Benesch Announces Officer Promotions for 2025
CHICAGO, IL – Benesch is pleased to announce the appointment of three new vice presidents within the company. Learn more about each of them below.
Erik Hammarlund, PE
Division Manager – Georgia
Erik Hammarlund is an expert in transportation and civil infrastructure design, with over 30 years of experience delivering large-scale, multi-phased projects for clients in Georgia and South Carolina His expertise is often sought after by state and local agencies to address complex challenges for critical infrastructure projects.
Erik’s leadership and guidance within our Georgia Division over the last several decades has been instrumental to the continued growth of our municipal, roadway/bridge and land development teams. His multidisciplinary expertise has helped to establish Benesch as a leading consultant in Georgia and beyond, with a passion for improving quality of life for communities through vital improvements to roadways, stormwater management and water/wastewater systems, and trail networks.
Deeply committed to furthering the AEC industry, Erik is also involved with the American Council of Engineering Companies and the Georgia Society of Engineers. He was also the director of the Mathcounts Competition in Augusta, GA for nearly a decade and has been active on several Georgia Partnership for Transportation Quality Consultant Relations Committees, including previously serving as co-chair for the Program Delivery Committee and ongoing contributions to the Procurement Committee.
Chad Rajala, PE
Construction Group Manager – Michigan
Chad has 30 years of professional construction management experience and is known for his ability to manage intricate project dynamics and guide teams through challenging situations to achieve successful project delivery. He came to Benesch in 2012.
Over the last 13 years, Chad has built a highly successful construction management practice at Benesch, which serves state and local clients from multiple offices across Michigan. Together, they provide expert construction engineering oversight, project management and quality assurance for highly complex transportation and heavy civil infrastructure improvements, including the award-winning I-96/Cascade Road Diverging Diamond Interchange (the second-ever DDI to be built in the state) and the M-89 Roundabout.
Chad’s focus on quality management administration and efficiency have helped to establish Benesch as a top construction management firm both for the DOT and local agencies in Michigan. The team has been recognized at the state and national level by several organizations, including the American Council of Engineering Companies, the Michigan Concrete Paving Association, the Asphalt Paving Association of Michigan and more.
Chad is also an active contributor to the ACEC/Michigan Transportation Committee, as well as several other organizations.
Steve Roth, PE, CAMP
Water Group Manager – Kansas
With over 26 years of industry experience, Steve Roth is recognized as a water resources expert. He leads a multidisciplinary team of water and wastewater professionals who collaborate with local, state, and national agencies to deliver resilient infrastructure to communities in Kansas, Missouri, and beyond.
Beyond his work as our Kansas Water Group Manager, Steve is dedicated to advancing our ability to effectively leverage technology to best manage infrastructure assets for water/wastewater and transportation clients across the country. Through his work, he’s uncovering innovative ways to collect and analyze data that revolutionize the way our clients understand the condition of their assets. Steve also serves on a corporate advisory group for project managers at Benesch, where he devotes significant time to developing and implementing training tools and best practices for project managers across the company.
Outside of Benesch, Steve’s industry organization involvement includes the American Water Works Association of Kansas and the American Council of Engineering Companies in both Kansas and Missouri.
