To translate scientific and mathematic principles to tangible designs and full-scale projects with real community impact not only is an impressive feat, but also comes with immense responsibility. Engineers are tasked with balancing safety, environmental, feasibility and financial considerations to create roads, buildings, parks and more that must stand the test of time. It’s an industry that requires rigorous schooling and strong moral and ethical standards to rise to the occasion and meet challenges head on.
In this debut list, we honor the hard-working engineering figures who work to create a strong foundation for South Jersey’s continued success.
Glenn Gerken, PE, PP, CME, Client Manager, Community and Land Development, T&M
Gerken has been making both the engineering industry and New Jersey a better place for over 56 years through his leadership, vision and extensive experience in municipal engineering. He has managed many major public infrastructure projects for sanitary sewerage collection systems, water system expansions and roadway reconstruction. Gerken has also been responsible for designing and developing many notable municipal recreational park complexes and regional pedestrian/bike path projects.
Gerken holds engineering appointments in Colts Neck, Upper Freehold and Wall townships, and is a licensed professional engineer and planner, and certified municipal engineer in New Jersey with affiliations with the Consulting Engineers Council of New Jersey, Monmouth County Society of Professional Engineers, National Society of Professional Engineers, New Jersey Society of Municipal Engineers and New Jersey Society of Professional Engineers.
Prior to starting his municipal engineering career, Gerken was an instructor in the Army Corps of Engineers School in Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, and also spent one year in the Republic of Vietnam rebuilding bridges and constructing a major roadway expansion project.
Teal Jefferis, PE, CME, CDT, President, Jefferis Engineering Associates
Jefferis started his career performing both site/civil engineering and environmental consulting for a variety of public and private clientele. After several years, he became one of the founding members and director of engineering of a successful, multi-disciplinary engineering firm that specialized in site/civil engineering, surveying, structural engineering and landscape architecture, and worked with clients throughout New Jersey and the Northeast. In 2004, Jefferis changed career goals and founded Jefferis Engineering Associates, LLC. (JEA). JEA specializes in providing site/civil engineering services to private and public clientele in the residential, senior housing, commercial, warehousing, industrial, assisted living, institutional, recreational, and renewable energy markets throughout New Jersey and the Delaware Valley.
Beyond work and over the years, Jefferis has been active in the community by volunteering his time in coaching youth sports, serving on a school board, sitting on Elk Township environmental and agricultural commissions, and being active with Garden State Council of the Boy Scouts. While not working, Jefferis enjoys the outdoors, hunting, shooting, woodworking and spending time with his family.
John J. Oberer, LSRP, Senior Vice President and Principal, GZA
With more than 30 years of experience in environmental investigation and remediation, Oberer uses his skills to serve as the district office manager for GZA’s metropolitan Philadelphia-area offices, and additionally has served as a trainer for GZA’s project management training program.
Oberer is a founding member of the New Jersey Licensed Site Remediation Professionals Association (LSRP) and has held every executive office on its Board of Trustees. He has served on several New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection committees to develop guidance on implementing the LSRP program. Oberer has also published several articles on New Jersey’s LSRP program.
He has been involved in the investigation and remediation of soils and groundwater in both unconsolidated and bedrock aquifers at sites involving organic and inorganic contaminants as well as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Oberer has worked on several projects where PFAS compounds are the primary and/or secondary contaminants in soil and groundwater, and where there are potentially multiple sources of PFAS both on- and off-site.
Samir Mody, President & CEO, Keller Engineers
Mody has more than 40 years of professional experience with expertise in the administration, management, planning, design and construction of civil/transportation, site development and vertical infrastructure projects in the Northeast region. His experience includes new development and rehabilitation of roadways, bridges, and passenger rail and transit infrastructure with an aggregate value of over $4.75 billion, while serving both the public and private industries.
After working in the public and private industries for 35 years, he decided to fulfill a lifelong dream of owning and operating a civil engineering business. He formed Keller Engineers of New Jersey, LLC (KENJ, LLC)---a wholly owned subsidiary of Keller Engineers, Inc.---and serves as president and CEO of the firm. KENJ, LLC is certified as a disadvantaged, minority and small-business enterprise in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York, and is anchored in Haddonfield. KENJ, LLC is very active professionally, civically and charitably having served on several committees working towards the re-vitalization and improving the quality of life for communities located in South Jersey.
