People
Your Primary Contacts
John Ghilarducci
Utility Rate, Fee and Management Consulting
John Ghilarducci is an FCS GROUP President, principal and shareholder who joined FCS GROUP in 1991. John began work in the industry in 1988. His practice focuses on all aspects of utility and general services system development charges (SDCs) and financial rate studies, from technical modeling and public involvement to ordinance drafting and implementation. He has formed stormwater and transportation utilities and has developed water, sewer, stormwater, transportation and parks rates and charges for dozens of clients. John is a recognized technical rate and finance expert and provides litigation support/expert witness testimony throughout the Northwest.
John is a member of the American Water Works Association, the American Public Works Association, and the Oregon Government Finance Officers Association, where he presents on utility rates and system development charges.
John received his BS in Economics at the University of Oregon and MPA in Organization and Management at the University of Washington.
Angie Sanchez Virnoche
Utility Rate and Fee Consulting
Angie Sanchez Virnoche is an FCS GROUP Vice President, principal and shareholder who joined FCS GROUP in 2006. Her experience in the industry began in 1993. Angie’s experience includes financial services in a variety of capacities for water, sewer, stormwater, solid waste and electric utilities.
Angie’s utility rate expertise covers a broad range of areas including, expert review of the rate-setting framework and methodology used by clients, development of utility rates by service level, establishing renewals and replacement capital funding targets, evaluating fund balances, and development of a minimum charges.
Angie provides financial services to clients throughout the United States and serves on the American Water Works Association National Rates and Charges Subcommittee and AWWA Standards Committee and is a contributing author of the AWWA M1 manual on Principles of Water Rates, Fees and Charges. She also serves on the Northwest Public Power Association Board of Trustees and is the Rate-Setting presenter for the Washington State Department of Commerce Infrastructure Academies and one-day Rate Setting Workshops. She was also recently appointed to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Finance Advisory Board.
Angie received her BS in Business Administration and Finance at Oregon State University.
Todd Chase, AICP, LEED AP
Economic Services
Todd Chase is a principal, shareholder and economist experience in management consulting, financial analysis and economic analysis for public-and private-sector clients since 1985. Todd joined FCS GROUP in 2007. He has managed over 200 impact rate studies, annexation studies, funding strategies, and capital facility plans, with emphasis on growth management and sustainable “green” infrastructure. One of his specialties is providing detailed economic and fiscal impact assessments of the costs and strategies for implementing public and private improvements.
A recognized leader in Oregon on economic development policy issues, he is an appointed member of Oregon’s Department of Land Conservation and Development Economic Development Planning Advisory Committee, and the Clackamas Economic Development Commission.
Todd received his BS in Economics at University of Florida.
Martin Chaw
Financial Planning and Analysis
Martin Chaw is a project manager at FCS GROUP. Martin’s professional experience in state, local and regional governmental finance and policy analysis began in 1988. He joined FCS GROUP in 2018, focusing on utility and general management consulting. Prior to joining FCS GROUP, Martin worked as an analyst and fiscal manager for King County, the State of Washington and for several local municipalities including the cities of Bellevue, Redmond and Auburn. Martin particularly enjoys the satisfaction of helping his clients improve public service delivery by leaving lasting tools and resources.
Martin received his BA from the University of Washington and MPA at Seattle University.
Jason Mumm
Utility Management Consulting
Jason Mumm is an FCS GROUP Principal who has worked in the industry since 1996. Jason joined FCS GROUP in 2017, providing financial and rate development services in a variety of capacities for water, sewer, reclaimed water, stormwater and solid waste utilities. His noted areas of specialty include extensive work on the topics of affordability of water/sewer services – especially in consent decree situations – and regionalization of utility infrastructure. Jason has served as a court-appointed expert in Colorado, Hawaii, Texas, Nova Scotia, Oregon, North Carolina, and New Mexico.
He is a nationally recognized expert in utility rates, fees, and charges and has helped author significant portions of the American Water Works Association’s guidelines for water utility rates. He is a Chair of the AWWA Rates and Charges Committee, and is actively involved in the Water Environment Federation.
Jason has held public office as a water and sewer board member, served in the US Army, and earned a BS from Colorado State University and an MBA from the University of Colorado. He currently leads FCS GROUP’s office in Boulder, CO.
Chad Janicki
Financial Officer
Chad Janicki is FCS GROUP’s Chief Financial Officer and operations manager, joining the firm in 2016. Chad provides over a decade of experience in finance, accounting policies, human resources and information technology implementation. His responsibilities consist of directing accounting processes, facilities management, administrative roles, information technology, and human resources management. Prior to joining FCS GROUP, Chad held management positions in commercial banking, professional service, and finance industries.
He received his education at Cañada College and North Seattle Community College and has been a member of multiple professional organizations including the California Capital Loan Committee.
Scott Lester
Business Development
Scott W. Lester is FCS GROUP’s marketing and business development director with over two decades of experience providing marketing communications for professional service firms. He joined FCS GROUP in 2010. Scott’s work involves supporting teams and clients to address infrastructure challenges, system resiliency and community development. He is responsible for market research, strategic planning, client relationship management, and proposal development.
