Officers & Directors

Steve Matheny, PE is a sales engineer for Logan Clay Products. He is a Board Member for ASCE and has authored a number of papers and articles. He is currently consulting on multiple PTM projects. His bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering are both from Wayne State University. Steve is currently a Board Member for the MSTT Chapter.

Luke is a Senior Associate for Delve Underground and recently relocated from the Pacific Northwest to Columbus, OH. Luke serves as Delve Underground’s Columbus Office Manager and provides large diameter pipe rehabilitation and trenchless design services for the Ohio Valley Region and beyond. Luke has 17 years of experience focusing on geotechnical, civil, and construction engineering for heavy civil and underground construction projects with a focus on trenchless installation methods.
Luke has been a key member on project teams developing designs for large, multi-disciplinary projects through all phases including the development of subsurface exploration programs, detailed design, and support during construction.
Luke brings a wealth of trenchless experience in a wide range of methods that include conventional tunneling, microtunneling, pipe ramming, auger boring, pilot tube, small boring unit, and horizontal directional drilling (HDD). He is a recognized expert in trenchless construction methods and has served as the engineer of record on several HDD and trenchless pipelines for both owners and contractors for water distribution and wastewater systems across the nation. Luke’s experience involving trenchless technology ranges from trenchless alignment evaluation and selection, HDD frac-out evaluations, HDD pipe pull back and pipe stress analyses, design of shaft and excavation support systems, civil layout and design, casing design, tunnel initial support design for hard and soft ground tunnels, pipeline design, tunnel inspection and rehabilitation, and trenchless design. His experience also includes field engineering services including inspection of trenchless activities, review of contractor design and construction submittals, and review of RFIs.
Throughout his career, Luke has attended numerous NASTT No Dig Conferences while also authoring and presenting papers for both the national conference and for the local Pacific Northwest Regional Chapter. Luke is passionate about everything trenchless and looks forward to networking within this new region that he calls home.

Mr. Martin has over 23 years of comprehensive underground engineering experience on projects including those for the rail transit, water supply, wastewater, and mining. His experience includes construction feasibility assessments, design of soft ground and rock tunneling using various methods including; drill-and-blast, road header excavations, full-face tunnel boring machines in rock and soil, microtunneling, horizontal auger boring (HAB), pilot tube method (PTM), pipe ramming, horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and other trenchless methods. His experience also includes tunnel condition assessment, design of tunnel repairs, rock fall analysis, design of rockfall protection systems, design support and evaluation during construction, contract documents development, geotechnical data reports and geotechnical baseline reporting. Robert has been an active participant on the MSTT Board and has held the position of secretary.

Mark is a consulting engineer based in the Minneapolis Metropolitan Area, bringing nearly a decade of expertise to the field. Throughout his professional journey, he has been dedicated to leading design and construction management of utility and roadway improvement initiatives, serving a diverse clientele that spans rural municipalities to regional sanitary districts across the Midwest. Mark’s proficiency lies in the intricacies of design, constructability, and hydraulics, with a specialized focus on large wastewater conveyance systems. His comprehensive skill set extends to planning and capacity analysis of existing systems. Mark is also always spearheading multiple ongoing innovation efforts with his current employer.
Mark is a strong advocate for utilizing less impactful construction methods and possesses extensive knowledge in trenchless construction technologies. As an active member of NASTT, Mark’s curiosity drives him to remain at the forefront of emerging trenchless technologies. Currently, his interests are centered around exploring methods such as pipe bursting, horizontal directional drilling, cured in place pipe, and various manhole rehabilitation techniques.

Chris Schuler joined Miller Pipeline in 1984 as a laborer in Indianapolis, Indiana. Over the next few years he served the company in many capacities, assuming the role of equipment operator in 1989 and foreman the following year. In 1998 Chris stepped into the role of superintendent over Kansas City and Indianapolis until 2005 when he was promoted to project manager. In 2009 he assumed the role of general manager of the Municipal Services Division, in 2021 he was promoted to Vice President of Municipal Services Division where he oversaw Miller Pipeline’s water/wastewater trenchless rehabilitation operations. In December 2024 Chris will transition to Underground Solutions to help build the internal joint seal business through their newly acquired WEKO seal product.

Chris attended Indiana University from 1983- 1986 focusing on Economics and Business. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a B.A. in Commercial Economics in 2001. Chris serves as the current Miller Pipeline Representative for the Indiana Chapter of NUCA. He is also a member of the NASTT Program Committee in addition to his role as President of the MSTT Board of Directors.

James Cobb is the Subject Mater Expert for Black and Veatch Construction Managment department for trenchless activites throught the U.S. Performs fisablity and recommends technques for trenchelss activites. Oversees trenchless activitinvesi throught out the U.S. Have experience in large (42 inch and up) and small hdd, Have managed micro tbm, auger boring, hand mineing , pipe jacking and other trenchless activities. He has 35 plus years of construction experience.

I recently accepted the position of General Manager for Michels Trenchless, Inc.’s Rehabilitation Division with a focus on Spray in Place rehabilitation projects. I have been in the trenchless rehabilitation industry for over 15 years, split between Michels and Insituform Technologies. Throughout my career, I have held a variety of positions starting with Insituform as a Field Engineer where I participated directly in the installation of various CIPP products to Senior Operations Manager overseeing multiple crews and projects simultaneously. This experience presented the opportunity manage over 7 million feet of rehabilitation projects ranging from 6” diameter to 128” diameter in gravity and pressure systems utilizing a wide variety of trenchless methods. These methods include traditional thermal cured CIPP products as well as UV-cured GRP lining systems. I have experience with various CIPP coatings and have worked closely with the engineering community and manufacturers to design and install various CIPP liners for pressure pipes. In the last 6 years, I’ve worked to expand my technology base to include Spray on products like Geopolymer, various epoxies, and cement mortal linings.
In my current role, my responsibilities include performing feasibility and constructability analysis, overseeing construction cost estimating, product development, and training to name a few. I am a member of AWWA, ASTM, and NASTT. I recently began more actively participating with NASTT as a CIPP Best Practices Course Instructor. I look forward to the opportunity to share my experience with the industry.