Christopher Noll, President & CEO, Environmental Resolutions Inc.
Since 1990, Environmental Resolutions, Inc. (ERI) has grown from a small start-up into one of New Jersey’s respected civil engineering, planning and environmental services firms. Noll sits at the center of this success, guiding the company through steady growth to more than 80 employees and tripled revenues since 2005.
Noll’s leadership style is rooted in integrity, collaboration and vision. He credits his success to hard work and the strength of the team around him, but colleagues and clients point to his ability to inspire trust, solve complex problems and foster long-term relationships.
A licensed professional engineer, planner, and certified municipal engineer, Noll has led projects that balance technical innovation with practical solutions, from securing critical water resources to designing infrastructure with minimal environmental impact. His leadership has also been recognized: in 2009 he was honored as a Distinguished Civil Engineer by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Through vision, perseverance and a “people-first” philosophy, Noll has become both a respected business leader and a trusted partner to New Jersey communities.
Larry Divietro, President & CEO, Land Dimensions Engineering
A licensed professional land surveyor and professional planner in New Jersey and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, Larry DiVietro founded Land Dimensions in 1979; today, the engineering firm provides land surveying, land-use planning, site-development engineering, landscape design, permitting and regulatory support, and environmental engineering services throughout the Delaware Valley. The company’s dedication to making a difference both in South Jersey and beyond has yielded the good land-use practices that contribute to an improved quality of life for residents and businesses owners alike—after all, Land Dimensions has more than 45 years of experience in helping its clients see land as a blank canvas and working closely with them to create a masterpiece together. Beyond full-site design permitting and approvals, DiVietro has also guided Land Dimensions to provide comprehensive consulting services while strengthening its relationships with some of the area’s most respected real estate brokerage firms to best evaluate optimal uses for each piece of land their projects are both built upon and harmoniously integrated with.
Keith B. Cahill, PE, Principal, Regional Manager, Bohler
Cahill leads four New Jersey offices and brings more than 25 years of leadership, technical expertise and client-focused strategy to many of the state’s most transformative development projects. He oversees project delivery, client relationships, staff development and municipal coordination.
With expertise spanning residential, commercial, industrial, aviation and educational developments, Cahill is recognized as a trusted advisor in navigating New Jersey’s complex regulatory landscape. He has worked extensively with the state transportation and environmental-protection departments, FAA, Pinelands Commission, Army Corps of Engineers and over 150 municipalities. His ability to streamline approvals while balancing compliance, innovation and long-term community value makes him a sought-after leader in land development.
John Sartor, PE, President and CEO, PS&S
With a background spanning environmental, site/civil and geotechnical engineering, paired with construction management for large-scale mixed-use developments, Sartor has built a strong technical foundation that shapes his leadership and strategic vision.
He played a key role in creating the Renewable Energy Group at PS&S, and was a driving force behind its Sustainable Development Group—which delivers green solutions that reduce energy and water use while enhancing quality of life.
A licensed professional engineer, he also dedicates his time serving as board treasurer for both New Jersey SHARES and the Iron Girl Project, and is a member of the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering Board of Visitors.
Michael Fischette, Founder & CEO, Concord Engineering
Fishcette has led Concord Engineering—a full-service engineering, energy consulting, commissioning and master planning firm—since 1989, growing a team of more than 100 engineers and designers. Today, Concord garners national recognition for its power plant/substation design, MEP design for gaming and hospitality, and energy engineering and microgrids for the U.S. military.
Fischette is known for advancing innovative mechanical and electrical solutions that improve efficiency, resiliency and sustainability for the health care, life sciences and data center industries. Beyond his role at Concord, he has advised two New Jersey governors as a member of their transition teams, and frequently speaks on energy policy and infrastructure issues for leading industry associations.
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Published (and copyrighted) in South Jersey Biz, Volume 15, Issue 9 (September 2025).
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