Our Leadership Team

Firm Leadership

J. Ellen Long
PE, LEED AP

President & Founder

Joe Severin
PE, LEED AP

Senior Vice President

Mike Thurman

Vice President

Dana Butterworth

Vice President

Service Leads

Anthony Kamburis, PE

Vice President,
Transportation

Sammy Powell, PE

Vice President,
Transportation (Bridges)

Randy Sanborn, PE

Vice President,
Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE)

Andrew Pankopp,
PE, LEED AP BD&C

Vice President.
Land Development

Jeff Graham

Manager,
Construction Engineering & Inspection (CEI)

Melissa Johnson, PE

Senior Project Manager,
Land Development

Tim Slaton, RLS

Manager,
Land Surveying

Shepherd Long
PE, LEED AP

Principal

J. Ellen Long | PE, LEED AP

Role:

President and Founder - Responsible for establishing strategic company objectives, setting financial priorities, and providing direction to leadership team, ensuring prompt and appropriate implementation.

Education:

BE Civil Engineering, Vanderbilt University, 1983

Unique Skills:

Ellen’s acute attention to detail and extensive experience in site design is the foundation for establishing site design standards, providing intensive quality control reviews, and evaluating value engineering options, not only for LONG but also for national expansion programs.

Interests:

Spending time relaxing at the lake, golfing, traveling abroad, and being with her daughter.

Joseph Severin | PE, LEED AP

Role:

Senior Vice President - Responsible for company-wide operations, including finances, personnel and client management at the direction of the President.

Education:

BS Civil Engineering, Rutgers University, 2002

Unique Skills:

He is an excellent communicator on complex projects with large design and ownership teams, as well as internally with management and staff. Joe has the ability to stay calm under intense conditions, creating a sense of ease to those around him.

Interests:

Golfing, watching sports events and hanging out with his wife and two daughters.

Mike Thurman

Role:

Vice President of Transportation and Infrastructure Division – Responsible for the management of the Land Surveying, Transportation Engineering, Construction Engineering and Inspection (CEI), and Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) departments.

Education:

BS Civil Engineering, Georgia Southern University, 1992

Unique Skills:

Mike is an exceptional leader that can adeptly manage numerous projects simultaneously while also supervising and leading a large staff. His management style is consistent, calm and firm, fostering a positive and respectful work environment.

Interests:

Snow skiing, coaching high school pole vault, kayaking, and traveling

Dana Butterworth

Role:

Vice President of Support Services – Responsible for financial and marketing oversight and office management for the company.

Education:

BS Human Services, Kennesaw State University, 2003

Unique Skills:

Since 2006, Dana has functioned in every administrative role, enabling her to have a unique understanding of the totality of the company operations. She is very dedicated and serves as a critical leader that values in doing her job as if the company were hers.

Interests:

Traveling all over the U.S., particularly to National Parks, disc golf and watching Hallmark Channel movies.

Anthony Kamburis | PE

Role:

Vice President of Transportation Department – Responsible for managing operations, financials and business development including strategic planning and team building.

Education:

BS Civil Engineering, Auburn University, 1998

Unique Skills:

Anthony has a broad range of transportation experience that enables him to be productively involved in all projects within his department. This experience applies to the entire southeast region of the U.S., making him familiar with numerous state and local design standards and processes.

Interests:

Spending time on Lake Martin with family, bird hunting, offshore fishing, hiking and traveling.

Sammy Powell | PE

Role:

Vice President of Transportation Department – Responsible for overseeing the structural engineering for bridges, and business development for the Transportation Department.

Education:

BS Civil Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1982

Unique Skills:

Sammy has comprehensive bridge design experience that includes prior employment in the Bridge Design Office at the Georgia Department of Transportation. His background includes navigating the nuances of Public-Private Partnerships. He has an extensive network of friends in the engineering industry.

Interests:

Playing guitar in a band, Boy Scout troop leader, gardening, and writing children’s books

Randy Sanborn | PE

Role:

Vice President of the Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) Department – Responsible for business development and establishing and maintaining client relationships.

Education:

BS Environmental Engineering, University of Florida, 1986

Unique Skills:

Randy has a thorough knowledge of the utility industry and has developed strong relationships with industry leaders. His expertise includes Georgia Department of Transportation utility locating and mapping procedures, allowing him to educate others throughout Georgia. Randy’s extroverted personality creates a fun atmosphere for networking and teaming.

Interests:

Playing golf and tennis, being with his kids, finding and overcoming challenges and enjoying time with family and friends

Andrew Pankopp | PE, LEED AP BD&C

Role:

Vice President of Land Development Department – Responsible for managing all staff and overseeing the scheduling, production and quality control within the department. Andrew is also responsible for the department’s teaming and strategic partnerships.

