BOSTON– Nitsch Engineering announced that the firm has expanded its leadership team by promoting three people to serve as Deputy Directors: Deborah Danik, PE, CPESC, LEED AP BD+C is serving as Deputy Director of Civil Engineering; Alexander Diotte, PLS is serving as Deputy Director of Land Surveying; and John Michalak, PE, ENV SP is serving as Deputy Director of Transportation Engineering.
Nitsch Engineering President & CEO Lisa A. Brothers, PE, ENV SP, LEED AP BD+C, said, “Following years of growth, we knew that our larger departments would benefit from additional leadership. In addition, a new Deputy Director role would support our goals of leadership development and succession. In 2018, we promoted Deb to the role of Deputy Director of Civil Engineering in recognition of her thoughtful and strategic leadership; at the time, we envisioned it as an internal position within our largest department. As the result of Deb’s success in the role, however, we realized we should formalize the position in our other large departments.” She continued, “Alex and John are proven leaders who have been serving as Deputy Directors since 2020; their leadership during the difficult last year has been invaluable for both their departments and the company overall.”
As Deputy Directors, Deb, Alex, and John continue to serve as Senior Project Managers on projects, while working closely with their departments’ Directors to manage day-to-day operations and plan for the future of each group. In addition to helping manage employees, they review projects for compliance with company policies and standards, provide mentorship and guidance to employees, and represent the company within the wider architecture/engineering/construction industry.
Deb Danik has 18 years of experience in the civil engineering field, with an emphasis on designing urban sites, coordinating projects, integrating sustainable site practices, and resolving permitting issues in the City of Boston. She is a member of Nitsch Engineering’s Board of Directors and helped establish Nitsch Cares, an employee resource group that functions as the philanthropic arm of Nitsch Engineering. Deb is actively involved in the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts, where she currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Engineering Excellence Awards Committee. She is the 2010 recipient of the Boston Society for Civil Engineers Section (BSCES) Younger Member of the Year Award.
Alex Diotte has more than 36 years of experience in land surveying, including fieldwork, research, calculations, drafting, and project management for surveys ranging from Boston-based projects, to airports, to college campuses, to bicycle trails. He is experienced in all forms of surveys, including property line, topographic, title insurance, and construction surveys. He is a member of the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping.
John Michalak has more than 26 years of experience in the management and implementation of complex transportation and infrastructure improvement projects throughout New England. His experience includes design of highways and municipal roadways, traffic improvements, streetscape enhancements, multi-use recreational trails, parking lots, and traffic management during construction for MassDOT, MBTA, DCR, and many municipalities. John was a member of the Town of Holden’s Planning Board from 2012-2021, where he served as Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Secretary. He is a member of the Worcester County Highway Association and the ACEC/MA TALC MassDOT-Highway Division Partnering Committee.
