Board of Visitors

Karen Dettmer leads the Water Resources Management practice in Ramboll Americas. She has 25 years of experience in water and environmental engineering management, including over 16 years in local and federal government. Ms. Dettmer has provided executive leadership in sustainable water supply planning; drinking water engineering, treatment, and supply; public works; and federal water policy and water regulatory implementation. She leads with a lens toward social impact through equitable, efficient, sustainable public policy and management. Ms. Dettmer holds a Professional Engineer license in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Susan Donnally is a Technical Director in HDR’s Water Business Group with over 25 years of experience in the water industry. She specializes in the management and rehabilitation of buried infrastructure, helping utilities optimize asset performance and reliability. For the past 11 years, Susan has focused on leveraging technology to extend the useful life of critical infrastructure and enhance system resilience. She partners with public and private utility owners across the U.S. to develop cost-effective, equitable strategies for managing existing assets while planning for future growth. Susan is a licensed Professional Engineer in Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, Delaware, and Michigan.

Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson serves as the Twisdale Family Head of the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at North Carolina State University, where she leads a dynamic engineering department that is engaged in a wide range of big problems that affect everyday lives—from designing safer skyscrapers, airports, and roadways to ensuring access to safe, affordable drinking water and clean air. 

With a foundation of 13 years in high-impact public policy roles before transitioning to academia, Dr. Gibson conducts research that integrates advanced engineering methods to identify innovative solutions for mitigating environmental risks and shaping evidence-based public policy. Her interdisciplinary research addresses critical global challenges, ranging from optimizing water infrastructure to enhance public health in the United States to developing strategic frameworks for prioritizing environmental policy initiatives in the United Arab Emirates.

Dr. Gibson’s distinguished public policy career includes serving as Associate Director of the U.S. National Research Council’s Water Science and Technology Board and acting as a key liaison to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy during her tenure with The RAND Corporation. She is a past president of the Society for Risk Analysis and serves as an Associate Editor for Environmental Science & Technology.

Scott Greenhaus graduated with degrees in Civil Engineering ('82) and an MBA ('86) from the University of Maryland is currently the Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of the Structural Group headquartered in Columbia MD.  The Structural Group is a construction technology and service provider specializing in concrete repair, strengthening, protection and new construction products, systems and services throughout the United States and the Middle East. Greenhaus began his career as an intern in 1980 through the UMD Co-op engineering program with the founding company of Structural Group, Structural Preservation Systems Inc.  Greenhaus has a variety of roles for Structural Group including Project and Branch Management as well a past President of subsidiary post-tensioning company VSL.  The company has grown from a 25 person company to 2000 employees and 25 offices.  Greenhaus is a member of the University Of Maryland Civil Engineering Board Of Visitors and has been on the Board of Directors of the Post-tensioning Institute (PTI), International Concrete repair Institute (ICRI) and American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC) and is a member of ASCE, ACI, ANS, and ASSE.  Greenhaus was also the past president of PTI and has chaired many committees in these trade and technical associations.

Steve Houff is President of Plano-Coudon Construction and has over 30 years of experience in the industry. His portfolio of work includes highly complex projects in a wide range of markets and delivery methods. He prioritizes building relationships with clients, subcontractors, and his team. Steve holds a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park.

When not at work, Steve enjoys running, playing golf, and attending sporting events with friends. He is an avid Maryland Terrapins fan and attends just about all of their home basketball games. Steve has young adult twin daughters, who he and his wife of 25 years adore and love to spend time with!

David Little graduated from the University of Maryland in 1976 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. In 1986, became one of the founding partners of the engineering firm Gutschick, Little & Weber, P.A.  GLW provides planning, engineering and surveying services throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area. Since establishing GLW, he has been a Principal – in- charge of a variety of residential projects ranging in size in both Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. As an employer, Little has been very supportive of the Cooperative Education Program at the University and has employed numerous students over the years. Many are still with the firm today and will be guiding GLW into the future. Little was licensed in 1981 as a Professional Engineer. Active for many years in the Maryland Building Industry Association, he served on the Home Builders Care Foundation (HBCF) for 7 years and President of the Foundation for 3 years. The HBCF constructs shelter related projects throughout the Washington Suburban Area. He also served as a Board of Director for the Building Industry for 10 years and served on the Executive Committee for 2 years. In 2003, Little received the Building Industry’s Presidents Award and in 2009 received the Joseph C. Rogers Sr. Memorial Award for Outstanding Associate Member for the Building Industry. Currently, while still a Partner at GLW, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Med-Star Montgomery Medical Center Foundation. The Foundation provides funds, through community philanthropy, to the medical center to purchase equipment, support programs and maintain facilities.

