LEADERSHIP

Leadership is about leading people in an organization towards achieving goals. Athena has a distinguished team of talented leaders at all levels of our organization. The Athena leadership team sets a clear vision for the organization, motivates employees, and guides our team through the work process while building morale.

Every project we execute gets the personal attention of members of the Athena leadership team, all professionally licensed in their fields of expertise.

Our Leadership Team

Featured

Julie Oliphant, PE

PRESIDENT

At the helm of Athena, formerly KSWA, is Julie Oliphant. Ms. Oliphant began her career as a geotechnical engineer with the USACE New Orleans District, Geotechnical Branch. In the private sector she has been both project engineer and project manager on various civil engineering and construction projects. Ms. Oliphant joined KSWA in 2015, where she managed both the geotechnical engineering and environmental departments. In 2018, Ms. Oliphant purchased KSWA which is now called Athena. As sole owner of Athena, she is responsible for oversight of financial and contractual obligations. She is a licensed professional engineer and holds BS degrees in civil engineering and geology and an MS in civil engineering.

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Dusty Barrett, PE, PMP

VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS

Dusty Barrett has 17 years of experience in the management and execution of geotechnical investigations, studies, and engineering tasks. He has served clients in the government (federal, state, and local), industrial, energy, transportation, and water sectors. His expertise encompasses civil works infrastructure including locks, dams, levees, and river structures as well as military construction projects. Dusty has an MS degree in civil engineering, is a licensed professional engineer in ten states, and a project management professional.

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Jimmy Waddle, PE

VICE PRESIDENT, DAM SAFETY

Jimmy Waddle is a former USACE Chief of Engineering and Construction (E&C) Division with more than 34 years experience in civil/structural and construction management. Experience includes Chief of E&C of the Mississippi Valley Division during the Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts; Nashville District E&C Chief overseeing dam safety modification construction of Wolf Creek and Center Hill Dams; and E&C Chief for Mosul Dam in Iraq, where he managed an International Team to stabilize the dam through an extensive emergency drilling and grouting program during the liberation of the city of Mosul. He received Silver and Bronze Order of the de Fleury Medals. He is a licensed professional engineer and has a BS degree in civil engineering and an MS degree in construction management.

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Heidi Wilbarger, PG, PMP

VICE PRESIDENT, FEDERAL PROGRAMS AND COMPLIANCE

Heidi Wilbarger is a professional geologist and certified Project Management Professional with over 29 years of environmental consulting experience. Her experience includes providing management, technical oversight, and implementation for a wide range of projects, including hazardous material surveys and abatement; water quality sampling and analysis; phase I and II environmental site assessments; brownfields; landfills; groundwater monitoring networks; industrial sites containing contaminated soils, surface water and groundwater; groundwater testing; Superfund sites; and CERCLA Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Studies. She has BS and MS degrees in geology.

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Derek Hodnett, PE, PG

VICE PRESIDENT, ENGINEERING

Derek Hodnett has 33 years of experience in the geotechnical engineering field and has worked on a wide range projects, including dams and levees, highway infrastructure, riverfront facilities, landfills, and industrial facilities. He has authored multiple publications. Mr. Hodnett manages Athena’s Chattanooga office. He is a licensed professional engineer and professional geologist and he has a BS degree in geological engineering.

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Nathan Long, PE, PG

VICE PRESIDENT, GEOTECHNICAL AND FIELD SERVICES

Nathan Long has 17 years of geotechnical engineering experience in a variety of geologic and geographic settings across the U.S. He has led geotechnical investigations and construction materials testing on a variety of projects, including highways, bridges and retaining walls; levee and dam embankments; airport runways and taxiways; and building foundations. He is a licensed professional engineer and professional geologist and he has a BS degree in geological engineering.

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Dave Cour, PWS, TN-QHP

Vice President, Ecological Services

Dave Cour is a Professional Wetlands Scientist and Qualified Hydrologic Professional (TN) with 20 year of consulting experience. His field of practice includes stream assessments and hydrologic determinations, fluvial geomorphology, hydrology, water resource permitting, site restoration, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) assessments, and geographic information systems analyses. Mr. Cour's technical interests include the ecological restoration of streams and wetlands. He has conducted morphological stream surveys utilizing natural channel design and stream quantification tool (SQT) approaches, and wetland investigations for a range of corporate, not-for-profit and government clients. He has a BS degree in Environmental Health and an MEM in Resource Ecology.