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OUR LEADERSHIP

We’ve built a team of people who are like-minded in their goals and diverse in their talents. That works to our advantage — we’re never limited by someone’s title or department. Ultimately, no matter our specialties, our values are the same: respect for people, budgets, time, and community.

Jim Mullen, part of our leadership team, working out the details at a project site.

Many members of our leadership team have been with Keller for decades. Meet the people who can help you take your project from concept to concrete.

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

 

Larry Rupp, PE – President & CEO

Years with Keller Associates: 18 years.

Out of the office: I enjoy spending time with my family, waterskiing, wakeboarding, watching sports, playing sports, working outside (including visiting my parents’ farm), and serving others. I like history and non-fiction books, but would rather just watch the movie when it comes to fiction.

Fun facts: My first date with my wife was a prank. Somehow, she still went on a second date with me. Also, I learned to drive on the farm around age 5. I had to look between the steering wheel and dashboard to see the road.

Work history and expertise: During the early parts of my career, I worked at a national engineering firm on larger treatment projects throughout the West. I have spent most of my career managing water and wastewater projects, especially those involving pumping, storage, and treatment. Other roles include principal, vice president, and now president & CEO.

Larry Rupp

Jim Mullen, PE, VP - Eastern Idaho Manager

Years with Keller Associates: 23 years.

Out of the office: I like fly fishing for big fish. Skiing deep powder. Chasing four kids. Making things better.

Fun facts: My passions are water and competition.

Favorite quote: “Many of us would probably be better fishermen if we did not spend so much time watching and waiting for the world to become perfect.” — Norman Maclean

Work history and expertise: I worked for a firm in Denver that specialized in water and wastewater treatment before moving to Keller Associates in 2000 to open our Pocatello office. My focus is on improving lives by helping communities and the environment — I want us all to have cleaner and safer water. Here at Keller, I want to develop a company that is a destination for employees and clients.

Jim Mullen

Julie Shiflett - Board Member

Out of the office: Any live music — especially outdoors. Actually, anything outdoors — hiking, biking, skiing, fishing, wine tasting and Washington State University football!!

Fun facts: I’m an accountant, which I decided to be at the ripe old age of nine; fun facts for me all involve numbers. I have always been enthusiastic about and motivated by the job and the places it has taken me.

Work history and expertise: Started my career doing bookkeeping for a family business. My background is in a number of industries as a CFO and also as a board member. I went back to college for a Masters in Technology Management and Organizational Development to expand my knowledge beyond finance.

Julie Shiflett

David R. Kinzer, PE, SE, PLS - Chief Engineer

Years with Keller Associates: More than 20 years.

Out of the office: I enjoy metal lathe work and model planes. I’m also a great ballroom dancer.

Fun facts: I built my own computer and TV. I can repair anything and everything myself, including vehicles and appliances. A while back, I developed a process to install and anchor continuous rail for railroad with concrete ties. The process and anchor system are still used today.

Work history and expertise: I’ve spent the past 40 years as a consulting engineer. I have engineering expertise in almost all areas of service that Keller provides to clients, including civil, transportation, structural, hydraulics, mechanical, and surveying. I also developed a new valve control system for a unique pumping application.

David R. Kinzer

James Bledsoe, PE, Principal – Meridian Office Manager

Years with Keller Associates: Over 20 years.

Out of the office: I enjoy family walks, early morning runs with an audiobook, and I have some serious ping pong skills. House and yard projects are therapeutic, and in my man-cave (shed) I display a plaque from my wife…it reads “My wife says I never listen, or at least I think that is what she said.” 

Fun facts: I play the cello and have six kids.  I’m two for two on refrigerator problems magically resolving themselves when the repair man shows up.

Work history and expertise: After graduating summa cum laude from BYU, I started my career at Keller Associates.  Here I began, and here I intend to end.

James Bledsoe

Rod J. Linja, PE - Chief Advisor & Principal Emeritus (Bike Team Captain)

Years with Keller Associates: More than 25 years.

Out of the office: Biking (any type – mountain, road, city), skiing, fire pits, mountains, outdoor music, enjoying the flourishing microbrewery scene, and the Vandals!

Fun facts: I love traveling off the beaten path and exploring cultures. I’m an empty nester — kids are either at college or graduated — so I get to spend time with my rock star dietitian wife. I’m on the University of Idaho, College of Engineering Advisory Board. I believe that you should do what you say, that people are good, and that it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission.

I also have a cool T-shirt collection.

Work history and expertise: I’ve had many, many roles throughout my 30-year career – design engineer, resident engineer, utilities engineer, project manager, transportation discipline leader, vice president, president & CEO, board member, strategic director, cultural warrior, and now chief advisor and principal emeritus.

