Houston Staff

Ron Spillman, P.E.^Top
ron.spillman@hfpacoustical.com
Resume

Mr. Spillman has 26 years of experience as an acoustical consultant. He has worked on a broad range of acoustical projects involving the oil, gas, petrochemical, and power industries, as well as transportation, environmental, and architectural acoustics projects. He has provided sound level measurements and assessments for a wide variety of clients with facilities around the world, and has developed detailed computer noise models and/or noise control studies for power plants, refineries, petrochemical plants, compressor stations, gas processing facilities, manufacturing plants, paper mills, drilling rigs, retail chains, engine and industrial equipment manufacturers, LNG plants, and cogen facilities. He has also developed noise control treatment recommendations for these facilities as needed to meet the requirements of environmental and occupational noise regulations. Mr. Spillman has also provided measurements, reviews, and recommendations for architectural and commercial clients involving aspects such as room acoustics, mechanical and HVAC noise, sound transmission loss testing, environmental noise impacts, and project siting issues. Mr. Spillman has appeared at many regulatory hearings and has provided expert witness services and trial preparation assistance in numerous legal cases involving noise.

Omar Longoria, B.Sc., M.B.A., P.E.^Top
omar.longoria@hfpacoustical.com
Resume

Mr. Longoria has bachelors and advanced degrees, plus 24 years of experience in acoustical engineering. He is one of the rare acoustical consultants with great experience, talent, and competence in both architectural and industrial acoustics. He can measure noise from a gas turbine exhaust in the morning, and design an excellent auditorium sound system that afternoon. Mr. Longoria is in constant demand by architects and developers for his expertise in room and theater acoustics, building mechanical equipment noise control, and audio/visual system designs. He is equally respected in industrial settings because of his extensive experience in industrial noise and vibration measurements, noise modeling, and noise control designs.

Bill Schuermann^Top
bill.schuermann@hfpacoustical.com
Resume

Mr. Schuermann has unequaled expertise in audio/visual and sound design. He has over 30 years of experience in system design, audio product development, and product representation. He designs systems for performance halls, auditoriums, stadiums, churches, luxury hotels, and other public performance spaces. He understands the requirements of the audience, the performers, and the venue owners, and works to integrate their disparate needs into workable and economical system designs. Bill Schuermann also designs audio/visual, teleconference, and videoconference systems for boardrooms, meeting halls, and conference facilities.

Juan Cerda^Top
juan.cerda@hfpacoustical.com

Mr. Cerda has 17 years of experience in the field of acoustics. He is a talented and experienced designer of audio and sound masking systems. In addition, he has conducted hundreds of sound and vibration field measurement surveys for a wide variety of industrial and architectural clients across North America, including entire gas transmission pipelines.

Dave Jones, P.E.^Top
dave.jones@hfpacoustical.com
Resume

Mr. Jones has a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University, and seven years of experience as an acoustical consultant. He has conducted noise measurement surveys in North, South, and Central America, the Caribbean, and Asia. Mr. Jones is a brilliant noise modeler, and has made complex computer noise models for more than 40 power plants, compressor stations, and other industrial complexes. He is also an expert in diagnostic noise measurements, specializing in separating and quantifying contributions from individual noise sources in complex sound fields. He is also knowledgeable and capable in the field of architectural acoustics and mechanical noise control.

Tim Simmons, Ph.D.^Top
tim.simmons@hfpacoustical.com
Resume

Dr. Simmons has a Ph.D. in physics from Olemiss where he studied at the National Center for Physical Acoustics. He has directed a wide variety of projects in industrial noise control, architectural acoustics, and vibration impact assessments. He has conducted environmental noise impact assessments and mitigation design for petrochemical facilities, pipeline compressor stations, power stations, and drilling operations. He develops noise control recommendations for many systems, including gas turbines, recip engines, motors, generators, chillers, coolers, and ventilation systems. He executes diagnostic noise surveys and excels at computer noise modeling. He has served as an expert witness at several public hearings. Architectural acoustics project experience includes assessment of coupled spaces, speech privacy, wall/floor tests, mechanical/plumbing noise assessments, and window glazing performance assessments. He has performed baseline noise and vibration surveys and siting assessments for MRIs and other sensitive equipment as well as for transportation projects.

Thaddeus Leopoulos, E.I.T.^Top
thaddeus.leopoulos@hfpacoustical.com
Resume

Mr. Leopoulos has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University. He provides acoustical consulting for architectural and audio/visual projects, as well as industrial noise issues. Mr. Leopoulos is a creative and capable developer of interior acoustics models that visually and audibly demonstrate the sound fields in auditoriums, churches, and other spaces, and can be used to show the effect room treatments and different loudspeaker types, placements, and orientations. He also provides mechanical noise control assessments and designs, and conducts environmental sound level surveys.

