Mailing Address: PO Box 426, Chattanooga, TN 37401
Email: [email protected]
2022-2023 Chattanooga Branch Officers
President | Justin Bolender | P.E. 
Firm: HDR
Justin studied at the University of Kentucky where he earned a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering in 2005. He started his career with Quest Engineers in Cincinnati, OH and moved to Chattanooga to work for HDR in 2011. He currently serves as the Water Sector Lead for HDR’s Chattanooga office where he and his team provide planning, engineering, and construction phase services for drinking water, clean water and stormwater utility owners. Justin is a registered Professional Engineer in Tennessee.
In addition to serving as the ASCE branch treasurer, he is in involved with other organizations including the Clean Water Professionals of KY and TN, American Water Works Association, and the Water Professionals Conference Leadership Academy.
Outside the workplace, Justin can be found enjoying the outdoors with his wife and two sons.
Vice President | Caroline Meacham | E.I.T.
Firm: Sargent & Lundy
Caroline graduated from UTC in 2019 with a BS in Civil Engineering and a minor in Spanish Language. While at UTC she held the Secretary and Vice President positions with the ASCE Student Chapter. She enjoyed organizing meetings, site tours, volunteer opportunities, and maintained the Chapter's social media. She also participated in the 2018 and 2019 ASCE Southeastern Competitions which involved the design and fabrication of a concrete canoe and many other teamwork competitions.
After graduating, Caroline began working at TDOT as a Transportation Project Specialist working in roadway design. After 2 years at TDOT, Caroline has switched career paths to focus more on her interest of structure design and now works as at Sargent & Lundy.
In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, scuba diving, and being outside.
Treasurer | Stephen Brady | P.E.
Firm: Ragan Smith
Stephen Brady attended UT Chattanooga, graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering, participating in the ASCE student regional competitions and received the Tennessee Road builders Association Scholarship. After graduating, he worked the ASCE competition as a judge when UTC hosted and has been an ASCE member for more than a decade. He currently works at Stantec in the Community Development Department. Previously, he spent 10 years as an engineer at March Adams Consulting during which he became a licensed professional engineer.
He has participated in fly-ins, actively seeking to persuade Representatives of the need for infrastructure funding, based on the results of the Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. He is also an ASCE key contact, sharing infrastructure related legislation with local members, and the information about how to contact this areas Senators and Representatives.
Stephen also enjoys his time teaching and playing chess and is involved with the Chattanooga Chess Club. He has been instructing kids in chess for the past 13 years where they have won multiple awards at the regional, state and national level of scholastic chess
Secretary | Tami Johnson-Praino | E.I.T..jpg)
Firm: City of Chattanooga of Public Works
Tami graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a BS in Civil Engineering. While there she was involved in the UTC ASCE Student Chapter, served as a research assistant to faculty and was one of 36 students nationwide selected to participate in
the CI Student Days competition in Boston, Massachusetts. She began her career with a local firm before launching into the public sector. At the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), Tami spent nearly four years building a civil engineering foundation in environmental and surveying, while volunteering in their Transportation & Civil Engineering (TRAC) STEM outreach program. During this time, she collaborated with fellow co-
authors in transportation research which ultimately became a published journal article, presented at the 2021 Transportation Research Board (TRB) Conference and was awarded the William W. Millar award for best paper in transportation.
Currently, Tami is an Engineering Designer with the City of Chattanooga Department of Public Works where she hopes to make a multitude of contributions to her hometown.
In her spare time, Tami enjoys spending time outdoors and traveling with her wife and two dogs.
Past President | Jonathan M. Smolen | P.E. 
Firm: S&ME Inc.
Jonathan attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where he earned his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He began his career in Geotechnical Engineering in 1998 as an engineering co-op for Law Engineering in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Jonathan currently serves as the leader of the geotechnical engineering group for the Chattanooga, Tennessee location of S&ME, Inc. He has performed geotechnical studies and managed construction testing for fossil fuel plants, nuclear power plants, dams, multi-story buildings, and multi-acre industrial developments. He is a registered engineer in Tennessee and Georgia.
Jonathan moved to Chattanooga with his wife Patti in 2005. They currently live in the Brainerd area with their three sons.
Assistant Treasurer/Webmaster | Don Warrington | PhD, P.E. 
Don Warrington has had a long career in the foundation construction industry. From 1852 to 1996, Don's family was the principal owner of Vulcan Iron Works Inc., and he was employed there in various capacities from 1978 until 1999.
He's an adjunct faculty member at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga covering soil mechanics and foundation design. Don's published numerous books on geotechnical and marine engineering and is currently consultant and designer for Pile Hammer Equipment/Vulcan Foundation Equipment, who now own, service, and market the Vulcan product line.
Don earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University, Masters of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and PhD in Computational Engineering from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Tennessee and Ohio.
Chattanooga Development Symposium Director | Maria Price | P.E. 
Firm: City of Chattanooga
Maria is a registered Professional Engineer in TN & VA with a B.S. in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Tennessee Technological University. She has a diverse background in transmission engineering, environmental & construction activities, utility project management, multi-discipline project management and code enforcement. Maria has employment history with TVA, TDOT, several private firms and currently utilizes her talents for the City of Chattanooga as the City's first female Engineering Manager for Public Works. She was named ASCE TN Section Government Engineer of the Year in 2017, received 2020 EWeek People to People Award, is on the Tennessee Stormwater Association board and is the Vice Chair of the state ASCE's Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI). She is the Creator & Director of the Chattanooga Development Symposium.
Besides her involvement in ASCE, she is chair of the Girl Scout Gold Award Review Board and a Daisy and Brownie Troop Leader for the Girl Scout Council of Southern Appalachians, formerly Charity Director for ConNooga and is involved in the Chattanooga Alumni Chapter of Omega Phi Alpha National Service Sorority.
When not working or involved in charity work, she spends time with her husband, 2 daughters & Australian Cattle Dogs. She enjoys board games, off-roading, muscle cars, cooking and geeking out about stormwater.
2022-2023 Chattanooga Branch Committee Chairs
Please reach out if you're interested in holding a committee chair position!