Vice-President of Engineering, Melanie J. Brethauer, PE, CFM, heads up the Civil Engineering division of the firm. She is a registered Professional Engineer and a Certified Floodplain Manager. She brings over 23 years of design and permitting experience to WNC Professional Engineers & Surveyors, working as an engineer in 10 states, plus the United Arab Emirates. From this wide variety of experiences she has a broad base of engineering ideas and skills, and a genuine desire to create plans by utilizing innovative engineering practices.

Melanie received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida in December 1985. Her initial work was geotechnical engineering, with Law Engineering. While with Law, she gained construction inspection experience in Florida, Texas, and California. This direct field experience gives her insight to bridging office design work into the construction work zone.

Working in southern California from 1986-1992 gave her experience with very large residential/commercial projects (600 acres up to 3,000 acres). She was a design team leader for the design and implementation of all aspects of civil engineering. This work entailed preliminary planning, detailed design and construction phase services. Areas included potable/reclaimed water, sanitary sewer, storm drain systems, drainage channels, sediment/erosion control measures, mass/final grading, street/highway design, greenways, light rail, park and ride lots, Best Management Practices (BMP’s) and stormwater management facilities, preparation of cost estimates and lake & dam design.

From 1994 to 2007, Melanie ran Brethauer Consulting Engineering, a Civil Engineering firm based in Raleigh. As the owner of the firm she took projects from the planning phases through construction and is very familiar with the local, regional, and statewide ordinances.

She encourages a team approach bringing together the planners, architects, engineers, and other professionals for the best design possible, at the same time, keeping an eye on the permitting process and the ultimate schedule. She has experience being brought into projects as an outside consultant in negotiating with homeowners associations, builders/developers, and municipal bodies, utilizing the “Getting to Yes” approach by William Ury and Robert Fisher to find common ground between the groups. She is a member of LEED for Neighborhood Development Corresponding Committee assisting the U.S. Green Building Council in developing a rating system for the pilot Neighborhood Development program.

Melanie has extensive experience designing lakes and dams and assisted in the renovation and repair of dams damaged by age or natural disaster. She has submitted and received approval for numerous FEMA Floodplain and Floodway studies. She knows the FEMA and NC Floodmaps approval processes.

Ms. Brethauer has served as an expert witness. Her capacity for balanced negotiation has resulted in the engagement of her services on numerous occasions to coordinate with homeowners associations, property owners, municipalities, and developers to find solutions acceptable for all.