Camilo Restrepo is a 2009 MSc Civil and Environmental Engineer UMD graduate. He also holds a BS in Environmental Engineering from the EIA in Colombia 2004 and an MBA from Goizueta Business School at Emory in Atlanta from 2016, as well as several other executive management courses and seminars from top US schools. Mr Restrepo is currently President for the Cement Business Unit at Argos US, a company that manufactures and commercializes cement and concrete in the South East US and Texas. Camilo was previously VP for the Caribbean and Central America where he led the business for 12 countries and many export markets and before that held the position for VP Innovation at Argos and other appointments in the organization where he has worked for over 18 years. He had the honor and pleasure to participate in several corporate Boards for the companies in Central America and the Caribbean and currently is part of the Board of a fashion retail company in Colombia that represents several prestigious brands. Camilo loves spending time with his wife and kids and is a longstanding outdoor enthusiast and practices several sports. Happy and Honored to make part of the BOV of CEE and being able to give back and serve the UMD family.

*Chair, CEE Board of Visitors
Jason Spicer is a Division Vice President for The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company with over 20 years of experience in the construction industry.  Jason has a proven track record of delivering award-winning, challenging projects ranging from high-end multi-family buildings and luxury hotels to performing arts centers.  In addition to his roles overseeing a large business unit within Whiting-Turner’s portfolio, Jason provides oversight to our national residential campaign, and is the regional recruiting leader in the DC/NOVA area.  Jason has a wealth of clients that routinely seek his council when preparing for their next project.  When Jason isn’t with his Whiting-Turner family and clients, he enjoys time with his wife, Kathleen, and seven children...yes seven children, Kevin, Kelly, Kaitlyn, Kortney, Kristen, Kinley and Kora. Together, the family operates a small farm in Maryland where they raise beef cattle and sheep.  Jason and Kathleen both graduated from the University of MD and their children are active in the 4-H program in Howard County and regularly work with the University of MD Extension Service.

Erika Spissu obtained her Master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and her Ph.D. in Transport and Economics from the University of Cagliari (Italy). Subsequently, she conducted a Post-doctoral research at the University of Austin, Texas in travel behavior change programs, publishing numerous scientific articles on the topic. With over 15 years of industry experience in project management, behavioral research and methods, Erika is currently the Director of Travel Behavior at Transurban, an Australian-owned company that builds and operates toll roads in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, as well as in Greater Washington, United States and Montreal, Canada.

In her current role, Erika is responsible for leading the market research and behavioral insights agenda. She applies her expertise to inform strategic decision in the markets where Transurban operates, ensures visibility across functional teams, and plays a key role in multidisciplinary initiatives such as new product design and innovation. Erika has been recently appointed as a member of the University of Maryland Civil Engineering Board of Visitors.

Dena Volovar is President of Bechtel’s Nuclear, Security & Environmental (NS&E) global business unit. She has more than 26 years of experience in project management, operations, business development, and engineering. Her current portfolio includes the oversight of U.S. and allied government projects and nuclear power projects with missions focused on ensuring the world is cleaner, safer and more secure.

Bechtel’s NS&E global business unit encompasses all the company’s government contracts including work for the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Energy, and NASA, as well as nuclear power projects worldwide.

Joan Walker is Department Chair and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Berkeley. Walker’s research focuses on behavioral modeling, with expertise in discrete choice analysis and travel behavior. She works to improve the models that are used for transportation planning, policy, and operations. Walker is also a member of several professional organizations, including the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies and the Journal Editorial Boards. Walker has also received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) – the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers and serves as the Chair of the Committee on Transportation Demand Forecasting (ADB40) for the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies. 

Monica Watkins is Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of Housing Authority of Baltimore City. She is tasked with strategizing, planning, and expanding the operational efficiency of several divisions to include Public Housing, Private Management, Admissions & Leasing, Resident Services, Homeownership, Engineering and overall Housing Operations, Administration & Training.  She now leads over 400 team members in the daily execution of HABC’s mission to create and provide quality affordable housing opportunities in sustainable neighborhoods for the people HABC serves.  To accomplish this, Monica believes it starts with the leaders.  Thus, she is passionate about the development of thoughtful, intentional, and impactful leaders within HABC and regularly invests resources in leadership development and support. She holds a BSME from the University of Maryland College Park and an MBA-Finance from Loyola (College) University, as well as certifications in energy management, verification, and technology. Monica is also a 1989 graduate of the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and has over 18 years of local utility experience in the areas of gas engineering & construction, energy accounting and billing and electric policy, rates, and regulations.