Management Team

Joseph W. Maresca, Jr., PhD
Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Maresca is the CEO and one of several founders of Vista Engineering Technologies, L.L.C., a spin-off of the Environmental Engineering Program at Vista Research Inc., a program he developed and managed since 1984 as one of the company founders.  Prior to 1984, Dr. Maresca worked for nine years in the Remote Measurement Laboratory at SRI International as a Program Manager.  He also served as an officer in the U. S. Army, Corps of Engineers, for three years.  Dr. Maresca has over thirty-five years of applied engineering experience, developing and demonstrating environmental and defense-related measurement and detection systems, using a wide variety of technologies, including acoustic, electromagnetic, optical, radar, and tracer technologies.

Dr. Maresca has led and worked on many different types of novel and specialized technology-development programs for a variety of clients, including the DOE, DOD, EPA, API, EPRI, and the medical, television, and petroleum industries, and for a variety of applications, including subsurface, underwater, land, airborne, and space detection and measurement systems.  He has been responsible for commercializing many of these technologies under licensing programs, specialized contract services and manufacturing, and spin-off of commercial companies.  Dr. Maresca has over twenty patents and has published well over a hundred technical papers and reports.

Dr. Maresca holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University, a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Stanford University, and both a Masters and a PhD degree in Physical Oceanography from the University of Michigan.

Phillip C. Ohl, PE
President

Mr. Ohl is the President and one of the founding employees of Vista Engineering.  Mr. Ohl opened and managed the Richland, Washington office of Vista Research, Inc. prior to the formation of Vista Engineering in 2000.  Mr. Ohl has eighteen years of experience in operation and management of engineering systems associated with storage and retrieval of radioactive dangerous wastes.  Mr. Ohl’s background includes technical support through engineering service organizations, direct management of engineering staff and programs associated with plant life extension.  Mr. Ohl has authored numerous technical reports and refereed publications, primarily in the areas of corrosion monitoring and control.  Mr. Ohl is also a co-inventor on two patents.

Mr. Ohl’s specific experience includes direct support to the US Department of Energy Tank Structural Integrity Panel, US Department of Energy High-Level Waste Tanks Safety Task Force, and Chairman of the NACE T-2A-2 Committee on Interim Storage of Radioactive Liquid Wastes.  This industry specific experience over many years make Mr. Ohl a recognized expert in the areas of corrosion monitoring and control as well as tank system integrity assessments and plant life extension.

Mr. Ohl holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Materials Science & Engineering from Washington State University, and a Master of Engineering Management degree also from Washington State University.  Mr. Ohl is also a Registered Professional Engineer, Mechanical Branch in the State of Washington.

Wesley L. Bratton, PhD, PE
Vice President, Science & Technology

Dr. Bratton has broad experience in the design and deployment of environmental sensing and sampling systems associated with characterization of radioactive and hazardous wastes.  He has performed advanced research into the application of various analytical techniques for in-situ measurement of chemical concentrations. Techniques applied consist of thermal desorbtion, in-situ purging, Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, X-Ray fluorescence and Gamma Spectroscopy techniques. He has managed activities to develop advanced vadose zone characterization techniques for the tank farm soils surrounding buried hazardous waste tanks. Dr. Bratton has also developed advanced long-term monitoring techniques for soil moisture and contaminate movement.  These techniques include various advanced electrical resistance techniques which can also be used for leak detection of waste storage systems.

In other work Dr. Bratton has developed advanced analysis methods in fields concerning soil dynamics and environmental modeling.  He has combined groundwater-modeling techniques with in-situ chemical measurement to improve effectiveness of rapid site characterization programs.  He also has performed advanced analysis of seismic cone penetrometer data to determine shearwave profiles and damping coefficients.  Dr. Bratton also managed a program to determine waste material strength characteristics for retrieval system design using in-situ cone penetrometer techniques.

Dr. Bratton has extensive experience in the supervision/management of engineering staff.  He has been responsible for project and technology management including supervision to meet technical objectives and staffing requirements.  He has managed numerous projects consisting of planning, budgeting, scheduling and technical writing. 

Dr. Bratton holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Texas Tech University, a Masters degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech, and a PhD in Civil Engineering from Texas Tech University.  Dr. Bratton is also a Registered Professional Engineer, Civil Branch, in the State of Washington.  Dr. Bratton has been awarded five patents and published over fifty technical reports and peer-reviewed papers in various publications.

James R. Kriskovich, PE
Vice-President, Engineering

Mr. Kriskovich is the Vice President of Engineering and one of the founding employees of Vista Engineering.  Mr. Kriskovich has extensive experience in design and management of HVAC systems, code and standard expertise, and extensive knowledge with Washington State and DOE design and environmental requirements and regulations.

Mr. Kriskovich’s fourteen years of experience as a lead engineer and Design Authority combined with his representation on the ASME Board of Nuclear Codes and Standards, Committee On Nuclear Air and Gas Treatment and a Faculty member of the Harvard University In-Place Filter Testing Workshop make him a recognized expert in design, fabrication, installation and testing of HVAC systems, as well as other general mechanical systems. 

Mr. Kriskovich holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Montana State University.  Mr. Kriskovich is also a Registered Professional Engineer, Mechanical Branch in the States of Washington and Idaho.

George L. Crawford, PE
Chief Engineer

Mr. Crawford is the Chief Engineer and one of the founding employees of Vista Engineering.  Mr. Crawford has over twenty-six years of experience in engineering design, development testing, and program management.  He has managed multi-year budget plans, long term program plans, and his program and project management experiences range from general plant projects to major system acquisitions.

Mr. Crawford has design and development testing expertise in hydraulics, control systems, remote mechanical, HVAC, and plant utility systems.  He has coordinated design and construction projects both as an individual contributor and manager.  Mr. Crawford’s many years of engineering are complimented with his military service in the United States Marine Corps as an electronics technician and his hands-on experience growing up in rural Eastern Washington.  Mr. Crawford’s engineering experience is further complimented by his early assignment as a test engineer for Caterpillar Tractor Company.

Mr. Crawford holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Washington State University, as well as a Masters of Engineering Management also from Washington State University.  Mr. Crawford is also a Registered Professional Engineer, Mechanical Branch in the State of Washington.

Most recently, Mr. Crawford is serving as Deputy Project Manager for the Tank Farm Stack Relocation Project for CH2MHill at the Hanford Site.

Lori M. Kostelnik
Manager, Idaho Operations

Ms. Kostelnik is the Manager of Vista Engineering’s newest office in Idaho Falls.  She has over twenty-three years of technical and managerial experience in design engineering, project/programmatic management, business development and organizational supervision.  Prior to her position at Vista Engineering, Ms. Kostelnik operated her own independent consulting firm, providing services to both private and government companies in engineering and project management, strategic and business planning, and proposal development. 

Ms. Kostelnik’s business experience includes both managerial and technical remote systems engineering positions at both the former Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) in Idaho and the Hanford site in Washington.  She established the robotics program at the INEL and served as the national Buried Waste Robotics Program coordinator for the U.S. Department of Energy.  While at the INEL, Ms. Kostelnik also managed the Strategic Planning department for Westinghouse and the Mission Development department for Lockheed.

Ms. Kostelnik’s educational background includes a Master of Engineering Management from the University of Idaho and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Montana State University.  She has also taught as an adjunct professor for the University of Idaho and performed technical research for Vanderbilt University. 

Vista Engineering Staff