design review, Navisworks, CADWorx, and AutoCAD. His experience includes plot plan layout, equipment layout, section drawing, piping layout, equipment design and preparation of equipment GADs and fabrication drawings, nozzle orientation, piping support, isometric drawing, piping study for detail and proposal engineering projects with 2D and 3D modeling design output, piping skids, columns, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, platforms and ladders, and technical resolution and as-built preparation for final submission of isometrics and layouts.
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Soma Sukumar
Senior Piping Designer
Soma brings 10 years of experience across the chemical, oil & gas, chemical injection skid, and pulp industries. He offers deep expertise in 3D modeling and design, including CADWorx, Plant3D, and AutoCAD. We’re excited to have Soma on board and look forward to the valuable insight he’ll bring to our customers.
Afton Wolivar
Electrical Engineer
Afton has years of hands on experience in control and electrical engineering. Afton has worked as a control engineer and electrical engineer in industrial, manufacturing, and environmental remediation systems. As a highly driven young engineer with strong passion in electrical engineering, we are rooting for Afton to make meaningful impact to our client's success while growing his career with PEPM!
Jayesh Panchal
Senior Mechanical Designer
Jayesh brings with him 24 years of experience in piping and mechanical design across the oil & gas, petrochemical, power, and chemical industries. He also has a deep understanding and expertise in 3D modeling, including CADWorx, Smart Plant 3D, and AutoCAD 3D, piping layout, isometric, detail drawing, BIMs, and design coordination. His background also includes work on incinerator systems, vapor recovery units, flare gas recovery, and fuel control racks. Before joining PEPM, Jayesh worked as the lead designer for multiple large energy and EPC companies. We’re thrilled to have Jayesh on board and look forward to the experience he contributes to our customers.
Aditya Vidiyala
Lead Project Mechanical Designer
Aditya brings 16 years of experience in 3D modeling in plant layout, piping design, and detail engineering. He has worked on complex projects across Oil & Gas, Chemical, and Water Treatment, and has led teams while managing coordination across disciplines.
David Rash
Senior Designer
With over 25 years of experience in design, fabrication, and engineering systems, David brings expertise in civil, structural, architectural, and industrial design. Prior to joining PEPM, David worked at Tyson Foods drafting/design team as the lead and mentor, as well as the lead designer for general contractors. David has a deep understanding of the food industry and is an expert on construction and fabrication drawings and details. We’re thrilled to have David on board and look forward to the experiences and leadership he’ll bring to our projects and clients!
Stefano de Rosmini
Mechanical Engineer, EI
Stefano graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He has valuable experience in the design of food processing facilities and commercial buildings, with a focus on mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), and structural engineering.
Bryan Hackett, P.E.
Senior Mechanical Engineer
Bryan is a graduate of San Francisco State University and holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He is a licensed Professional Engineer with more than 25 years of experience leading industrial energy audits, mechanical engineering projects, and facility optimization initiatives across the food processing, chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, utility, commercial, and data center industries. Bryan has extensive expertise in energy efficiency, HVAC systems, thermal utilities, process heating and cooling, industrial refrigeration, compressed air systems, cogeneration, and mechanical system design. His background includes project management, engineering assessments, design review, technical training, and development of energy conservation strategies for complex industrial facilities.
Ash Mahadev
Structural Design Engineer
Ash holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and brings valuable experience in structural and civil engineering design for industrial and commercial buildings. With a strong background in structural and foundation engineering, Ash has honed her skills at a Fortune 100 food processing company. Ash's expertise in 3D modeling and drafting will be a fantastic addition to our team as we continue to innovate and deliver exceptional engineering solutions.
Kishor Jaju
Principal Structural Engineer
Kishor is a graduate of the University of Pune and holds a B.E. in Civil Engineering and an M.E. in Structural Engineering. He has 20 years of civil and structural engineering experience across oil and gas, refinery, tank farm, hydrogen, air separation units, fertilizer, chemical & petrochemical, industrial, commercial, and residential projects. His expertise includes structural steel design, pipe racks, equipment support structures, plant buildings, tank and equipment foundations, dynamic equipment foundations, BOQs, cost analysis and 3D model coordination. Kishor has led detail engineering, project engineering, proposal work, design reviews, site & fabrication support and multidisciplinary coordination for projects in India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Iraq, Kuwait, and Uzbekistan. Design optimization, cost efficiency, and schedule adherence are key focus areas across projects of all scales, from small and medium-sized developments to large and complex facilities.
He is a Chartered Engineer and a member of ISSE and the Institute of Engineers India.
Wade Brightwell
Office Administrator
Wade holds a B.S. in Communications from Arkansas State University. Wade has worked in management in multiple Fortune 500 companies as both a supervisor and manager. He is originally from Northeast Arkansas, and has lived in Tulsa for the past 7 years.
Luke Turner
Accounting Assistant
Luke brings a wealth of experience in management and organization, having excelled as a team lead and manager in his previous roles. His impressive academic journey includes an Associate's degree in Business Administration, and he is currently balancing part-time studies at Oklahoma State University while contributing full-time to our team.