Meet Our New Principals and Associates
Freese and Nichols has elected eight new Principals and 30 new Associates, representing 15 different offices across seven states.
They are recognized leaders who live our LEADS values every day and have proven expertise in technical excellence, management and personnel development, and business development and marketing. These leaders are elevating excellence in serving our clients, leading others and leading the company.
Electing Principals and Associates every year is one of the many ways we recognize the outstanding accomplishments of our employees and provide opportunities for growth.
Principals
Matt Cartwright is the Group Manager for Construction Management in the Western Gulf Coast region. Since joining Freese and Nichols in 2012, Matt has been instrumental in the growth of our Construction Management business in both Southeast Texas and North Carolina. He has strengthened client relationships with cities like Tomball, Beaumont and Sugar Land, and his collaborative efforts have been key in connecting design and construction teams. Matt has created custom training programs to enhance staff’s construction knowledge and provides mentorship both within and outside his group. He has delivered more than 33 technical presentations for professional organizations.
Jason Cocklin is an Engineer within the Water/Wastewater Treatment group. Jason began his career with five years in the Dallas office, then moved to Corpus Christi to establish a Treatment presence there. His leadership has been pivotal in advancing Corpus Christi’s seawater desalination project, the first publicly owned facility of its kind in Texas, navigating complex regulatory processes. He moved to Arkansas in 2022 to help establish the Rogers office, which has grown to 13 employees under his leadership. His ability to connect with clients has significantly contributed to Freese and Nichols’ growth and client satisfaction in Arkansas.
Andrew Franko is a leading expert in water master planning and a top hydraulic modeler at Freese and Nichols. He serves as a project manager, senior advisor and technical coach for the Water/Wastewater Planning Practice. During his 16 years at our firm, he has provided a variety of services, including water, wastewater, impact fee and asset management projects. Through outstanding client service and technical expertise, he serves as a trusted advisor for cities such as Southlake, Grand Prairie, Fort Worth and Lubbock.
Bregger Garrison serves as the Group Manager for Transportation in Central Texas. Bregger manages a team of 23, which has seen significant growth and notable project bookings under his leadership. During his eight years with FNI, he has led opportunities in diverse areas including roadway, highway, aviation, program management, city engineer services and CEI. He serves as client representative for many clients and has been heavily involved in professional organizations including APWA, NSPE, ACEC and the San Antonio Mobility Coalition, furthering our presence in Central Texas. Bregger emphasizes quality, implementing QA/QC procedures to enhance client deliverables, and focuses on mentoring young engineers.
Christine Jacoby is an Account Director for the North Texas division in Fort Worth. With 18 years of business development experience, Christine excels in client relationships, positioning, and pursuit management. She maintains strong relationships with North Texas clients. She is active in professional organizations, serving as President of SAME Fort Worth Post and Programs Committee Chairperson for the North Texas Chapter of CMAA, as well as participating in WTS, STEP and AWWA. In addition to her client-facing role, Christine leads training for client representatives and mentors business development coordinators.
Garrett Johnston is the first National Technical Leader for Stormwater and is based in Austin. Garrett is among the few stormwater engineers capable of creating bid-ready construction documents from model results. He is known nationally for his technical capabilities in 2D Hydrology and Hydraulics modeling and teaches HEC-RAS 2D at national and regional conferences. He is instrumental in managing the Central Region Flood Studies for the Texas General Land Office. His innovative approach throughout his 15 years at Freese and Nichols is highlighted by his R&D contributions, innovation awards and collaboration on technology initiatives for modeling and 3D applications.
Brad Kirksey is a dams and levees engineer in El Paso. Brad is a seasoned Project Manager with 16 years of experience in managing large, complex dam and water resources projects. He played an integral role in delivering the Summit Bechtel Reserve Dams in West Virginia, Dog River Dam in Georgia and Bois d’Arc Dam and Leon Hurse Dam in Texas. Brad began his career in Fort Worth and now splits his time between our El Paso and Las Cruces offices. Brad has led the Technical Excellence Program team for the Water Resources Design Practice, serves as a Senior Technical Professional for Dams and actively participates in numerous national conferences and professional organizations in the dam and levee safety industry.
Wade Zemlock is the Electrical Group Manager in Fort Worth. Wade is a leading electrical engineer at Freese and Nichols, excelling in water and infrastructure projects while fostering strong client relationships with cities like Fort Worth and Lubbock. As Group Manager, he has grown his team by 120% over three years, expanding to 44 members across 12 offices, and he led the development of our SCADA/Instrumentation & Controls services. During his 26-year tenure, Wade has worked on more than 600 projects that have resulted in multiple project awards, innovative solutions and outstanding project satisfaction survey scores.
Associates
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