Our Professional Staff

One way to ensure a timely error-free work product is through communication and teamwork developed over many years of business. Our corporate management team has been together a long time. This listed experience is solely in the field of subsurface utility engineering.  The following is a management seniority list.

Management Team

Key Staff

Henry "Garon" Stutzman

H. Garon Stutzman is Chairman and founder of the So-Deep family of companies.  This family includes So-Deep, Inc., , So-Deep US, P.C., and So-Deep Michigan LLC.  Mr. Stutzman is a holder of a U.S. patent for sewer infiltration mitigation.  He is the founder of the Subsurface Utility Engineering profession.  Mr. Stutzman was selected the "1990 Entrepreneur of the Year" for the Washington D.C. area by the award sponsors, INC. Magazine, Merrill Lynch and Earnst & Young.  He is a lifetime inductee into the "Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame" located in Chapel Hill, NC and a 1993 inductee into Oxford's Who's Who.

Michael J. Fisher, P.L.S.

Mr. Fisher serves as President of the So-Deep Companies.  He has 31 years of professional experience encompassing all aspects of surveying.  His responsibilities have included utility design and relocation, "as-built" mapping of underground utilities, property surveys, photogrammetric control surveys, topographic surveys, route and right-of-way surveys, subdivision design and platting, field inspection and site evaluations, and design of fully automated data collection systems.  He has over seventeen years’ experience managing state DOT SUE-type contracts.  Mr. Fisher’s subsurface utility engineering experience is unparalleled; no other individual is as eminently qualified to direct subsurface utility engineering efforts. Mr. Fisher  led So-Deep's total automation of field and office operations, including the implementation of electronic data collection and CADD systems that have revolutionized the speed and accuracy of providing subsurface utility engineering data.  Mr. Fisher’s licensures as a land surveyor in 14 states gives him the extensive background necessary to manage our other registered professionals.  Mr. Fisher is a hands-on principal.  In the past year, he has personally spent more than twenty weeks in our various offices making certain that our DOTs’ work products were returned on time and error free.  From 1970 - 1985, he was chief surveyor for Boyer, Kantz & Associates, Wellsboro, PA.

Robert G. Humphreys

Robert G. (Bob) Humphreys joined So-Deep in 1984. He has twenty-seven (27) years of engineering management experience. As Past President of So-Deep, Inc., he was responsible for all operations, accounting, financial planning, sales, marketing, and long-term planning.  Bob designed and fabricated four different generations of state-of-the-art vacuum excavation trucks during his tenure with So-Deep. As such, his knowledge of air\vacuum systems, an integral part of subsurface utility engineering’s "locating" service, is unsurpassed. He was also responsible for the oversight of the development and implementation of So-Deep’s training and certification program for the field positions necessary to accomplish utility mapping. Through this process, he has gained a high level of understanding the necessary field techniques for utility mapping. From 1979 - 1984 Bob was Mechanical Design Engineer for Value Systems and Engineering, Alexandria, Virginia. From 1972 - 1979, he was Mechanical Engineer for General Environments Corp., Alexandria, Virginia. During this time, he held many governmental security clearances.  Bob continues to serve as a So-Deep Principal, and works on special issues and projects.

James H. Anspach, P.G.

Jim serves as our in-house and national expert on standard of care issues in the subsurface utility engineering profession.  He is currently Chairman of the ASCE’s Construction Standards Council and the ASCE’s Committee on “Standard Guideline for the Collection and Depiction of Existing Subsurface Utility Data.”  He has served as an expert witness for both legislative and judicial proceedings.  His broad exposure to virtually every SUE program in the country ensures that the good ideas from the industry are brought back to our clients. He has used this knowledge to provide training in subsurface utility engineering to over 25 state DOTs and thousands of consulting civil engineers.  He has developed and taught academic courses at Purdue, George Mason, Texas A&M, and University of Wisconsin, among other universities. Jim also has extensive experience in the field of utility coordination.  He serves as our Principal-in-Responsible Charge of our Virginia DOT and Maryland SHA contracts for this service.  He serves as Project Manager for Utility Coordination and Relocation Design for portions of the $2.8B Woodrow Wilson Bridge project, and the Rte 28 (Dulles Corridor) project.  He is an instructor for FHWA’s Highway Utility Issues course dealing with accommodation and coordination. He is the author of over 50 publications on subsurface utility engineering.  He is a licensed professional geologist in three states.

Thuy-Anh Pham, C.P.A.

