“I like working at Otak because we are encouraged to bounce ideas off each other and take ownership of our workplace.”
Locations: Portland
Nick Cook
Right after college, Nick went to work for a survey crew in support of stream restoration projects in the mountains of North Carolina. That experience led him to continue his education so he could work in ecosystem restoration. He takes his passion for natural ecosystems home with him, admitting that floating down a scenic river with the potential of spotting wildlife in its natural habitat is what makes him happiest. Nick organizes the annual Otak whitewater rafting trip and also volunteers with various watershed groups doing everything from trash clean-ups to beaver and salmon activity surveys.
Miro Radoynovski
“I enjoy working at a multidisciplinary firm with great people and a global reach.”
Hailey Sibert
“I really enjoy looking at a beautiful building and standing in its glory; architecture fascinates me.”
Ellie Gordon
“I’m lucky to be in the marketing department where we have great opportunities to meet with so many fellow Otakians while working on proposals.”
Tracy Goodman
“My StrengthsFinder architype is ‘passionista,’ which as a natural teacher is certainly true.”
Robert Fisher
“I enjoy Otak’s great people and the dynamic environment!”
Renee Rhiner
Renee is a recognized leader and project manager with significant experience with office buildings, renovations, manufacturing, critical facilities, school, and environmental projects. She has a proven ability to identify and implement scalable processes to reduce costs and improve business practices. Renee believes in an integrated team approach that encourages an environment that builds trust and respect among clients, team members, and the community. With over 30 years managing projects to completion, Renee utilizes an analytical approach while applying strategic thinking, planning, and problem solving. She takes the client’s key objectives into account, assessing potential risks and identifying available best practices. To reduce cost, improve project scheduling, and manage change, she prefers to use Lean principles. Specifically, Renee uses the pull planning tool for scheduling in which every stakeholder collaboratively starts with the end goal and works backward toward the start date. A constant in her personality, Renee specializes in bringing teams together in a spirit of open communication, collaboration, and teamwork to form a plan.
Mike Spelts
“I admired the skills and technology of the surveyors who I saw doing construction staking on my job site. I developed a relationship with them and eventually went to work for them.”
Matthew Neish
Growing up in Arizona, Matthew spent his summers doing construction work. He enjoyed the industry but not the heat! He found a perfect combination of industry and climate in Oregon, where the heat is decidedly diminished. Matthew is a problem solver, happy to handle technical, scheduling or jurisdictional issues to keep projects running smoothly. He stays active in the community, supporting outreach to Portland’s homeless alongside efforts around affordable housing. Outside of work Matthew enjoys spending time with his wife or hitting the golf course.