Ryan Poertner is a General Manager of Ace Pipe Cleaning, Inc. and lives in St. Louis, MO. Ryan’s main focus is on the growing market involving trenchless rehabilitation. APC is a leader in the industry providing all types of rehabilitation solutions for municipalities in need. Ryan has spent his 20+ years working in the water and wastewater rehabilitation fields. Ryan is a graduate of University of Missouri at Rolla with a degree in Engineering Management. Ryan is an active member of NASTT, NASSCO, WEF and local engineering organizations.

I have been in the Trenchless Technology industry for over 19 years. In that time I have held various positions with two different companies, LMK Technologies and Aegion Corporation. I am currently still employed with Aegion, specifically MTC, Manufactured Technologies Company where we supply solutions for the trenchless rehabilitation of all pipes from 4 inch diameter to 120 inches in diameter. I have been on the MSTT Board now for 5 years and I would like to continue to participate.
Please consider renewing my board membership.

Greg has spent more than 10 years in the trenchless pipe rehabilitation marketplace, working on projects containing multiple trenchless disciplines including CIPP, Lateral Rehab, Manhole Rehab, Sliplining, and Spray in Place, at contract values of up to ten million dollars. He began his career in the trenchless world with Insituform in 2014 as the Business Development Manager for Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois. He currently serves as the Business Development Manager for Pipe Repair, USA, at Trelleborg Seals and Profiles.
With a combined total of more than 20 years of experience in the Commercial/Industrial Construction industry, he stands ready to serve NASTT in any way he can to promote and advance the industry. Greg is married with four children and has lived in the St. Louis area for the last 18 years. He proudly served his county with 14 years of combined service in the US Army/US Army Reserve and he is a graduate of the University of Michigan, with a degree in construction management, and has an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.

John is the Director of Underground Engineering and Construction at Citizens Energy Group in Indianapolis, Indiana. John has 25 years of experience in planning, design and construction of utility projects. In his role within Citizens, he oversees capital work associated with the water distribution and wastewater collection systems, as well as Citizens’ DigIndy Tunnel Program.
Mr. Trypus has oversight for over $1 billion of trenchless projects including deep rock tunnels, shallow tunnels and sewer rehabilitation projects. Project trenchless diameters have ranged from 8-inch sewer mains to 20-foot deep rock tunnels, and various sizes in between. Rehabilitation projects have included miles of CIPP lining, shotcrete restoration and other technologies.
John has participated with NASTT and the No-Dig conference for many years as an attendee and conference moderator.

I have 27 years’ experience in trenchless underground construction equipment, materials and installation methodology. I came to this industry from the Defense Industry where he worked in Technology Transfer with the US Air Force Phillips Laboratory (now Space Vehicles and Directed Energy Directorate), Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratories.
While completing my MBA in Albuquerque, NM in 1995, I received an opportunity to work in technology transfer with the Department of Energy at Sandia National Laboratories. I was assigned a project to develop a marketing plan around a sensor package that could be added to a horizontal directional drill head and give real time data back to the operator. This project is what brought me to the trenchless technology industry.
As I was researching the market potential, I ran across a relatively new trade magazine called Trenchless Technology. I doubt he remembers, but I got Bernie Kryzs on the phone to interview him about the industry and where he thought it was going. The technical paper, “Environmental Measurement-While-Drilling System for Real-Time Field Screening of Contaminants” which was the basis for my marketing research, was presented at the 1995 No-Dig in Toronto. In just under a year, I found myself working with Bill Shook at APM Permaform.

Kurt’s technical development and construction experience has catapulted him as an industry respected trenchless engineer over the past 5 years. He brings a practical approach to problem solving while promoting innovative solutions for Owners, Engineering clients and contractors. He is an active listener and will always pick up the phone. He has published and presented regularly over the past 5 years for various NASTT platforms. Kurt’s experience is diverse and includes HDD, tunneling, support of excavation, grouting and rehabilitation. Kurt is enthusiastic about sharing his experiences and knowledge with colleagues, particularly young engineers.

Patrick is a seasoned wastewater systems expert with over seven years of experience, specializing in the design and construction of sewer collection system improvement programs. His career has been marked by a deep commitment to enhancing infrastructure resilience and efficiency. Starting with a strong foundation in sewer systems, Patrick has honed his skills through hands-on involvement in numerous projects, establishing himself as a reliable and innovative professional in the field. In recent years, Patrick has taken on roles as a Project Engineer and Project Manager at RJN Group, Inc. During his tenure as Project Manager since June 2022, he has expanded his expertise into pressure pipelines, successfully planning and executing over 40 force main condition assessment programs using in-line screening technologies. His work leverages cutting-edge technology to assess and improve unseen assets, demonstrating his ability to adapt and innovate in response to complex challenges. Patrick’s project portfolio is extensive, encompassing the management of sanitary sewer, force main, and manhole rehabilitation, as well as flow monitoring, water main replacement, storm sewer rehabilitation, lift station upgrades, construction management, and sanitary sewer evaluation surveys (SSES). His leadership in designing large bypass operations and vetting rehabilitation options has further solidified his reputation as a versatile and forward-thinking engineer, contributing significantly to the advancement of wastewater infrastructure solutions.