Scott is an active member of the Washington Finance Officers Association Education Committee and the Society for Marketing Professional Services.
Scott received Bachelor degrees in Communications and Global Affairs with a minor in Anthropology from Pacific Lutheran University and a MBA in Business Administration.
Your Project Team
Amanda Levine
Amanda Levine is an FCS GROUP senior analyst with experience in water, sewer and stormwater rate and fee development studies, including data collection and research. She also specializes in indirect cost allocation planning. Amanda provides data analysis and spreadsheet modeling. Amanda enjoys being engaged in the complex projects that this industry has to offer. Her experience in the industry, and her position at FCS GROUP, began in 2018.
She received her BA in History and Medical Anthropology and Global Health at the University of Washington.
Amanda Smith
Amanda Smith is FCS GROUP’s office/project assistant with many years of customer service and corporate office experience. As FCS GROUP’s office/project assistant, Amanda ensures the firm’s daily operations run smoothly and uses her versatile skill set to meet the firm’s ever-changing needs. Amanda is often the first point of contact for many of our clients and is dedicated to providing them with excellent service.
Ashley Romans
Ashley Romans is the FCS GROUP marketing coordinator focused on proposal development, conference coordination, and digital marketing. Ashley’s vast administrative and marketing experience began in 2006, with a background in engineering, project management, and real estate marketing. She joined FCS GROUP in 2019.
Ashley is a member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services.
Ashley received a BA in Political Science and a BA in English with a Writing Specialization from Central Washington University.
Brooke Tacia
Brooke Tacia is an FCS GROUP project manager focused on financial analysis and modeling experience. She has worked in the industry since 2006, joining FCS GROUP in 2015. She has performed rate analyses, revenue requirement studies, cost-of-service assessments, general facility and connection charge analyses, and financial chapter development for water, sewer, stormwater and electric utilities. In addition, Brooke has developed rates and charges for conservation districts throughout Washington State.
Brooke serves on the Women in Public Finance Association Board of Directors.
Brooke received her BA in Economics from Western Washington University.
Chase Bozett
Chase Bozett is an FCS GROUP senior analyst with experience in water and sewer rate analysis, ambulance cost of service studies, and fee development studies. Chase joined FCS GROUP in 2016, where he provides data analysis and spreadsheet modeling support.
Chase received his BA in Finance and Information Systems at the University of Washington.
Chris Gonzalez
Chris Gonzalez is an FCS GROUP senior project manager specializing in developing utility rates and connection charges. His rate and public finance experience began in 2003, joining FCS GROUP that year. He has served numerous water and wastewater utilities throughout the western United States. He enjoys solving client challenges and helping others anyway he can.
Nationally, Chris serves on the American Water Works Association Rates and Charges Subcommittee. Locally, he serves on the Washington Association of Sewer and Water Districts Finance Committee.
Chris received his BSE in Operations Research and Financial Engineering at Princeton University.
Colton Richard
Colton Richard is an FCS GROUP water resources and utility finance analyst who has been working in the industry since 2015. Colton joined FCS GROUP in 2020 where he offers a unique qualitative and quantitative set of skills in preparing analytical models and developing financial strategies to support utility operations. Previous experience includes water policy analysis across the Western United States, as well as research and quantitative modeling for water resource and agricultural organizations.
Colton received an MBA with a Concentration in Finance and Water Resources from the Leeds School of Business, and holds a BA in Economics, Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado. Colton also received a graduate certificate in Water Engineering & Management during his graduate studies.
Diane Harmon
Diane Harmon has been with the firm for over 20 years. As Accounting Manager, she is in charge of all accounting functions, insurance compliance, contract paperwork stipulation, voice and data networks, and client billing and assistance with human resources duties.
Doug Gabbard
Doug Gabbard is a project manager whose experience in government finance began in 2006. He joined FCS GROUP in 2011. Doug has guided local governments in Oregon and Washington through the setting of utility rates and impact fees, and he is an expert is system development charges. His passion is to help governments understand the full, ongoing costs of both their services and their assets. Only when those costs are quantified and compared with available revenue can governing bodies make informed decisions about the level of service that can be sustainable.
Doug is a member of the Oregon Government Finance Officers Association, the American Public Works Association, and Strong Towns.
Doug received a BA in Classical Languages at Santa Clara University and a MBA at the University of Oregon.
Evan Coughlan
Evan Coughlan is an FCS GROUP analyst who specializes in water and sewer utility rate modeling. His professional experience, which began in 2021, includes financial analysis, economic services, public policy and data research.
Evan has a BA in Business Administration with a Finance concentration from University of Washington.
Gordon Wilson
Gordon Wilson is an FCS GROUP senior program manager with expertise in financial and organizational analysis for water, wastewater and stormwater utilities and other local government services. Gordon has worked in the industry since 1984, focusing on finance and management for the public sector, including various roles within city governments. He joined FCS GROUP in 2007. His experience inside local governments allows him to approach management and financial consulting projects from a client perspective.
