Jennifer Lindsley and Justin Owens Join Board of Directors
Jennifer Lindsley, Director of Drafting Services, and Justin Owens, PE, Salina Office Director, were elected to Kaw Valley Engineering’s Board of Directors on March 31. With Jennifer and Justin’s additions, Kaw Valley Engineering’s Board of Directors now includes: Leon Osbourn, PE, PS, President; Marty Arling, PE, Kansas City Office Director; Charles Sharp, Jr., Director of Operations; Gary Leeds, PE, Lenexa Office Director; Jason Loader, PS, Director of Surveying Services; Jennifer Lindsley; and Justin Owens.
With their additions to the Board, Jennifer and Justin both said their goals are to represent the shareholders and do what’s best for the employees of Kaw Valley Engineering.
“I kind of see it as a public official,” Justin said. “You’re being elected by your peers to represent them, so I want to be able to bring their voice to the table.”
Members on the Board of Directors act as a committee for any major decisions for the company, making sure the employees’ best interests are in mind.
“We are 100% employee-owned and so basically, it’s representing our employees and doing what’s best for them,” Jennifer said.
Jennifer has been at Kaw Valley Engineering for almost 25 years. She graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in Business Administration in 2004. Not only is Jennifer the Director of Drafting Services, but she is one of two members of the firm’s IT Department, assisting employees with issues that come with technology. Her involvement with so many departments and offices at the firm brings a unique perspective to the Board, she said.
“We have almost 170 employees,” Jennifer said. “I know all of them on some different level. I am involved on helping them solve problems and finding solutions on a daily basis for their daily tasks, so I think I bring a different uniqueness because of my multiple interactions with every single employee.”
Justin has been at Kaw Valley Engineering for almost five years. He graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in Civil Engineering in 2005 and is licensed to practice engineering in Kansas and Nebraska. He has over 15 years of civil engineering experience, including experience on transportation projects, construction engineering, storm water detention and more. Justin said an advantage he adds to the Board of Directors is his experience outside of the firm from working at other companies.
“I’ve seen perspectives outside of Kaw Valley,” he said. “I’ve worked for a couple other firms. I’ve seen how they do it, I see how Kaw Valley does it. I guess bringing a perspective of somebody that’s worked outside of Kaw Valley—that’s one advantage that I bring to the table.”
Jennifer and Justin are well-respected members of the Kaw Valley Engineering team, and the firm is enthusiastic for their additions to the Board of Directors.
“It’s a huge honor and pleasure,” Jennifer said. “Again, we have a great team and I want to do a good job for them.”
Kaw Valley Engineering looks forward to Jennifer and Justin’s experience and perspectives being brought to the Board.
“I’m just really looking forward to the future,” Justin said. “I think things are going well now for us, and I want to make sure we keep that going.”
Since 1982, Kaw Valley Engineering has been the team of experts needed to help take a project from inception to completion, providing a full range of civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, surveying, construction observation and materials testing services throughout the Midwest. Kaw Valley Engineering has offices in Junction City, Lenexa, Salina, Emporia, and Wichita, Kansas; and Kansas City, Missouri.