William K. Jones, PE (Ken)
Principal Engineer – Rhumbline Consultants PLLC
1700 N. Monroe St. Suite 11-285
Tallahassee, FL 32303 USA
Telephone: 850.545.9436
ken@rlconsultants.net
Introduction
I have spent my career working on infrastructure and environmental projects involving the coastal zone and water resource sectors. For over 20 years I was with PBS&J (now Atkins NA), an ESOP company servicing the infrastructure and environmental resource sectors. In my tenure I initiated the coastal engineering program for the company, beginning from a small group of 3 and growing it to over 50 professionals by 2015. The group generated year over year growth in both top and bottom line financials as well as staffing. The coastal group added port planning and later port infrastructure to provide a fully integrated marine business within the company. As Vice President and the Sector Manager for the Port and Coastal Sector for Atkins I provided strategic planning leadership, facilitated our budgetary and operational controls, and provided technical supervision of port and coastal engineering and planning projects.
As a chief technical expert in the area of coast/physical oceanography I was also responsible for the design and direction of complex efforts in the coastal zone. I have over 30 years of experience in consulting including working in government were I was responsible for operations project development, design, permitting, contracting and construction management, as well as water resources analyses in river and estuarine systems.
My management goal has always been to work with the professionals on our team, encouraging them to follow their specific areas of interest within the broad disciplines we provided our clients. This allowed our group to grow our business by providing clients with expertise in areas our staff were passionate. This strategy provided our staff to work within an environment for self-improvement and entrepreneurship, allowing staff to build their own professional practices within our open corporate framework.
PBS&J was an employee owned company with 3700 employees until October 2010 when it was acquired by WS Atkins, a global engineering consultancy operating on the UK stock exchange.
Professional Experience:
Oct 2017 – Present – Principal Engineer for Rhumbline Consultants PLLC
Nov 2015 to June 2018 – On long-term sabbatical sailing with family from Florida to the West Indies. Sole proprietor WK Jones Engineering.
1996 – Oct 2015: Atkins North America Inc/PBS&J, Tallahassee, FL
2014 – Vice President, Sector Manager, Port and Coastal Sector
2014 – Florida Engineering Society Leadership Program
2013 – Silo Buster Award (National award for collaboration and sales for multiple business units)
2009 – Vice President, Sr. Practice Manager Port and Coastal Engineering Practice
2007 – Vice President, Division Manager of Port and Coastal Engineering Division
2006 – Vice President
2005 – John Buckley National Project Manager Awarded
2004 – PBS&J Leadership Program
2003 – Associate Vice President
2001 – Principal Engineer (Coastal Oceanography), induction into the PBS&J associates program (profit sharing)
1996 – Sr. Engineer/Project manager
1989-1996 – Northwest Florida Water Management District, Bureau Chief; Surface Water Bureau, Director of Engineering
1987-1989 – PBSJ, Tallahassee, FL; Sr. Engineer
1985 -1987 – Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL; Research Associate, Physical Oceanography
1982 – 1985 – The Goodling Co., Tallahassee, FL, staff engineer, promoted to Vice President
1980 – 1982 – International Field Studies, Columbus, Ohio, (Andros Is., Bahamas); Divemaster and operations manager, SCUBA program
Education
M.S., Physical Oceanography, Florida State University, 1990
B.S., Civil Engineering, Ohio State University, 1980
Registrations
Professional Engineer
Florida 39523, 1988
Louisiana 31881, 2005 (inactive and can be renewed when required)
Professional Affiliations
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Association of Coastal Engineers
Florida Engineering Society (FES)
Estuarine Research Federation (ERF)
Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association (FSBPA)
American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA)
Past Board Member of the Tallahassee Museum of Natural History
Technical Advisory Board - The University of North Florida Engineering Department
Certifications
Florida Engineering Leadership Institute Class of 2014
PBS&J Leadership Program 2005
OSHA 10
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (Foreign Business Ethics Course)
PMP course
International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers (IANTD)
Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI Divemaster)
National Association for Cave Diving (NACI) (Cavern Diving)