BSK Leadership
At BSK, we are more than just engineers, scientists, chemists, technicians, inspectors, and project managers. We are a dedicated team of professionals focused on developing solutions for our clients and working toward constant improvement within our industry. We are a team committed to giving back to our communities by engaging in volunteer efforts which benefit the areas in which we work and live.
Board of Directors
Belinda Vega, Kurt Fraese, Jerry Brown, Tim Rodriguez, Adam Terronez, Steve Maxwell
Message from Chairman of the Board, Kurt R. Fraese, L.G.
The Board of Directors is entrusted with the duty of care to act in the best interest of BSK Associates’ shareholders. Because the firm is 100% employee owned – a wise approach to ownership with positive impacts to our culture of inclusiveness – this tremendous responsibility and privilege is undertaken with loyalty and good faith to all of those who work here. The Board consists of three internal (employee) directors and three external (non-employee) directors. The internal directors are senior BSK leaders with understanding and insight into the company and its operations. The external directors are industry and marketplace leaders who provide knowledge and perspective on corporate governance and the business environment. In addition to our fiduciary duty, each director is committed to taking a long view of opportunities and challenges for the company, serving as a resource for business health, resilience and future success. We are honored to represent you, the owner employees of BSK Associates, as your Board of Directors.
Kurt Fraese, L.G.
Chairman of the Board
Renea Rangell
Renea Rangell, serves as CEO for BSK. She is passionate about data quality and providing excellent customer service which has led her to this strategic role within BSK. Mrs. Rangell previously held the role of Vice-President of Laboratory of Services, Director of Laboratory Services at the Vancouver, WA, location; Client Services Manager in the Fresno, CA laboratory and successfully restructured the department to deliver a strong professional experience for clients by strategically hiring Project Managers with varying expertise in the Environmental industry. Mrs. Rangell also implemented a robust training and development program for less experienced staff which has provided an opportunity for employees to learn and grow.
Renea has served as a BSK Trustee and has served on our Board of Directors during her time at BSK.
Renea tells us that in her spare time, she enjoys reading the classics, hiking and gardening. Oh, and don’t be fooled by these tranquil hobbies; if there’s a competitive activity, she’s in it to win it and is fierce!
Kris Morton
Mr. Morton is the Chief Information Officer and has worked for BSK since February of 2015. Kris has over 15 years of experience in software development and project management. He is a Microsoft Certified Developer with experience in data management and database design. Mr. Morton enjoys being an ambassador for technology working to align technology and the company strategy. He has been a presenter and panel member at several Engineering and Analytical conferences. He has an MBA in IT management for Western Governors University. Mr. Morton also serves on our Board of Trustees.
Kris is a father of twins and grandfather to two. His hobbies include competing in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, woodworking and yelling at his beloved San Jose Sharks. Whenever possible, he and his wife get away to the beach.
Sherri Petro
Sherri Petro is our Director of Human Resources & Organizational Development and has worked at BSK since December 2014. She is charged with making BSK a Preferred Employer, recruiting and retaining BSK’s talent. Sherri is BSK’s values champion insuring we are meeting our goals by leveraging our commitment to safety, teamwork, employee development, professionalism, personal accountability and service. Sherri earned her MBA with an emphasis in Strategic Planning from Pepperdine University.
Sherri is a nature gal, enjoying kayaking and hiking, when she is not playing with her young grandson.
Tim Rodriguez
Tim Rodriguez serves as Chief Operating Officer of Engineering Services for BSK Associates, including oversight of BSK’s Bakersfield, Fresno, Livermore, Sacramento, and Tracy offices. He has over 28 years of experience in materials testing and inspection, encompassing a wide range of work including soils, asphalt, concrete, and steel laboratory testing, as well as field inspections of soils, paving, concrete, reinforcing steel, and source inspections. Tim has a wide range of project management and technical supervision experience for numerous projects throughout Northern California most recently focused on BSK’s support of projects within the Transportation, Energy, Water/Wastewater, and Education market segments.
Tim serves on BSK’s Board of Directors and is BSK’s technical lead for special inspection and materials testing services. He is also a Past-President for the statewide California Council of Testing and Inspection Agencies (CCTIA), and actively participates in the Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA), the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) and several other industry organizations. In addition to standard inspection and testing disciplines he has extensive experience in many specialized testing applications including ground penetrating radar surveys, floor flatness testing, reinforcing steel surveys, pulse-velocity testing of concrete, specialty load testing, fire damage assessments and condition surveys. He serves as project manager for many of BSK’s municipal on-call agreements and is experienced in supporting our client’s technical needs while focusing on customer service.
Tim is a bit of a foodie and enjoys cooking, staying in touch with technology and computers, playing baseball, exercising, and playing the guitar.
Belinda Vega
Belinda Vega, Chief Operations Officer of the Analytical Division, provides leadership and oversight for all of BSK’s Laboratory operations team, client services, project management and sales staff. Belinda has a degree in Environmental Resources Engineering and held the certificate as a Registered Environmental Professional for many years. She has been in the environmental testing business for over 35 years, starting as a bench analyst, working as a project manager, managing client services, and managing labs of every size, including start-ups. She previously held the position of regional general manager for a national laboratory network and president of an indoor air quality lab network and most recently, she held the role of Director of Laboratory Services at the Fresno, CA location. She is skilled at implementation of lean practices focused on improving quality, reducing waste and increasing efficiency.