Ashton Taylor^Top
ashton.taylor@hfpacoustical.com
Resume

Mr. Taylor has many years experience in the fields of architectural acoustics, sound reinforcement system design, and mechanical and industrial noise control. He has worked on a broad range of architectural projects including concert halls, opera houses, music schools, educational performing arts centers, churches, gymnasiums, arenas, stadiums, natatoriums, office buildings, medical facilities, and laboratories. Additionally, he has experience in industrial facilities including gas compressor stations, LNG plants, power generation plants, petrochemical plants, refineries, and manufacturing plants. Mr. Taylor has performed environmental noise surveys for both industrial and architectural facilities. Mr. Taylor is a member of the Acoustical Society of America, the Audio Engineering Society, and the Guild of American Luthiers.

Matt Kinch, P.E.^Top
matt.kinch@hfpacoustical.com
Resume

Mr. Kinch has over 9 years of experience as an acoustical consultant specializing in industrial noise control, mechanical noise control, environmental noise control, interior room acoustics, sound system design, and acoustical modeling for clients throughout the US and the world. He has worked on numerous projects involving natural gas compressor stations, petrochemical plants, power generation facilities. Mr. Kinch has extensive experience with environmental noise surveys and related analyses, noise predictions, noise contours, and development of noise mitigation designs as needed to meet local, state, and federal noise limits. In addition, Mr. Kinch has been involved in architectural acoustic projects requiring room acoustics, mechanical (HVAC & plumbing) noise analysis and vibration control. He has experience in the design and development of electro-acoustic systems for sound reinforcement of music & speech for performance spaces.

James Sellars^Top
james.sellars@hfpacoustical.com

Mr. Sellars has years of experience in CAD drafting and design. He has constructed 3-D models and drawings of acoustical spaces such as church sanctuaries and auditoriums. He also drafts audio/visual designs for submittal purposes for a variety of architectural projects. He is gaining field experience in industrial and acoustical measurements.

Nicholas Block^Top, E.I.T.
nick.block@hfpacoustical.com
Resume

Mr. Block has experience in acoustical prediction modeling as well as data acquisition. During his undergraduate studies, Mr. Block worked on an industrial noise control project for a major manufacturing company as well as sound system design projects for the University. Mr. Block is currently expanding his knowledge in audio-visual design and acoustical prediction modeling.

Kristy Rukavina, P.E., LEED AP^Top
kristy.rukavina@hfpacoustical.com

Resume

Ms. Rukavina is experienced as a mechanical and acoustical engineer, with careful attention to recommended noise criteria for space conditions. She has been in charge of numerous cost-effective & well engineered energy saving projects in the fields of oil & technology, Healthcare, Industrial, Retail, Commercial, Foodservice, Residential, Education, Religious & Industrial. She has a proven track record of completing projects on time and within budget constraints. Her understanding of LEED® principles contributes valuable knowledge to our staff.

Clay C. Wisner^Top
clay.wisner@hfpacoustical.com

Mr. Wisner's broad-based experience in the industry brings a unique perspective to the audio/visual design division. From nightclub sound/lighting/video design to systems for houses of worship, he has successfully dealt with wide-ranging clients and situations. In over ten years working for a top A/V contractor, he has amassed the "boots-on-the-ground" experience to understand and surmount the challenges that arise during projects. With a background in control system design and programming, including touch panel graphic design, Clay Wisner has the creative mindset to provide clients with sophisticated yet simple-to-operate systems.

David Gagnon^Top, M.S.
david.gagnon@hfpacoustical.com

Mr. Gagnon has a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. His graduate studies consisted of sound propagation research and extensive acoustics coursework, including architectural acoustics and signal processing. He has contributed substantially to detailed computer models for outdoor noise prediction as well as baseline vibration surveys for the siting of sensitive equipment. He also assists with sound measurements, data analysis, and documentation for a variety of projects.

Eva Kellstrom Macpherson^Top
eve.macpherson@hfpacoustical.com

Resume

Ms. Kellstrom has an Associate degree in Marketing and Graphic Communications from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and eleven year experience working with engineers and assisting with drawing preparation & submittal. At HFP she performs document preparation including office management, reception, contract administration, insurance policies, assistance with invoice preparation, banking services and payables, and general assistance for engineers and consultants.

Robin Wicker^Top
robin.wicker@hfpacoustical.com

Ms. Wicker is responsible for bookkeping and billing.