Mrs. Pham serves as So-Deep's Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.  She has more than twenty years in the accounting profession. She has worked in all areas of accounting. Her career has spanned manufacturing and service industries. Mrs. Pham has extensive experience with government contracts and price proposals following Federal Acquisition Regulations and Cost Accounting Standards. She has prepared many audits conducted by various state governmental agencies. Mrs. Pham joined So-Deep in 1986, and is one of the premier experts in the field of the financial aspects and operations of subsurface utility engineering.

Charles Weatherhead, Esq.

Chuck Weatherhead is So-Deep's Assistant Vice President.  Our original corporate counsel in 1981-1984, he returned to So-Deep in 2005.  He has over 30 years experience in general business law, finance, and taxation with an emphasis in contract law, business and real property planning; and federal income, estate and gift taxation.

Michael E. Rice

Mike Rice is our Director – Special Projects.  There is no one person in the nation with more direct field experience in Designating and Locating than Mr. Rice.  He was So-Deep’s first employee and developed much of So-Deep’s training and certification program.  He consistently performs the most difficult utility mapping projects that our clients can produce.  Before joining So-Deep, he had a successful military career, culminating as a special liaison with the US Secret Service VIP Protective Detail.  

Louis F. Ostendorff, III, P.E.

Louis F. Ostendorff, III, P.E. joined So-Deep in 1988.  He serves as Vice President of So-Deep US, P.C.  Lou has 27 years experience as an engineer, 22 years experience as a professional engineer, and 13 years specializing in subsurface utility engineering.  His responsibilities have included resolving utility conflicts, design and routing of proposed or existing utility facilities, managing drafting, mapping, and design functions, project management, field construction and supervision, and conducting utility field inspections.  Mr. Ostendorff is the resident professional and principal of So-Deep=s Raleigh office. His current responsibilities also include coordinating and conducting utility field inspections, providing preliminary cost estimates, utility relocation and design, optimization of work methods through automation and computers and review and endorsement of So-Deep's work.  Mr. Ostendorff assisted in the successful automation of Company procedures/ practices, and wrote computer programs to improve cost effectiveness and accuracy of work product.  From 1975 - 1988, he was Mining Engineer at the Consolidation Coal Company, Bluefield, VA.  He oversaw the engineering requirements for twelve (12) underground coal mines, and he was responsible for new mine design and construction.  Mr. Ostendorff designed and supervised construction of Maitland Mine's twin ventilation shafts.

Cary A. Skahn, P.E.

Cary A. Skahn, P.E. joined So-Deep in 1990.  Cary Skahn has 19 years of experience in the engineering profession.  During his career, Mr. Skahn's responsibilities have included drainage design, specifications writing, field inspections and site evaluations, bridge/pipe structural analysis and design, soil analysis/hydraulic analysis, project management, and estimating.  At So-Deep, he has served in many capacities and is currently our Corporate Manager for Engineering & CADD.  He has stamped over $10,000,000 of SUE mapping deliverables in his tenure with So-Deep.  He has extensive experience with most common CADD and survey platforms, including Microstation.  Cary has served as Professional-in-Responsible Charge of subsurface utility engineering contracts in Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, and Pennsylvania.  He has also served as Professional-in-Responsible Charge of subsurface utility engineering select projects in 6 other states.  Cary has trained many of our professionals in our other offices in subsurface utility engineering issues. Cary is registered as a professional engineer in 34 states.  He has extensive utility relocation design experience.  From 1989 - 1990, he was Regional Engineer for Unistrut Corporation, Ann Arbor, MI.  From 1982 - 1988, Mr. Skahn was Regional Engineer for Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Company, Waltham, MA.  From 1979-1980, he was an estimator for McBro Planning & Development Company, St. Louis, MO.

David R. Cole, P.L.S.

David R. Cole, P.S. has been our Ohio District Manager from the time he joined So-Deep in 1995.  Since that time, he has professionally managed, reviewed, and stamped numerous subsurface utility engineering projects for the Ohio Department of Transportation and other clients.  This has included the designating, surveying, and mapping of over 1,500,000 linear feet of underground utilities and 900 test holes.  An additional 550,000 linear feet and 700 test holes were completed for other clients within the State.  Mr. Cole has developed an excellent professional relationship with the Department’s personnel, area utility owners, permit agencies, and engineering firms. 

Al Kurz, P.E., P.L.S.

