Staff Expertise – Lehigh Civil & Municipal Engineering Consultants

As the firm’s manager, Jim oversees the operations of Lehigh’s staff of engineering & design professionals and municipal services team. Jim leads engineering efforts on land development projects, serving both affiliated companies and external clients and also acts as Municipal Engineer for several eastern PA municipalities. Additionally, Jim provides strategic direction to Lehigh’s Mining Engineering team, focusing on optimizing current operations and exploring new mine site developments in Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Region.

Jim holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Wilkes University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania.

An experienced municipal services professional, Ralph serves municipalities in various capacities across Schuylkill, Dauphin, Luzerne, and Northumberland counties. He specializes in the administration and enforcement of the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) and is a certified inspector for residential electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems. In addition to his UCC responsibilities, Ralph serves as zoning officer, code enforcement officer, and sewage enforcement officer for several clients. He also assists his clients with ordinance adoption, infrastructure projects, and pursuing grant opportunities.

Ralph holds a Civil Engineering degree from Pennsylvania College of Technology and is a licensed Building Code Official and Sewage Enforcement Officer in Pennsylvania.

As a Certified Code Official, Ed services numerous municipalities, both large and small, in the administration and enforcement of their zoning ordinances and property maintenance codes. With over 15 years of experience, Ed brings a broad level of knowledge to the townships and boroughs he serves, helping them navigate the unique situations that arise day to day.

In addition to his code enforcement background, Ed is experienced in ordinance adoption, pursuing grant opportunities for infrastructure projects, and working side by side with municipal engineering staff on SALDO and SWM needs.

Eric oversees the daily operations of Lehigh’s Mining Engineering department. Together with his team, Eric provides mine planning services for existing operations that produce over 1.5 million raw tons of Anthracite annually and actively explores new site development opportunities in response to the growing global demand for Pennsylvania Anthracite.

Eric holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mining Engineering from Penn State University and is dedicated to both preserving and sharing the history of the Pennsylvania Anthracite Region. He is a frequent speaker at industry events and showcases much of his extensive collection of Pennsylvania mining memorabilia at Lehigh’s office in downtown Pottsville.

As Senior Civil Engineer, Corey plays multiple key roles within the firm. He manages planning activities for several active mine sites and supports the operations of affiliated coal processing plants and cogeneration facilities, including the design of impoundments and the identification and permitting of ash placement sites. Additionally, Corey supports our Municipal staff by conducting SWM and SALDO reviews and leads the preparation of land development and SWM plans for both affiliated and external clients.

Corey holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Pennsylvania College of Technology and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania.

With decades of experience as a mining engineer in the Pennsylvania Anthracite Region, Mike is committed to ensuring that our clients’ mining operations remain in compliance with all jurisdictional regulatory agencies. He actively manages dozens of surface mining permits across more than 20,000 acres and leads efforts to secure new permits for prospective mine sites. Mike also oversees a comprehensive water monitoring program spanning multiple counties and provides crucial support for mine planning and field operations.

Mike holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mining Engineering from Penn State University.

As the lead engineer for several large mine sites, Mark conducts in-depth research on historical data and coordinates systematic test drilling to develop geological models that support both short-term and long-term operational planning. His responsibilities include establishing production projections and goals, assisting with equipment selection and resource planning, designing access roads and utility routes, and planning overburden dump sites. Mark works closely with operations personnel to continuously evaluate progress and identify opportunities for site optimization. Mark holds a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering from Penn State University.

Russell leads the mining engineering efforts for several high-production sites in the southern field of Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Region. He creates geological cross-sections using historical mine maps and drilling data to determine the most efficient methods for developing each site, with a strong emphasis on building the infrastructure to ensure their long-term success. Russell is also focused on enhancing the logistics of transporting run-of-mine coal to central preparation plants, working to optimize long-distance haulage roads through reroutes & widening, innovative drainage designs, and traffic signaling. Russell holds a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering from Virginia Tech University.

Ryan oversees all survey operations that support Lehigh’s diverse range of projects and activities. His responsibilities include conducting land surveys for subdivision and land development projects, as well as fulfilling various survey needs for our municipal clients. As a licensed drone pilot, Ryan is instrumental to our mining engineering department, conducting regular flights to monitor the changing topography of mine sites, calculating remaining dump volumes, and determining stockpile volumes. Ryan can also be regularly found at mine sites staking out bench lines, collecting GPS points on test drills, and checking pit elevations.

While Perry’s responsibilities extend across multiple departments at Lehigh, he specializes in supporting mine site safety initiatives for our clients and ensuring adherence to all applicable safety regulations. His work includes preparing ground control plans and operational maps for each site, as well as designing impoundments. Additionally, Perry is skilled in evaluating drainage patterns and designing stormwater management facilities, which are essential to all of our services. Perry is also experienced in the preparation of subdivision plans and has supported several clients through plan approval. Perry holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Pittsburgh University.

With over 30 years of CAD design experience, Paul specializes in the preparation of subdivision and land development plans for a range of clients.  His duties also include field surveys, preparation of PennDOT highway occupancy permit applications, zoning permit applications, and other tasks required to support these projects.  In addition, Paul completes miscellaneous CAD design work for our mining clients, including process flow sheets for active coal preparation plants.  Paul holds an associate’s degree in architectural design from Lincoln Technical Institute and has extensive prior experience in facilities design and planning.

Jackie processes all municipal permits that come through our door and ensures the residents and businesses in the municipalities we serve have what they need to keep their projects moving. In addition to her municipal duties, Jackie supports our engineering staff in various capacities and brings a broad range of administrative experience to Lehigh.