Our Team
We are proud to have an amazing staff with the professional experience to provide the best services to our clients.
Education
Electrical Engineering, University of Colorado at Denver, 1981-1985
Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1979-1981
Professional Registrations
Registered Professional Engineer, State of Colorado, State of Utah and State of Wyoming
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Professional Accreditation, LEED AP
Professional Affiliations
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Association for Learning Environments (A4LE)
Illumination Engineering Society (IES)
Don J. Ackerman, P.E., LEED AP
Power & Safety/Security
Awards
GSA Environmental Award 2001: The United States Courthouse Annex in Denver, CO. Successfully incorporated over 120 innovative sustainable features that reduced the building’s overall electrical demand, maximized natural daylighting to building occupants, employed displacement ventilation technology along with evaporative cooling, and met the criteria for a ‘Gold’ rating with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.
American Consulting Engineers Council Engineering Excellence Award: Confluence Park Improvements/Fabridam in Denver, Colorado.
Articles
“Bond Voyage” December 1998 issue of Colorado Construction
Experience
Don established Ackerman Engineering, Inc., an electrical engineering firm, in 2000. He has 40 years of experience with electrical system design. His design experience includes power distribution, emergency and standby power, lighting (interior, exterior, ballfield, arena, and event), life safety (including fire alarm, detection, and special suppression), lightning protection, grounding, voice/data communications, master clock, and security.
He has been responsible for project management of multi-discipline design teams (electrical and mechanical) as prime consultant and as sub-consultant, design, opinions of cost, bid assistance and administration, construction administration as well as all coordination with owners, clients, other disciplines, utility companies, vendors, contractors, and code authorities.
From 1990-2000 Don served in various capacities at the Lakewood office of The RMH Group, Inc., 1990-1994 as Lead Engineer, 1994-2000 Multi-Discipline Team Manager, 1998-2000 Vice President. When Don left RMH, they had 125 people in two offices, with projects throughout the Midwest and World.
Don served as Design Engineer for Garland D Cox Associates, Inc. from 1981-1990. Don was one of three engineers that remained with Garland up to his retirement.
Education
B.S., Architectural Engineering with Illumination Emphasis, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1990-1994
Professional Registrations
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Professional Accreditation, LEED AP
Professional Affiliations
Designer’s Lighting Forum of Denver
Illuminating Engineering Society (IES)
Helen Reschl, LEED AP
Lighting
Experience
Helen has over 25 years of experience designing lighting systems for a variety of facilities, including schools, courthouses, offices, multi-use live/work lofts, parking lots, exterior parks and recreation facilities. Her designs strive to integrate the lighting system with the architecture. She enjoys working closely with the architect and owner to provide a lighting design which will illuminate the architecture while providing the owner with a pleasing and maintainable lighting system. Helen is very knowledgeable with the many light sources and where feasible she utilizes emerging technologies to design energy-efficient lighting systems which provide the owner with long term monetary savings. Helen is proficient with AGI32 lighting design/calculation software, AutoCAD, Revit and she is familiar with requirements of the IECC energy code.
Helen served as a volunteer assistant to Jefferson County for the development of the exterior lighting ordinance and guidelines for the mountains and western plains
2002-Present Helen has served as one or more of the various capacities on many projects, Project Manager, Project Engineer, as well as Lighting Designer, while at the Wheat Ridge office of Ackerman Engineering, Inc.
1998-2001 Helen served as Lighting Designer at the Lakewood office of The RMH Group, Inc.
1995-1997 Helen served as Lighting Designer at the Wheat Ridge office of ME Engineers, Inc.
Education
Electrical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, 2014-2018
Professional Registrations
Registered Engineer in Training in Colorado
Passed Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (FE)
Professional Affiliations
Quality of Life Plus
IEEE
Tanner L. Ackerman, EIT
Power
Experience
Tanner has been a full-time member of the AEI team since May of 2018 and provided part-time engineering support the previous five years. He has been primarily involved with general and equipment power systems design including electrical distribution, emergency and standby power, as well as distribution system evaluations (Fault Current, Arc Flash, and Overcurrent Protection Coordination). His experience also includes lighting (interior, exterior, ballfield, and event), lightning protection, grounding, electronic communications systems (paging-intercom and master clock), and electronic safety and security systems (fire detection and alarm, secured entry access, intrusion detection, and video surveillance). Tanner has a wide range of experience in the utility power industry (high voltage power distribution and generation) from his recent project involvement and studies at Colorado School of Mines.
He has been responsible for project management as prime consultant and as sub-consultant, design, opinions of cost, bid assistance and administration, construction administration as well as all coordination with owners, clients, other disciplines, utility companies, vendors, contractors, and code authorities.
Colorado School of Mines also provided Tanner with recent experience in the fields of controls, feedback systems, arc-flash, and high voltage power electronics.
Education
Electrical Engineering Technology, Metropolitan State University, 1988
Professional Registrations
BICSI Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD)
Professional Affiliations
IEEE
Curtis P. Henderson
IT & Power
Experience
Curtis has over 30 years of experience in electrical and technological systems design and construction. His varied experience includes technology design and project implementation with an emphasis on inside and outside cable plant and pathway design supporting flexible technology system installation and operation. His consulting roles and responsibilities as lead engineer on owner representative teams include leading data center design and construction teams, data center daily operation and maintenance activities, telephony network engineering and system design, sound system/presentation system design, installation and operation, commercial/public safety two-way communications and PSAP system design, IP backbone network design and integration for connectivity to internet peering points, and “Layer 0” / OSI Layer 1/2/3 connectivity for computer networking and telephony systems.
He is proficient with Microsoft Office, Revit, AutoCAD, Bluebeam Revu, Visio, Cisco IOS, Juniper JUNOS, EASE 4.0, and the application of National Electrical Code (NEC) requirements. Curtis joined Ackerman Engineering in March 2019.
