About Us

Vic Suchodolski took over the leadership of Sargent & Lundy in January 2023, having served previously as the executive vice president of Sargent & Lundy’s electrical grid infrastructure services, and senior vice president & project director.

Suchodolski joined Sargent & Lundy in 1997 as an electrical project engineer and held roles of increasing levels of responsibility in power plant and electrical grid design, engineering, and project management. Early in his career at the firm, Suchodolski supported Sargent & Lundy’s nuclear power business through multi-disciplined project work including power uprate, security, and reliability-focused modifications. He also served as the responsible engineer for the electrical design on simple cycle peaker unit projects for the firm’s energy and industrial projects.

During Suchodolski’s tenure as a project director, he was responsible for managing relationships with a diverse client base who teamed with Sargent & Lundy in pursuit of projects in the transmission, distribution, substation, renewable energy, and nuclear power space. In 2011, he was promoted to senior vice president with oversight of both power delivery and nuclear power projects. During that period, he managed the firm’s regional offices in Wilmington, Delaware, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. More recently, he was responsible for the firm opening and expanding offices in New Jersey, Maryland, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Puerto Rico.

In his role as executive vice president, Suchodolski was responsible for the overall management of the firm’s efforts related to power transmission and distribution, substation design, battery energy storage, renewable interconnects, and grid modernization.

INDUSTRY AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

• Board of Directors Nuclear Energy Institute
• Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers
• United Way Tocqueville Society

EDUCATION

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania
• MBA from Villanova University

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS

Licensed Professional Engineer – Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Virginia

Thomas Behringer is an executive vice president with more than 40 years of experience with Sargent & Lundy, focused primarily on nuclear power projects. He is the director of the firm’s nuclear power business, responsible for the overall management of all nuclear new generation and nuclear services work performed by Sargent & Lundy.

During his tenure as a project director, Behringer led the firm’s execution of major nuclear projects for multiple clients in the United States and internationally, managing long term relationships with major clients. His project experience includes new generation facilities, major plant upgrades, and specialized nuclear and related support facilities for the Department of Energy and the National Labs.

Behringer joined the firm in 1981 as a structural engineer involved in engineering, design, and construction support for nuclear, coal, and gas-fired power plants.

INDUSTRY AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

• Nuclear Energy Institute’s Nuclear Strategic Issues Advisory Committee (NSIAC)
• American Nuclear Society
• Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI)
• United Way Tocqueville Society
• Engineering Advisory Board, University of Cincinnati
• Engineering Advisory Board, University of Illinois

EDUCATION

• B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Cincinnati
• M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS

• Licensed Professional Engineer – Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, New Mexico, and Tennessee
• Licensed Structural Engineer – Illinois

Tom Foley is the senior vice president and director of Sargent & Lundy’s electrical grid infrastructure services. In this role, he is responsible for the overall management of the firm’s efforts related to power transmission and distribution, substation design, battery energy storage, electric vehicle infrastructure, renewable interconnects, and grid modernization.

Foley joined Sargent & Lundy in 2016 as a vice president and project director, helping the firm’s electric grid infrastructure business more than double its operations throughout the U.S. during his tenure. He has also led Sargent & Lundy’s interface with multiple clients along the East Coast.

Prior to joining the firm, Foley was the CEO of Altran North America and head of Altran’s global energy practice. He joined Altran in 2002 as part of its acquisition of Stratus Engineering, where he was a minority owner. Earlier in his career, Foley worked for Stone & Webster with assignments in transmission and distribution and large fossil-fueled power plants in addition to a three-year assignment at the PSE&G Salem/Hope Creek Nuclear Power Plant site.

INDUSTRY AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

• Ohio State University – Nuclear Engineering Board
• Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce – Business on Board Program
• United Way Tocqueville Society

EDUCATION

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University
• MBA from Saint Joseph’s University

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS

Licensed Professional Engineer – California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia

Michael Helminski has more than 38 years of experience at Sargent & Lundy, including more than 10 years as general counsel and five years as chief financial officer. He is responsible for the overall management of the financial and legal areas of the company.

Previous leadership positions include serving as the firm’s commercial manager. In this position he was responsible for all contracts that the company entered into, including EPC contracts and joint venture agreements. He was also responsible for the business insurance and risk management process.

