December 15, 2022

Freese and Nichols Adds Three New Team Leaders To Serve the Carolinas

Freese and Nichols has increased its staff to better serve clients in the Carolinas, adding Blair Hinkle, a 16-year civil engineer to lead area municipal stormwater projects; Scott Robinson, PE, a Construction Manager with more than 28 years of experience to lead Construction Services; and Chris Kennedy, an Account Director supporting Charlotte-area clients with direct experience in local government management and municipal planning. Adding these three team members reflects the firm’s commitment to serving clients locally and across the Southeast U.S.

Blair has a deep understanding of local water, wastewater and stormwater needs having spent much of his career leading engineering and public works programs for North Carolina municipalities such as the City of Raleigh and the City of Rocky Mount, providing a range of services from individual project management to helping deliver a $206M transportation bond, the City of Raleigh’s largest bond to date. He also has experience managing vertical construction projects and capital programs for municipal facilities and parks.

Mike Wayts, North Carolina Division Manager, said, “Blair has deep knowledge of all aspects of a stormwater program, from funding to utility fee structure and capital delivery. His awareness of the stormwater project life cycle and how to manage projects in sustainable and fiscally responsible ways will be important for supporting clients in bond program management.”

With expertise in civil and environmental engineering, construction and project management, Scott brings specialized insights into getting projects completed for cities in a rapidly developing region. He has led projects involving water line, force main, gravity sewer, pump/lift station installation and emergency repairs. His construction management experience also includes oversight of U.S. EPA Superfund hazardous waste remediation and dredging projects, transportation, and design and construction of numerous environmental remediation projects.

“Scott’s passion for construction means he has developed broad knowledge about the complexities of completing projects,” said Bryan Jann, Group Manager for Water/Wastewater in North Carolina. “He’ll be an asset to our team and clients because he can successfully manage all aspects, from making sure the project is built to the design so it is functional, to staying on schedule and within budget.”

Chris joins Freese and Nichols after more than 10 years in local government, where he served in land use planning, public works, and town management roles for the Town of Southern Pines and the Town of Pittsboro, both in North Carolina. His responsibilities ranged from general operations, development and delivery of current and long-range planning efforts, capital improvement plans for infrastructure and facilities, and funding strategies. Through this, he gained experience working with various stakeholders, unique funding structures and lobbying. Chris is a Certified Planner through the AICP (American Institute of Certified Planners), our first in North Carolina.

Account Director Charles Archer said, “Chris brings an understanding of the challenges that municipal staff face from the project manager perspective to the elected official perspective, which will allow us to serve our clients in a more well-rounded capacity.”