Since joining FCS GROUP, Gordon has conducted cost of service and user fee studies, long-term financial plans, and financial policy reviews for utilities and other local government functions. He has gained particular expertise in analyzing strategic business choices for utilities.
He received his BA in Political Science at Brigham Young University. He later earned his Master of Public Policy degree at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and his MBA at the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.
Matthew Hobson
Matthew Hobson is an FCS GROUP project manager with expertise in financial and policy analysis for solid waste utilities including rate design, financial forecasting, program evaluation, strategic planning, and operations analysis. He has worked in the industry since 2008, focusing on utility analysis and solid waste management for the public sector, including roles with city and county governments. He enjoys working with government agencies to design financial policy choices that achieve community goals and are supported by robust analytics and operational feasibility. Matt joined FCS GROUP in 2017.
Matt is a board member of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) Evergreen Chapter.
Matt received a BS in Political Science from Idaho State University and a MP Aff. in Public Affairs from the University of Texas.
Melanie Hobart
Melanie Hobart is an FCS GROUP project manager with public sector business management and financial consulting experience. Her experience in the industry began in 2007. She joined FCS GROUP in 2016 where she has performed stormwater, water, sewer and electric utility rate studies and forecasting throughout the U.S. She has assisted clients with fiscal policy development, multi-year revenue requirement forecasts and financial plans, establishment of proper targets for system replacement funding and crafted capital funding plans that optimize internal and external funding sources.
Melanie received a BA in Environmental Studies and Psychology and a MPA from the University of Washington.
Paul Quinn
Paul Quinn is an FCS GROUP assistant project manager who began working in the industry in 2011. Paul focuses on financial research and analysis including cost of service and rate modeling engagements throughout the Northwest. Prior to joining FCS GROUP in 2017, Paul was a financial investment analyst where he performed earnings forecasts within the petro-chem, mining, automotive, trucking, aerospace and defense industries.
Paul received a BA in Environmental Studies from Bucknell University.
Sergey Tarasov
Sergey Tarasov is an FCS GROUP senior project manager focused on rate design and financial feasibility analysis for electric, water, sewer, stormwater and solid waste utilities. His vast experience began in 2006 when he began at FCS GROUP, focusing on customer statistics analyses creating customer specific profiles to aid in detailed load forecasting (electric), revenue requirement development, cost-of-service analysis, rate design analysis and unit cost determination.
Sergey is an active member of the Northwest Public Power Association. He also actively participates in numerous associations throughout the industry by presenting on a variety of topics ranging from broad rate making principals to industry specific topics.
Sergey received a BS in Economics from the University of Washington.
Skye Jiang
Skye Jiang is an FCS GROUP senior analyst specializing in data analysis and utility modeling. Her professional experience in the industry began in 2021 and includes financial reporting, budgeting, public outreach, and database management.
Skye received a MPA from Public Finance and Budgeting in University of Washington and BS in Public Affairs from Indiana University.
Tage Aaker
Tage Aaker is an FCS GROUP senior project manager with consulting experience in utility rate studies, rate modeling, utility valuations, government fee development, cost recovery programs, and economic analysis for clients throughout the Western US. He joined FCS GROUP in 2011. Tage specializes in developing sophisticated yet practical Excel-based rate modeling tools to calculate full cost-of-service, determine cost-benefit of alternatives and improve user experience through dashboards and calculators.
Tage participates in Washington Finance Officers Association Education Committee and often presents at WFOA events.
Tage received his BA in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance at the University of Washington.
Tim Wood
Tim Wood is an FCS GROUP assistant project manager and economist with experience in economic and financial analysis for public-and private-sector clients inclusive of ports, cities, counties and special purpose districts. His financial analysis work began in 2010 when he joined FCS GROUP. His expertise includes economic opportunity analysis (EOA), housing needs analysis (HNA) and benefit cost analysis (BCA) solutions. He has also developed and extensive portfolio of experience in supporting TIGER, INFRA Fastlane and other grant funding solutions. Beyond his work within the economic development and master planning environment, Tim also works throughout the Northwest in developing cost recovery programs inclusive of rate and fee modeling for water, wastewater, stormwater, parks and transportation programs.
Tim is an active member of the Multnomah County Planning Commission and Budget Advisory Committee.
Tim received a BS in Political Science at the University of Oregon and a MS in Urban and Regional Planning at Portland State University.
Zechariah Hazel
Zechariah Hazel is an FCS GROUP senior analyst with experience in water, sewer and stormwater rate and fee development studies, including data collection and research. His joined FCS GROUP in 2019. Zechariah has assisted clients throughout the Pacific Northwest with revenue requirement and cost-of-service studies, multi-year financial planning, and connection fee development. He has performed in-depth analysis of program financial conditions and prepared reports detailing the results.
Zechariah received a BA in Mathematics from the Willamette University.