Helminski joined Sargent & Lundy in 1982. Early in his career, he was involved in various engineering projects primarily on nuclear power plants.

INDUSTRY AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

• Association of Corporate Counsel member
• Marquette University Engineering Alumni Scholarship Fundraising Supporter
• Science Olympiad Middle School Event Coach
• Boy Scouts of America Local Troop

EDUCATION

• B.S. Mechanical Engineering from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• MBA from Loyola University, Chicago
• JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law – Illinois Institute of Technology

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS

Member of the Bar in Illinois and Wisconsin and with the United States Patent and Trademark Office

Karen Himmel is responsible for Sargent & Lundy’s enterprise information technology program. Her role encompasses corporate information technology, computer operations and infrastructure, information security, content management, and leadership of software development teams for both business and engineering applications.

Himmel joined Sargent & Lundy’s payroll department in 1985 and successfully grew a multi-faceted career at the firm. She worked in multiple areas of finance before transitioning to information technology in 1995 as a software developer. Since then, Himmel has led several large IT solution implementations and upgrades, numerous new software development initiatives, and continuous infrastructure improvements. Himmel manages Sargent & Lundy’s IT budget, projects, and resources. She works closely with colleagues across the company, including the director of engineering and innovation, to strategize, promote, and implement new technologies.

In 2014, Himmel was promoted to director, vice president, and assistant chief information officer. She was named chief information officer in 2019.

EDUCATION

B.S. in Systems Analysis and Design from Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, Indiana

Jill Liska is the leader of Sargent & Lundy’s commercial, procurement, and legal teams. Her expertise guides the firm’s successful management of risk, corporate insurance, litigation, contracts, and outside counsel. Her direction of the legal department influences Sargent & Lundy’s overall strategy.

Liska served as an associate attorney at Robbins Schwartz and an engineer for the Minnesota Department of Transportation prior to joining Sargent & Lundy’s legal team in 2006. She was promoted to vice president in 2013, at which point she became responsible for the firm’s legal, commercial, and procurement groups. Sargent & Lundy named her a senior vice president in January 2020.

Liska monitors developing legislation at local, national, and international levels. She develops internal policies and procedures for Sargent & Lundy, including use of intellectual property, unmanned aircraft, and conflicts of interest and ethics. She interprets various domestic and international regulations and license requirements, negotiates leases, supports acquisitions and due diligence efforts on commercial matters, advises HR, and manages the legal team’s budget. Liska, an ardent supporter of diversity issues, played a pivotal role in helping the firm launch an internal professional network for female employees in 2015 and a diversity council in 2020.

INDUSTRY AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

Avenues to Independence Governing Board

EDUCATION

• B.S. in Civil Engineering from University of Minnesota
• MBA from the University of Notre Dame
• JD from Mitchell Hamline School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS

• Licensed Professional Engineer – Minnesota
• Admitted to practice law in the Supreme Court of Illinois and the U.S. Supreme Court

Tom Meehan is an executive vice president and director of the firm’s non-nuclear power generation, oil & gas, and industrial businesses. He is responsible for the overall management of the firm’s efforts in areas that include coal and gas power generation, waste-to-energy, air/water/solid waste environmental, CO2 carbon sequestration, mid-stream and down-stream oil & gas, and multi-discipline industrial projects for both domestic and international clients.

Meehan joined Sargent & Lundy as a structural engineer in 1983. Early during his career with the firm, his project work encompassed structural engineering activities that included domestic and international field assignments involving the full array of power generating technologies and fuels.

During his tenure as a project director, Meehan was responsible for a diverse client base on a wide array of projects that included new power generation and major environmental control retrofits. He also served on the executive committee for various EPC projects.

INDUSTRY AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

• Structural Engineers Association of Illinois
• American Society of Civil Engineers
• United Way Tocqueville Society
• Sargent & Lundy Scholarship Fund for the University of Illinois at Chicago

EDUCATION

• B.S. in Structural Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago
• Executive Business Management Program (KMI), Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, Chicago

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS

• Licensed Structural Engineer – Illinois
• Licensed Professional Engineer – Illinois, Michigan

Mark Santschi is responsible for the overall coordination of Sargent & Lundy’s infrastructure groups, including HR, IT, and all engineering and design tools employed by the company. He provides strategic leadership for Sargent & Lundy’s construction management and electrical analytical services, as well as the firm’s project controls and cost estimating groups. He oversees the engineering process and project controls groups, the firm’s engineering and technical standards, and development of technical staff proficiency to serve the needs of the electric power industry.