2013-2018 Curtis served as Telecommunications Engineer with BCER Engineering
2007-2012 Curtis served as Sr. Telecommunications Consulting Engineer with Cyberlink Corp
2006-2007 Curtis served as Data Communications Technician with McBride Electric
1998-2006 Curtis held various Engineering positions throughout his career with NTT/Verio
1994-1997 Curtis served as both Field System and Network Engineer with Nextel Communications
1989-1993 Curtis served as both Specifying and Project Engineer with Motorola C & E
Education
B.S., Architectural Engineering with Illumination Emphasis
University of Colorado, Boulder, 1988
Mark Rudiger
Lighting
Experience
Mark has over 30 years of experience with lighting design from concepts through construction documentation and commissioning, photometric analysis, custom luminaire design and integration details, lighting control design and implementation, submittal review, Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Guidelines, and International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) compliance.
Mark has applied his lighting knowledge on many different types of facilities including schools (K-12 and Higher Education), process control rooms, libraries, retail shops, restaurants, visitor centers, museum/exhibit displays, courthouses, offices, multi-use live/work lofts, parking lots, exterior parks, and recreation facilities.
Mark strives to engage the architect and owner to develop a lighting design that creates the desired atmosphere while providing the owner with a simple and sustainable lighting system.
Mark’s design and project management skills have garnered multiple awards, including five from IES for work in Denver, Firestone, Washington, and California, as well as two awards for work at the Denver Zoo – Elephant Passage. He is proficient with AGI32 lighting design/calculation software, AutoCAD, Revit, Microsoft Office, Bluebeam Revu, Adobe, Newforma and ProCore. Mark joined Ackerman Engineering in April 2021
2018-2020 Mark served as a Lighting Designer, Project Manager and Lighting Design Mentor with Bouyea and Associates
1994-2017 Mark served as a Lighting Designer, Project Manager and Lighting Design Mentor, LEED AP with RMH Group
1992-1994 Mark taught secondary school physics and math with the US Peace Corps in Kenya, East Africa
1988-1992 Mark served as a Lighting Designer with Auerbach + Glasow, San Francisco
Education
Associate’s Degree, Architectural, Mechanical and Electrical,
Denver Technical College, Denver, 1983-1985
Dean Knight
Electrical Designer
Experience
Dean has over 35 years of experience in commercial and industrial power distribution, lighting and power design from concepts through construction documentation, lighting control design and implementation, submittal review. He has applied his electrical design knowledge and experience on various educational facilities including CU Boulder and Denver Campuses, CSU, Multiple school districts including Jefferson County, Denver County, Boulder Valley, Aurora Public Schools, Adams-Arapahoe, Douglas, Cherry Creek and others, parks and recreational facilities, retail shops, offices, restaurants, municipal maintenance facilities and some high end residential. He strives to engage clients, architects and owners to provide a complete, accurate and sometimes creative design that results in a final product that exceeds expectations.
He is proficient with AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, Bluebeam Revu and Adobe. Dean joined Ackerman Engineering in October 2022
1996-2022 Owner/operator, Electrical Designer, CAD operator Knight Design Group, Lakewood, Colorado
1991-1996 Co-owner, Electrical Designer, CAD operator with Engineering Industries, Ltd. Wheat Ridge Colorado
1988-1991 Electrical Designer, CAD operator with M-E Engineers, Wheat Ridge Colorado
1985-1988 Electrical Designer, CAD operator with Engineering Industries, Ltd. Wheat Ridge Colorado
Education
B.S., Business Administration Accounting Emphasis
University of Northern Colorado, Colorado, 1987
Michelle Schiffbauer
Administration
Experience
Michelle has over 30 years of experience in Accounting and Business Administration. She has served in many paid and volunteer positions involving accounting, project management, and customer service.
2008-Present Michelle has served in an administrative, office management and bookkeeping capacity while at the Wheat Ridge office of Ackerman Engineering, Inc.
2001-2009 Michelle served as a bookkeeper at Golden Business & Financial Services
1987-2000 Michelle served in many capacities at the Centennial offices of OppenheimerFunds, Inc., 1987-1990 Shareholder Accountant, 1990-1999 Reconciliation Supervisor, 1992-1995 Accounting Manager, 1995-2000 Special Project Analyst/Conversion Team.
Education
B.S. Business, Marketing, Iowa State University, Iowa, 2012
A.A.S. Accounting, Kaplan University, Iowa, 2009
Sydney Hayes
Administration
Experience
Sydney has over 18 years of experience in Client Relations and over 12 years of experience in Marketing. She has served in upper management positions involving marketing, project management, human resources, accounting, and customer service.
2024-Present, Sydney is currently serving administrative, office management and marketing roles at the Wheat Ridge office of Ackerman Engineering, Inc.
2023, Sydney served as an I.T. Specialist for the City of Wheat Ridge.
2019-2023, Sydney moved her family to Colorado and began in an Operations and Account Coordinator role at tech company Wit Digital. She quickly moved into the role of Director of Operations for this digital marketing and website design company based in Wheat Ridge. Sydney helped lead the change to fully remote business operations during 2020. I.T. administration, business process and training were essential skills to this role, as well as client onboarding and project planning.
2013-2018, Sydney served in many roles including Director of Marketing and PR, Human Resources, and Director of Transportation at manufacturing company Alum-Line, Inc. Working for a company that cares about giving back to the community has always been a top priority. Big steps in communication and marketing skills were gained working for the national family-run company in rural Iowa.
2013, Sydney helped Fortune 500 companies with their SEC filings by training top-level execs on cloud-based accounting software, at global tech company Workiva.