Rod J. Linja

PRINCIPALS AND OFFICE MANAGERS

 

Nathan Cleaver, PE, Principal – Transportation Group Leader

Years with Keller Associates: Over 15 years.

Out of the office: Trying to spend as much time with my family outside is my goal. Water skiing, camping, and fly fishing are my family’s passion. My wife tries to keep me in shape, while my college-age son and two teenage daughters try to take me to the taco truck nightly.

Fun facts: I was once fluent in three different languages. Now, when I can use one of them, my sentences are a jumbled-up mess of the three languages. 

Work history and expertise: Over the past 20+ years, I have been a structural, civil/site, water/wastewater, and transportation engineer. As my career developed, each position added insight and value to the subsequent. As such, I’ve designed and managed bridges and buildings, pipelines and wastewater treatment plants, commercial shopping centers, sports stadiums, and major roadway projects.

Nathan Cleaver

Jeny Thornton – Design Delivery Leader

Years with Keller Associates:  Over 15 years

Out of the office:  I enjoy spending quality time with family, traveling to new places, boxing class, and getting creative.

Fun facts:  I don’t have much of a shoe collection, but I do have a very large collection of Disney Cars characters (200+). I am hoping someday it will help me in securing the “favorite grandma” status from one or all of my 7 grandkids. 

Work history and expertise:  I started working in the civil engineering industry to help my husband through school. Fast forward 30 years and I am still at it today. I have worked on a wide variety of projects over the years and now I continually share from those experiences through mentoring and developing standards. I find joy in making improvements whether it is developing new skills, designing quality projects for our clients, or helping to grow a great company. 

Jeny Thornton

Kyle Meschko, PE – Coeur d’Alene Office Manager

Years with Keller Associates: 9 years 

Out of the office: I enjoy spending my time in the outdoors fishing, hunting, snowboarding, and camping with friends and family. 

Fun facts: I have a knack for learning new things and taking on challenges. I proposed to my wife in a hot air balloon. 

Work history and expertise: I have spent my career in the beautiful Pacific Northwest working with a variety of clientele from small to large. I am passionate about civil engineering and helping communities with their infrastructure needs. My experience entails working on a wide array of infrastructure projects such as water, wastewater, transportation and civil. I thrive on developing client relationships that last a lifetime. 

Kyle Meschko

Stillman Norton, PE, LEED – Clarkston Office Manager

Years with Keller Associates: More than 15 years.

Out of the office: I teach ballroom dance with my wife, who I met and fell in love with through dance.  On the weekends I love playing board games with friends and family and watching movies.

Fun facts: I love everything football.  Not only do I follow my favorite teams every fall, but I have also refereed high school football for 8 years.

Work history and expertise: My experience is diverse.  I originally specialized in civil/site and stormwater treatment and collection but have expanded my work history over the last 15 plus years to include water distribution, pumping, and storage; wastewater treatment, pumping, and collection; and transportation roadways, walkways, pathways, and intersections.

Stillman Norton

Peter Olsen, PE – Salem Office Manager

Years with Keller Associates: 18 years.

Out of the office: Trail running, mountain biking, and figuring out how to build/repair anything. Encouraging, mentoring, and learning from our 5 children.

Fun facts: I have lived on three different continents (Romania, China, USA), while learning and serving others. Travel and learning about different cultures excite me. I have visited the Tibetan Mount Everest Base Camp.

Work history and expertise: I currently manage our Oregon and Southwest Washington operations. I cut my teeth interning for the USACE and Suburban Water Systems before being hired by Jim Keller. My passion is water and wastewater master planning projects but I enjoy learning new skills and helping small communities to build and maintain their infrastructure.

Peter Olsen

Jeremy Wilson, PE – Reno Office Manager

Years with Keller Associates: 10 years. 

Out of the office: The outdoors recharges and energizes me. After work you can find me mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding (yes, I enjoy both), hiking, fly fishing, or backpacking. Luckily, I have access to all of those things 30 minutes away in the Lake Tahoe basin. I also have a red lab named Riley that joins me on most outdoor adventures! 

Fun facts: I am on the Young Professionals Committee for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Nevada. I’m a big believer that anyone can make a positive impact in their community. I’m passionate about serving the community I live in – both as a civil engineer and as a volunteer. 

Work history and expertise: I started my career at a geotechnical engineering consultant company where I gained my foundation in the construction process. After joining Keller Associates, I gained experience as a water and wastewater engineer – from planning all the way through construction. 

Jeremy Wilson