Santschi joined Sargent & Lundy in 1986 and began his career performing I&C engineering activities for nuclear, coal, oil, and gas plant projects. His numerous project experiences include new generation and betterment services for both international and domestic clients and sites. During his tenure as a project director, he was responsible for diverse projects that included environmental retrofit, combustion turbine, and fossil and nuclear plant betterment projects, as well as for multiple client relationships throughout the United States.

In 2014, Santschi was appointed director of engineering with strategic responsibility over Sargent & Lundy’s engineering knowledge and capabilities infrastructure, and over the firm’s specialty engineering groups. In 2019 he was appointed director of operations.

INDUSTRY AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

• ASME Industry Advisory Board
• ACE Mentor Chicago Board of Directors

EDUCATION

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS

Licensed Professional Engineer – Illinois, Michigan

Ejaz Shameem is the executive vice president and director of Sargent & Lundy’s energy consulting business. He is responsible for the overall management and direction of the group’s various global engagements spanning development planning, oversight, and operations and maintenance support for all power technologies.

Shameem joined Sargent & Lundy in 1985 as a structural engineer and later made the transition to mechanical engineering, then into project management. During his career with Sargent & Lundy, he has been involved at increasing levels of responsibility in the design of power plants encompassing an array of power generating technologies including coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear.

During his tenure as a project director, Shameem was responsible for developing new international clients and led several large, gas-fired and coal-fired new generation projects overseas. He also led a substantial technology transfer and collaboration agreement with a major overseas client.

EDUCATION

• B.S. in Physics from University of the Punjab, Pakistan
• B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS

Licensed Professional Engineer – Illinois, Michigan, and Arizona

Dan Weinacht manages Sargent & Lundy’s business efforts in public sector energy, defense, and environmental markets. With his oversight, the firm provides advanced technology solutions to these clients.

Weinacht is responsible for the firm’s government services business, which includes engineering and environmental management and national security operations services. Core competencies for this portion of the business include engineering and design; facility operations, management, and maintenance; specialty equipment design; project management; and safety, security, and risk management.

Weinacht joined Sargent & Lundy in January 2019 as part of the ARES acquisition. Prior to joining Sargent & Lundy, he was employed at Los Alamos National Laboratory for 14 years and ARES Corporation for over 20 years as a mechanical engineer, project manager, and executive manager. His experience includes programs and projects across the Department of Energy Complex, Department of Defense, NASA, and the nuclear power industry.

INDUSTRY AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

• ABET Engineering Accreditation Commissioner (EAC) and Member of EAC Executive Committee
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• United Way Tocqueville Society

EDUCATION

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
• M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS

• Licensed Professional Engineer – Alabama, California, Idaho, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington
• Certified Project Management Professional

Meghan Wilhelm leads Sargent & Lundy’s human resources division. She oversees all HR functions at the firm, including talent management, benefits, compensation, and compliance with equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, and privacy laws. Additionally, she manages Sargent & Lundy’s employee concerns program.

Wilhelm joined the firm in 2005 as human resources generalist and advanced her career by supporting the business’ hiring and recruiting needs. She went on to assume responsibility for managing employee leaves of absence/FMLA and led HR’s implementation of an enterprise resource planning system. Additionally, she played a pivotal role in Sargent & Lundy’s historic acquisitions, as well as employee audits and claims, and international human resource management – all of which have helped the firm reach new heights in improving every stage of the employee lifecycle.

Wilhelm was promoted to lead the firm’s human resources team In August 2021. She currently serves on Sargent & Lundy’s Safety Council and Nuclear Safety Culture Council.

EDUCATION

B.S. in Public Affairs; Major – Management from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana

PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS

• Professional in Human Resources – Human Resources Certification Institute
• Society for Human Resources Certified Professional