Education:

BS Civil Engineering Technology, Southern Polytechnic State University (now KSU), 2007

Unique Skills:

Andrew is extremely proficient in identifying problems on projects at the appropriate time and developing options that can then be analyzed and implemented. He is a very effective communicator, well organized, and can successfully lead numerous projects simultaneously.

Interests:

Repairing/flipping vehicles as a hobby, DIY projects at home, exercise and fitness, and spending time with his wife and two sons.

Jeff Graham

Role:

Construction Engineering and Inspection (CEI) Manager – Responsible for the oversight of daily operations for CEI team members and fleet. He maintains client communication and internal project monitoring for technical and budgetary aspects for the CEI projects. Jeff is also LONG’s Safety Manager, and Radiation Safety Officer (RSO).

Unique Skills:

Jeff relies on his 15 years of field inspection experience to provide hands-on management for 40+ inspectors throughout Georgia. He combines his acute attention to detail with great interpersonal skills and a quick sense of humor to be effective and a pleasure to work with.

Interests:

Jeff enjoys attending concerts, watching all types of sporting events, particularly hockey, exploring new places, and being with his family. Jeff is also a big Braves fan.

Melissa Johnson | PE

Role:

Senior Project Manager – Responsible for managing large, complex projects in the Land Development Department, in addition to implementing internal education opportunities.

Education:

BS Civil Engineering, Drexler University, 2005

Unique Skills:

Admired by those that work for her, Melissa is a very humble leader with strong technical skills. She describes herself as a perfectionist that demands the best from herself and everyone that she manages. She is confident and enjoys interacting with her peers and clients.

Interests:

Reading a good book, walking with family and friends, traveling and cooking all types of cuisine.

Tim Slaton | RLS

Role:

Land Survey Department Manager – Responsible for data reduction on large database projects, overseeing and reviewing all technical aspects of the work product, and establishing daily assignments of the field crews.

Education:

Civil Engineering Technology with an emphasis in Land Surveying, Southern Polytechnic State University (now KSU), 1979

Unique Skills:

Tim tackles survey projects with the most complex math applications. He likes to understand the project objectives at the beginning of a project and develop an approach that will successfully meet those goals. Tim is technically gifted, resulting in highly accurate surveys

Interests:

Watching all types of auto racing live and on TV, spending time at the beach with his family, and barbecuing

Shepherd Long | PE, LEED AP

Role:

Principal - Responsible for overseeing the company’s brand, mentoring younger engineers technically and professionally, assisting with the execution of strategic directives and lending expertise on special projects.

Education:

BS Civil Engineering, San Jose State University, 1979

Unique Skills:

Shepherd brings a career of hydraulic modeling of surface and piped systems, design of large sewer and stormwater infrastructure blended with land development projects. This has enabled him to provide a more holistic approach to site design that has benefitted clients through his understanding of the interaction of the site and infrastructure that serves it, preventing flood issues and minimizing stormwater impacts in urban areas.

Interests:

Golfing, traveling, being with family, working in the yard, caring for his Koi fish and spending time in Savannah.

Our Leadership Team

Firm Leadership

J. Ellen LongPE, LEED AP

Joe SeverinPE, LEED AP

Mike Thurman

Dana Butterworth

Service Leads

Anthony Kamburis, PE

Sammy Powell, PE

Randy Sanborn, PE

Andrew Pankopp,PE, LEED AP BD&C

Jeff Graham

Melissa Johnson, PE

Tim Slaton, RLS

Shepherd LongPE, LEED AP

J. Ellen Long | PE, LEED AP

Role:

Education:

Unique Skills:

Interests:

Joseph Severin | PE, LEED AP

Role:

Education:

Unique Skills:

Interests:

Mike Thurman

Role:

Education:

Unique Skills:

Interests:

Dana Butterworth

Role:

Education:

Unique Skills:

Interests:

Anthony Kamburis | PE

Role:

Education:

Unique Skills:

Interests:

Sammy Powell | PE

Role:

Education:

Unique Skills:

Interests:

Randy Sanborn | PE

Role:

Education:

Unique Skills:

Interests:

Andrew Pankopp | PE, LEED AP BD&C

Role:

Education:

Unique Skills:

Interests:

Jeff Graham

Role:

Unique Skills:

Interests:

Melissa Johnson | PE

Role:

Education:

Unique Skills:

Interests:

Tim Slaton | RLS

Role:

Education:

Unique Skills:

Interests:

Shepherd Long | PE, LEED AP

Role:

Education:

Unique Skills:

Interests:

J. Ellen Long
PE, LEED AP

Joe Severin
PE, LEED AP

Andrew Pankopp,
PE, LEED AP BD&C

Shepherd Long
PE, LEED AP