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engineering at work for you

Our Team

Vansant & Gusler believes exceptional client service begins with supporting our staff’s growth, development, and success. This commitment is reflected through open communication, work/life balance, continuing education, mutual respect, and recognition. Our staff is comprised of 15 employees including 4 registered Professional Engineers and Engineers in Training.

Wall of certificates and degrees in the Vansant & Gusler Inc. lobby
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A Vansant & Gusler engineering professional wearing a casual shirt in front of the office building
A Vansant & Gusler engineering professional wearing a pullover sweater
Group of Vansant & Gusler, Inc employees and their families at Harbor Park
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A Vansant & Gusler engineering professional wearing a polo shirt
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Portrait photo of a male engineering professional employed by Vansant & Gusler
Portrait photo of a male engineering professional employed by Vansant & Gusler
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A male Vansant & Gusler engineering professional wearing a casual shirt
A portrait photo of a Vansant & Gusler administrative professional employee
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A Vansant & Gusler professional wearing a casual shirt
A Vansant & Gusler engineering professional wearing a polo shirt
A Vansant & Gusler engineering professional wearing a casual shirt
A Vansant & Gusler engineering professional sitting at his desk using a computer
The outside corner view of the entire white modern Vansant & Gusler, Inc office building
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Tad Sellers – P.E. President, Electrical Department Head

Mr. Sellers, President and Chief Electrical Engineer, brings over 27 years professional service in providing design of electrical systems including overhead and underground power, interior and exterior power and lighting, data and voice communications, fire alarm, security, emergency power systems and grounding. Major design pro‐ jects include communications and electronic facilities, schools, office buildings, multi‐family housing, emergency power systems and electrical distribution systems. He is familiar with projects requiring conformance to various state and local codes and federal government criteria.

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Duke University

Professional Electrical Engineer, Virginia

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

National Society of Professional Engineers

Virginia Society of Professional Engineers

Portrait photo of a male engineering professional employed by Vansant & Gusler

Wil Taylor – P.E. Vice President, Mechanical Department Head

Mr. Taylor, Vice President and Professional Mechanical Engineer, has been providing Project Management, Mechanical design services and energy utilization studies for almost a decade now. He has experience in energy envelope calculations, life-cycle cost analysis, heating and cooling load calculations, HVAC equipment selections, and conformance analyses for multiple code standards including ASHRAE, IBC, and WBDG Unified Facilities Criteria. Mr. Taylor has design and management experience with projects ranging from commercial, healthcare, and Department of Defense buildings to places of worship. His ability to function as a business and team leader is exceptional and makes him a valuable part of our firm.

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Baylor University

Professional Mechanical Engineer, Virginia

USGBC LEED Green Associate

OSHA Certified

U.S. Green Building Council

American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

Vansant & Gusler, Inc. Board of Directors

Professional portrait photo of the Chief Operating Officer at Vansant & Gusler

Molly Stewart – Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Ms. Stewart, Chief Financial Officer, brings over 18 years of administrative and professional experience to the A/E industry. She provides design and construction administration support. She is experienced in both the SpecsIntact and Masterspec specification programs. Molly is the Corporate Treasurer and manages the corporate finances, as well as human resources.

Master of Business Administration; Old Dominion University

Bachelor of Arts (Liberal Arts Management Program); Virginia Wesleyan College

CDFA – Certified Design Firm Administrator.

Society of Design Administrators

Society of Human Resource Management

Hampton Roads Society of Human Resource Management

Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce

Professional portrait photo of an engineering professional who is also head of the Mechanical Department at Vansant & Gusler

Pete Striffler – Chief Mechanical Engineer, Director of the Board

Mr. Striffler, a now retired Chief Mechanical Engineer, commands over 45 years of professional engineering, project management and department management experience in the A/E industry. With his vast project knowledge he has provided design services for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems, provided plumbing design, fire protection engineering, and performed energy utilization studies. These projects have encompassed work in industrial, military, multifamily, schools and fire and safety type projects. He fosters a positive and encouraging work environment and will always be a great colleague and mentor for the team.

Masters of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute

Bachelors of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute

Professional Mechanical Engineer, Virginia

Professional Engineer, North Carolina

Professional Engineer, South Carolina

Professional Engineer, Maryland

Professional Engineer, District of Columbia

Professional Engineer, California

Professional Engineer, Florida

Professional Engineer, Pennsylvania

Professional Engineer, Illinois

American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (past president)

City of Virginia Beach, Board of Building Code Appeals—Term Expired in 2020 after over 20 years of service

National Society of Professional Engineers

Virginia Society of Professional Engineers

Portrait photo of a male engineering professional employed by Vansant & Gusler

Dyrae Gambrell – Drafting/Production Manager

Mr. Gambrell, Production Technician, has accumulated over 6 years of practical production experience in computer drafting plumbing, mechanical, electrical and fire protection drawings. This AutoCAD, REVIT, Inventor and BIM 360 experience has been derived in the government, commercial and medical fields. He has used his progressive thinking, excellent communication skills and great work ethic to develop and modernize drafting standards, drawing libraries and maintain project deadlines. Dyrae is always ready to help and is a valuable asset to any team.

Associate of Applied Science Drafting and Design, ITT Technical Institute

Chris Poffenbarger – BCxP, HFDP, LEED AP BD+C

Director of Commissioning – Senior Mechanical Lead

Mr. Poffenbarger, Mechanical Engineer, brings over 24 years of professional experience with over half of those years as an employee with our firm. His expertise covers all phases of mechanical consulting engineering, including design, energy analyses, life cycle costing, problem-solving and report preparation. He is accustomed to a wide variety of project types, including healthcare facilities, educational facilities, industrial facilities, central plants, and office buildings. He is highly skilled in the analysis of indoor air quality issues, investigative and remedial engineering and HVAC system commissioning.

