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ROB HOWARD, P.E., NAMED VICE PRESIDENT

January 11, 2023

With 33 years of experience in the engineering and construction industry, including 21 years with GTA, Rob has been named a Vice President of GTA. Rob is responsible for overall management of construction observation and material testing (COT) / Special Inspection services performed in the eastern Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia regions. Additionally, he serves as the Chair of GTA’s COT Services Leadership Group which provides increased safety awareness; uniform hiring, training, and testing guidelines; a forum for group discussion and problem solving; team building strategies; and training for future leadership for our 21 offices. Rob champions GTA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and holds a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from the HR Certification Institute. Rob also works closely with our specialized on-boarding and recruitment teams.

Rob is a licensed professional engineer in Pennsylvania and oversees quality assurance and quality control on a variety of commercial, residential, institutional, and industrial projects. Specifically, Rob is responsible for specialized inspections in the field and laboratory including soil stabilization and ground improvements; shallow and deep foundation systems; masonry, concrete, and steel reinforcement observations; structural steel, cold formed steel, and wood framing observations; spray-applied fire-resistive materials (SFRM); exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS); roadway stabilization, and observation of subsurface explorations. Rob also leads our regional maintenance services including asphalt and concrete pavement evaluations, crack monitoring, water intrusion observation, slope restoration, and sinkhole observation and stabilization consultation services.

Rob earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Drexel University, and he is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Concrete Institute (ACI), International Code Council (ICC), National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET), Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, Business Industry Association of Philadelphia (BIA), Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA), and Pennsylvania Aggregate and Concrete Association (PACA).

As a member of GBA, Rob serves on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee and contributed to GBA’s recently published DEI Best Practices document. As member of the PACA, Rob is an active member of the concrete, cementitious materials, and aggregate technical communities and a contributing member of ACI’s Pennsylvania Code Advocacy Group. Mr. Howard provides class instruction for the ACI Concrete Field-Testing Technician – Grade I Certification, ACI Strength Testing Certification, and Post-Installed Concrete Anchor (PICA) Installer and Installation Inspector Certifications.

Moreover, Rob is also an active member of Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. where he has held many positions including Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the Business Development Committee; Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Lehigh Valley Council; Board of Directors; as well as participation with the Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley, and Northeast PA Councils.

Rob is currently overseeing several retail, office, industrial, and mixed-use projects in Pennsylvania including the 1.267M GSF, mixed-use Piazza Alta hi-rise complex in City of Philadelphia. Piazza Alta is a series of steel stud framed buildings over a two-story concrete podium. The tallest tower elements, at 16 stories tall, form a backdrop to a central courtyard plaza edged by retail occupancies in the smaller scale buildings that surround the plaza.

One of Rob’s biggest fulfilments includes Men’s Small Group leadership which provides spiritual growth, relational support, accountability, and physical challenge while providing opportunity to serve our local community and church with spring clean-up and clean-out projects; serving breakfast to our sidewalk neighbors, and annual clothes and food drives to assist our local shelters.