So-Deep’s Utility Design and Survey Manager, Al Kurz, P.E., P.L.S., has more than 21 years of specific experience in municipal utility design, gathered as a Director of Public Works for a Virginia urban municipality.  His technical expertise is recognized by one of the largest urban areas in the country, Fairfax County, where he sits on the Permits and Design Review Board.  He is also an instructor for courses at the prestigious Engineers & Surveyors Institute. 

Melvin Spencer, P.L.S. 

Mel Spencer has more than twenty-one (21) years of field and supervisory experience in surveying.  His responsibilities have included field surveys and computations, supervision of field crews in construction stakeout, topographical and boundary line surveys, records research and interpretation, data evaluation and verification, and training of field personnel in field operations.  He serves as our corporate expert in GPS systems.  Mr. Spencer joined So-Deep in 1992.  Mr. Spencer is the full-time professional in charge of land surveying services of So-Deep's Fishersville, Virginia office, and provides survey and GPS support to all So-Deep=s offices.  Prior to joining So-Deep he was Party Chief for Lee S. Rood Land Surveyors, P.C., Norfolk, VA and Instrumentman/Chainman for Baldwin & Gregg, Ltd. Norfolk, VA.

William D. Pickering, P.E.

Bill is the former Chief of Right of Way and Utilities for the Pennsylvania DOT.  He served in this capacity for eight years.  Previous to that, he served in various positions including assistant District Engineer.  Bill has a total of 40 years experience in utility issues, including a stint as AASHTO's author of its Best Utility Practices Manual in 2000.  He has vast experience overseeing urban and rural municipal water and sewer design, special provisions, reimbursement issues and so forth.

Steve Harsanyi, Jr.

Mr. Harsanyi was So-Deep’s first employee to be hired under its Project Manager Trainee Program in 1988.  He serves as our District Director in our Manassas Park, VA office, responsible for the operations of four branch offices.  He has managed well over 1,000 separate DOT mapping projects.  He has responsibility for the quality, accuracy, and completeness of all data obtained/recorded by multiple designating, locating, and survey crews.  His duties include personnel recruitment and training, equipment care and maintenance, project scheduling and control, quality assurance, project review, customer relations, and safety for equipment, employees and the public.  Mr. Harsanyi is thoroughly familiar with the MUTCD and has designed and implemented traffic control plans for literally hundreds of urban, suburban, and rural projects.  He has 40 Hour OSHA HAZWOPPER training and OSHA confined space training.

Lawrence A. Cromer

Larry Cromer has 18 years of subsurface utility engineering experience. Mr. Cromer joined So-Deep in 1983.  Utilizing So-Deep's training programs, he quickly became proficient in So-Deep's operations and was selected to supervise all field work in the Tidewater, Virginia area.  Mr. Cromer established an office in Chesapeake, Virginia and assembled and trained a team of utility designating and locating technicians.  Mr. Cromer served as project manager and customer liaison for numerous projects performed by So-Deep, including the Raleigh Beltline, Capital Boulevard and other projects.   Mr. Cromer was promoted to Branch Manager of the Virginia Beach, Virginia Branch in 1988.  As Branch Manager, Mr. Cromer  was responsible for the efficient scheduling and managing of designating, surveying and locating crews for a branch office.  He was also responsible for utility records review, preliminary field inspections and quality assurance of field data.  Mr. Cromer currently serves as our District Director of Branch Operations; Mr. Cromer's responsibilities include all office and field operations for four branches. His duties include personnel recruitment and training, equipment care and maintenance, project scheduling and control, quality assurance, project review, customer relations, and safety for equipment, employees and the public.

Tom Rock

Tom has 22 years of utility experience and joined So-Deep in 1992.  He served as Branch Manager of our Raleigh, NC office for 10 years.  During this time, he managed many utility mapping projects of a diverse nature, including highway, airport, process plant, military, and industrial.  He is currently our District Director - Southern, responsible for the management of our North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia offices.

Mark A. Warden

Mark joined So-Deep in 1984 and spent his first several years obtaining invaluable experience in designating, locating, and surveying functions.  Mr. Warden was promoted to Manager-Customer Service in 1990, and again to Corporate Contracts Administrator in 1996. Mr. Warden’s responsibilities include managing and assignment scheduling of Area Representatives; utility owner coordination and record review; coordination and work assignment with Disadvantaged Business Enterprise partners; presentations and information briefings of the use of subsurface utility engineering services; and acting as a liaison between So-Deep clients and operations departments.  He is also responsible for permit acquisition, project evaluation, development and scheduling.

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