In her free time, Belinda enjoys fishing, golfing and horseback riding. She also has a passion for energy efficiency and sharing concepts on reduction of our carbon footprint.
Elizabeth Bunger
Elizabeth Bunger is the Satellite Laboratory Director for the Vancouver office in Washington; overseeing all lab operations and ensuring high quality standards are being held. Elizabeth graduated college from Eastern Washington University receiving a double major in Chemistry and Biology. She has 11 years of experience in the lab industry, is an active member in the Oregon Environmental Laboratory Association, holds a seat on the Academic Advisory Board for the Portland Community College Bioscience program, and has been on the Board of Trustees for BSK for the last year.
On her free time Elizabeth loves spending time with her family. Her hobbies include running, crafting, golfing, and baking.
Cristiano Melo
Cristiano Melo joined BSK in 2013, is the Branch Manager of our Livermore Office, and served in BSK’s Board of Trustees from 2014 to 2019. Mr. Melo has overseen geotechnical investigations and provided construction materials testing services in the San Francisco Bay Area and California’s Central Valley since 2000. Cristiano is a native of Salvador, Brazil, and completed his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees at the University of Idaho in Moscow in 1997 and 2000, where he met his wife. His Master of Science degree thesis was focused on seismic slope stability analysis.
Cristiano is a California licensed Civil and Geotechnical Engineer and is also a licensed Civil Engineer in the state of Nevada. He currently serves on the annual conference planning committee for the Northern California Chapter of the American Public Works Associate (APWA). He is also a past chairman and board member of the San Francisco Geo-Institute (SFGI). Cristiano has a diverse geotechnical engineering background supporting private and public projects from conceptual design through construction, including projects involving water and wastewater, tanks, pipeline, refinery, multi-story buildings, public schools and colleges, hospitals, emergency facilities, parks, pedestrian trails, retaining walls, pavement rehabilitation, roadways, bridges, and residential subdivisions. His expertise includes shallow and deep foundations, retaining walls, pavement rehabilitation, earthwork, hillside grading, site drainage, subgrade stabilization, slope stability analysis, geologic and seismic hazards evaluations, and peer reviews.
When Cristiano’s passions are reading about World events and History, watching the Premier League, and refereeing indoor and outdoor soccer. Next on his list is coaching his younger kids in soccer.
Mark Pomaville
Mark Pomaville graduated from CalPoly, San Luis Obispo in Natural Resources Management and started his career at BSK in 1990; initially hired as a Fresno Materials Laboratory technician. Within a few months he moved to the Fresno Environmental group as a staff scientist providing field support services for groundwater monitoring, soil and soil vapor assessments and conducting Phase I Environmental Site Assessments. In time, he transitioned to project manager to manage soil and groundwater remediation projects and preliminary environmental assessments for new school sites. Mark then transitioned to corporate safety to maintain regulatory compliance, health and safety training coordination, injury and accident prevention and workers compensation claim coordination. He is also the Radiation Safety Officer for the engineering services groups and coordinator of the company Health, Safety and Wellness program.
Mark has a keen interest in aviation, aviation history and aviation photography. He has flown in several types of aircraft including powered gliders, restored WW II aircraft including a military trainer and a multi-engine submarine chaser-bomber. He was privileged to be onboard a US Navy aircraft carrier at sea during demonstrations drills to observe naval aircraft flybys a jet aircraft catapult launch and carrier landing recovery. He attends airshows regularly and is member of several historical aviation and aviation photography groups.
Neva Popenoe, PE, GE
Neva Popenoe currently serves as the Fresno Brach Manager. Graduating from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, she has over eighteen years of geotechnical engineering and materials testing experience. She has managed and conducted geotechnical investigations on a variety of projects including over 100 bridges; essential facilities such as schools and hospitals; residential, commercial, government and industrial developments; pipelines; power facilities; impoundments; landfills; and forensic studies. She has served as an adjunct professor at Fresno State University since 2019, teaching soils engineering and foundation design.
Neva currently serves on the Board for Central Valley APWA and San Joaquin Valley SWE. She was the past-president of the Fresno Branch of ASCE, earning Branch Officer of the year for the State of California.
Neva’s many hobbies include home-brew, gardening, painting, dancing, and volunteering with downtown Fresno organizations and community groups where she lives with her husband and two kids.
Adam Terronez
Adam Terronez is Branch Manager of our Bakersfield Office. Mr. Terronez has overseen geotechnical investigations and provided construction materials testing services in Kern County and Southern California for more than 19 years. Adam is a native of the Central Valley and graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and in 1999 through 2003 he undertook post-graduate studies with a geotechnical emphasis at San Diego State University. In 2017 Adam completed his Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering (Geotechnical Earthquake Emphasis) at University of California, Los Angeles by completing the thesis track and research related to ground response amplification of fine-grained and highly organic soils.
Adam is a California licensed Civil and Geotechnical Engineer and is also a licensed Civil Engineer in the states of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. Adam currently serves on the Board of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Southern San Joaquin Chapter and the Kern County Branch of American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). He is also a member of American Public Works Association (APWA) and is a Fellow Executive for American Heart Association’s Heart Walk in Kern County. His projects have been assigned by private, public, and municipal entities in water/wastewater facilities, pipelines, canals, levees, retaining walls, roadways, highways, bridges, schools, hospitals, parks, multi-story buildings, commercial office complexes, major retail centers, residential sites, airports, and police/fire/prison sites.
During his time away from the office, Adam enjoys spending time with family and friends and is an enthusiastic soccer dad.
