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ON THE MOVE AJAY JAIN APPOINTED TO IAFSM BOARD The Illinois Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management recently appointed HR Green ’s Ajay Jain, PE, CFM, to its board. As a member of the board, Ajay will also be chairing the Inter-Organization Committee, charged with assuring regular communication between IAFSM and other closely-related professional organizations. IAFSM was founded in 1986 by professionals interested in and responsible for floodplain and stormwater management in the state of Illinois. IAFSM is a local chapter of the Association of State Floodplain Managers and works to promote the common interest in floodplain and stormwater management and enhance cooperation among various local, state, and federal agencies. Jain serves as a practice leader for HR Green’s water resource practice, managing clients’ water resource needs, projects, and staff throughout 16 offices across 10 states. He is a registered professional engineer, a certified floodplain manager and a qualified review specialist with 24 years of experience. In addition to his affiliation and new appointment with IAFSM, Jain is also active in the American Society of Civil Engineers and the National Association of State Floodplain Managers. “Ajay’s wealth of water resources experience and technical knowledge will be a valuable resource for the IAFSM board and its members,” said Jim Rasmussen, PE, HR Green water business line president. “Our participation and leadership in professional

associations such as IAFSM ultimately benefits our clients through professional development, best practices, and effective, innovative approaches to community challenges.” HR Green provides water, wastewater, and water resources consulting and engineering services throughout Illinois from its offices in Evanston, McHenry, New Lenox, and Yorkville. Jain manages a wide variety of water resource and drainage projects involving floodplain studies, mapping, flood control design, hydraulic reports, and comprehensive watershed master plans. Jain has worked extensively with multi-discipline team of surveyors, geotechnical engineers, hydrologist, and hydraulic engineers, and structural engineers to manage project scope, schedule, and budgets. KS ASSOCIATES, INC. ANNOUNCES THE ADDITION OF VITO C. MELILLI, P.E, TO ITS COASTAL ENGINEERING GROUP KS Associates Inc. , a civil engineering and surveying firm located in Elyria, Ohio, is pleased to announce that Vito Melilli, PE, has joined the firm as a senior project manager in its Coastal Engineering Group. The group provides engineering solutions for all types of waterfront and water-related infrastructure, helping clients plan, design, and manage the construction of projects along Lake Erie and the Lake Erie Watershed. Melilli will work directly with KS Associates’ public and private marine clients, serving as a trusted advisor and providing “The Gold Standard of Care” for coastal engineering assignments. He is experienced in the design

and construction of new and rehabilitated harbors, ports, federal navigation channels, piers, breakwaters, and jetties. He is particularly skilled at working with construction contractors to ensure projects are built according to plans, specifications, budgets, and schedules. Melilli joins KS Associates after serving 15 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As chief of the USACE Buffalo District’s Ohio Area Office in Cleveland, Melilli managed, designed, and oversaw the construction of projects along Ohio’s northern shoreline. He led projects to restore the Lake Erie shoreline after it suffered damage from Superstorm Sandy; directed dredging projects to maintain safe and navigable waterways for commercial shipping; and was the operations manager for Ohio Harbors, responsible for projects aimed at maintaining marine transportation for emergency responsiveness and in support of commercial shipping, fishing, and recreational boating industries. “Vito Melilli could not have joined KS Associates at a better time. Our firm is experiencing an increase in the demand for coastal engineering expertise, and our portfolio of shoreline and nearshore projects is growing,” said Lynn S. Miggins, PE, president of KS Associates. “Vito’s comprehensive understanding of the regulatory environment, the marine construction market, and marine- related structural engineering are great assets, and we’re excited about sharing them with our clients.”

understands your markets. You have no problem paying this organization whatever they choose to charge. My point is, if you want your business to last and stay successful, you’re probably going to need at least one full- time marketing person. This person isn’t just someone who writes proposals. They also need to be conducting or viewing market research, ensuring that your firm has a consistent and visible brand, maintaining relationships with clients even after the job is over, creating good looking marketing materials and a website, and so much more. If you aren’t busy with a lot of projects, your staff might have time to work on these things, but chances are, if you’re doing these things effectively, you’ll have so much work you won’t have the time! CHRISTINA ZWEIG NIEHUES is Zweig Group’s director of marketing. Contact her at christinaz@zweiggroup.com. “If you aren’t busy with a lot of projects, your staff might have time to work on these things, but chances are, if you’re doing these things effectively, you’ll have so much work you won’t have the time!”

CHRISTINA ZWEIG NIEHUES, from page 3

continuously growing and needs your services. Everyone at your firm enjoys marketing, communicates well, and works well together. You have someone who is outgoing, awesome at website development, great at graphic design, can write well, and clearly communicate why a client should work with you. 2) You have an aggressive “seller-doer” model with no emphasis on chargeability or utilization rates. Everyone is welcome to spend 30 percent or more of their time cultivating new leads and also works well together to create solid marketing materi- als, website, and consistent branding. 3) Your firm consists of you and two other people in one room. You aren’t concerned with growing your company and already have a solid hoard of cash in the bank. “If you want your business to last and stay successful, you’re probably going to need at least one full-time marketing person.” 4) You have a good partnership with another organization that can consistently provide all your marketing needs. This com- pany works with your firm’s leadership on a solid strategy and

THE ZWEIG LETTER November 6, 2017, ISSUE 1223

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