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, PMP
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.

Most recently, Mr. Ohl has been the Independent, Qualified, Registered Professional Engineer for RCRA closure activities in the states of Washington and Oregon. 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 States of Washington and Oregon and a certified Project Management Professional.

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.

David A. Rohrig, PE, PMP
Chief Engineer

Mr. Rohrig is the Chief Engineer and has been with Vista Engineering since 2005.  Prior to joining Vista Engineering, Mr. Rohrig worked for nine years at the Aerodynamics Noise Propulsion Lab at the Boeing Company as a project engineer.

Mr. Rohrig has extensive experience in mechanical design and project management. His experience includes project planning, detail design, structural analysis, including finite element analysis, overseeing fabrication and assembly and testing of hardware. 

In his twelve years of experience Mr. Rohrig has proven his ability to design both systems and components for a variety of applications.  His experience in aerospace testing has allowed him to be involved in the development of a diverse range of product, including both commercial and defense airframes   

Mr. Rohrig holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Idaho and a Masters of Engineering Management from Washington State University.  Mr. Rohrig is also a Registered Professional Engineer, Mechanical Branch in the States of Washington, Idaho, New Mexico and South Carolina.  He is also certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) by PMI.  Mr. Rohrig is a graduate of Leadership Tri-Cities, Class XIII.

C. Wade Singleton, PE
Chief Engineer, Idaho Operations

Mr. Singleton is the Chief Engineer of Idaho Operations and has been with Vista since late 2006.  Prior to joining Vista, Mr. Singleton worked for 16 years at the Naval Reactors Facility in Idaho Falls, Idaho in varying capacities from equipment design engineer to group engineering manager.    

Mr. Singleton has experience in the fields of Mechanical Engineering and Project Management in the area of fuel processing equipment design for use in nuclear facilities. This design experience spans the whole design process from concept through equipment fabrication, installation, checkout, and commissioning. 

Mr. Singleton’s past experience also includes the use of several Solid Modeling programs as well as experience in the structural analysis of equipment and structures using both hand calculation methods and computer methods.  

Mr. Singleton holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University and also has numerous post graduate credits focusing in fluids.  Mr. Singleton is a registered Professional Engineer (Mechanical Branch) in the states of Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and Illinois.

Paulie Santos, P.E. PMP, M-ASCE
Chief Project Manager

Mr. Santos is the Chief Project Manager of Vista Engineering Technologies, LLC.  Mr. Santos has greater than 20 years of experience in the field of Project Management, Structural and Thermal Analysis in the aerospace, silicon chip tool manufacturing, power generation, and Civil Structures industries.

Using the teaming approach, he has led engineering efforts that met DOE-RL mandated Program Milestones which had aggressive schedules.  He also has taken over numerous projects to successfully make a product that met Design Requirements and Objectives in a timely manner.  Some of his major successes include project management and engineering of (1) outer space power generators, (2) laser cutting optical tool assemblies for developing silicon chips, (3) development of integrated defense air platform systems, (4) analysis of commercial airplane wing structures and (5) controlled-predictable demolition and load-out of Structures, Systems and Components in the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

Mr. Santos holds a Master’s of Engineering Degree from the University of Washington with a concentration in Civil Structural Engineering and a Bachelor’s of Science Degree from the University of California, Davis in Mechanical Engineering.  He is a Registered Professional Civil Engineer in the State of Washington and is a Certified PMP.  Mr. Santos is a Qualified Fall Protection Engineer by Mine Safety Appliances (MSA) Company.  Mr. Santos is also the diversity contact, a government key contact and a scholarship committee member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Mid-Columbia Branch.

Vista Engineering Staff