“I found and still find it exciting to win a project and then see it progress and positively impact the community I live in.”
Teams: Executive Management
Kevin Timmins
As a native Oregonian, Kevin credits the many days he spent outdoors as a youth to his interest in water resources engineering. Otak has always provided him with the opportunity to chart his own course and surround himself with amazing, talented, and interesting people. Kevin brings an ability to see the big picture on projects and know how to navigate through the project development process. He especially enjoyed working on the Bend Whitewater Park project. He sits on Otak’s Equity & Inclusion team, is a member of the Oregon Chapter of the American Public Works Sustainability Committee, and is committee chair for four Boy Scouts of America units.
Sarah Oaks
Studying architecture, Sarah was drawn towards understanding how users’ needs could be solved by their environments, exploring space programming dilemmas (especially in historic buildings), and conceiving buildable projects. Starting her career with a K-12 school district working on capital projects and sustainability initiatives, she quickly learned how to act on behalf of her client and how to be part of the client. Working as an owner’s rep has been a fantastic fit, allowing Sarah to combine those early aspirations—bringing human-centered spaces to life and solving problems that can’t be fixed by the building alone—and expand her client and project base. Sarah loves the collaborative team culture: from delivering exceptional service to our clients to supporting each other’s professional development. We have an incredible wealth of diverse subject matter experts to learn from and grow with. “I am inspired by the entrepreneurial, ‘can do’ drive that unifies every individual I’ve met at Otak. We are a community that actively pursues ‘better’ whenever possible for our practice, relationships, and company.”
Matt Marshall
Matt has a passion for understanding our clients’ business imperatives. He loves to connect the dots between clients’ needs and our talented planners, architects, scientists, engineers, and construction and project management professionals to deliver solutions that improve communities in which we live, work, and play. From flood resiliency and efficient, safe, and equitable mobility solutions to enhancing our national parks, Matt appreciates Otak’s commitment to providing unique multidisciplinary solutions to our clients’ most pressing challenges.
With a passion for recruiting, training, and retaining the best and brightest, he believes Otak delivers solutions through the passions, capabilities, and personalities of our people. A strong proponent of equity and inclusion, he is also a stickler for safety and ensuring our employees, clients, subcontractors, and community members arrive home safely every day. Outside of work, Matt can be found volunteering as he is able for a variety of organizations including Water for People, Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, and There With Care. He is an active participant (and past chairperson) of the A3 Liaison Committee (A3LC), a committee comprising ACEC, AIA, and AGC chapters in Denver focused on promoting trust through collaboration and shared knowledge to create value for all (in the design/construction industry).
Jon Yamashita
Jon followed his dad into the survey profession and that path has led him to guide Otak’s work in Oregon and Southwest Washington as Regional Director. Previously leading Otak’s surveyors and fleet of 22 vehicles, he’s also be integral to field safety and adopting new technologies.
Jon’s superpower is his ability to keep the big picture in mind and not be blinded by details. He tries to remember that we are hired to solve our clients’ problems, and if a detail, document, deed, or monument does not move our client’s project forward, we can’t dwell on it. He is happiest when he sees his team laughing with each other when the pressure is really on.
Jon has served on the Leadership Clark County board of directors and the Clark County Railway Advisory Board and as chapter president of the Land Surveyors’ of Washington. Now he keeps busy with his two kids, serving on the board of his homeowner’s association, and becoming certified as a swim meet official.