Associates of Applied Science in Mechanical Technology, Tidewater Community College

Healthcare Design Professional

Building Commissioning Professional

OSHA Certified

 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Virginia Society of Healthcare Engineers American

Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air Conditioning Engineers

United States Green Building Council LEED Accredited Professional

Building Commissioning Professional

Jonathan Soares – Plumbing Engineer

Mr. Soares, Plumbing Engineer, brings 25 years of experience in plumbing system design including domestic water piping, sanitary piping, medical gas, lab gas piping and LEED certification. Major design projects include office buildings, schools, science buildings, repair shops, and hospitals. Familiar with projects requiring conformance to various state and local codes and federal government criteria.

OSHA 10 Certified

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Andrew Ngibuini – Electrical Engineer

Andrew, Electrical Engineer, brings almost 6 years of professional experience in the field of Engineering. He utilizes his great communication and his project management skills to prioritize task and provide quality assurances and compliances on projects. He is skilled in electrical design calculations including electrical distribution. Andrew is versed in the electrical codes and standards as well as a very proficient draftsperson using AutoCAD. His time management and organizational skills give him the the ability to manage multiple projects and work well with teams.

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Minor in Engineering Management, Old Dominion University

Computer Aided Drafting and Design Technology Certificate, Tidewater Community College

Certificate of Completion, MATLAB Fundamentals

Illuminating Engineering Society

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Charlie Harrelson, Jr. – E.I.T. Mechanical Engineer

Mr. Harrelson, Mechanical Engineer, brings 3 years experience with HVAC and Plumbing design on government projects. His design experience combined with his natural leadership and entreprenurial skills have provided Charlie the tools to thrive in the industry. He is proficient in ductwork and pipe sizing and layouts, airflow calculations, As-Builts of completed projects and overall customer service. He is certified in AutoCAD and has experience in Autodesk Revit and Autodesk Inventor.

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Old Dominion University

Mechanical Engineer In Training

Associate of Science in General Engineering, Tidewater Community College

Certified Plumbing Design Technician

AutoCAD 2015 and Autodesk Inventor 2015 Certified

American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

American Society of Professional Engineers (ASPE)

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Jordan Doyle – Electrical Designer

Mr. Doyle, Production Technician, brings over 7 years experience in CAD production, consulting and project management. He is knowledgeable in construction standards and optimally efficient in CAD production. Jordan’s personal skills and breadth of knowledge in AutoCAD, Revit and AutoCAD Civil has made him a great mentor and team leader. His attention to detail provides him a keen eye for quality control and project review. His management talents will continue to grow while pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Construction Management Engineering Technology.

Associate of Applied Science Architectural Drafting, Norfolk State University

Pursuing Bachelor of Science Construction Management Engineering Technology, Norfolk State University

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Thomas Mulé – Mechanical Designer

Mr. Mulé, Mechanical Designer, brings over a decade of experience across commercial, industrial, and residential HVAC systems. His diverse skills include work in AutoCAD, Revit, and industry-standard tools such as Trace 700 and Carrier HAP, allowing him to deliver precise load calculations, equipment sizing, and efficient ductwork and piping designs. In addition to his design experience, his time spent as a Comfort Advisor adds a level of field awareness, and client communication that makes Mr. Mulé a versatile contributor and a strong asset to the engineering team.

Associate of Applied Science Engineering, Tidewater Community College

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Vanessa Spence – Production Technician

Ms. Spence, Production Technician, brings over 12 years of professional experience with layout and space planning as well as team management. She can provide production and 3D rendering/modeling in AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Inventor, CAD Electrical and REVIT. Her attention to detail and great collaboration skills make her valuable production support for the mechanical, electrical and plumbing design teams. By working with our Project Managers, Project Engineers and CAD Manager she prioritizes and creates any drafted documentation needed for associated projects and helps with graphics and sketching using Adobe Photoshop, GIMP and Canva.

Associate of Science in Computer-Aided Drafting and Design, ECPI University

Certificate of Completion in Interior Design, New York Institute of Art & Design

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Amiir Brinkley – Production Technician

Mr. Brinkley, Production Technician, brings several years of professional experience with electrical design and CAD production. His strengths are rooted in power distribution design, analog/digital circuit design, code compliance, technical documentation and CAD production. His experience spans from government and defense facilities projects to residential infrastructure. Amiir’s production skills include AutoCAD, REVIT, BIM360 and AGi32. This is all accented by a strong background in computer programming and computer networking skills making him an adaptable and detail oriented member of our team.

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology, Old Dominion University

Minor in Computer Science, Old Dominion University

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Nyisha Artis – Office Manager Construction Administration

Nyisha, Office Administrator, brings 10 years experience in administrative, professional and client support. She is a highly motivated professional with a wide range of skills including preparation of bid proposals, contract management, accounting and budget functions and outstanding customer service. Her business administration acumen combined with her positive attitude and attention to detail provides valuable in-house and client support for the firm.

Tidewater Community College pursuing Associate of Science in Business Administration

SERVING YOU

Shaping the Future for over 60 Years

Our firm has cultivated extensive experience throughout our decades providing engineering services as both single projects and term contracts. Our services include design for new, renovated, and converted facilities. We’re renowned for having well established, long-term working relationships with clients, representing a variety of needs and demonstrating quality, professional services and teamwork.