People
Your Primary Contacts
John Ghilarducci
Utility Rate and Fee Management and Consulting
John Ghilarducci is an FCS principal and shareholder who joined FCS 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 principal and shareholder who joined FCS 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 an FCS principal, shareholder and economist experience in management consulting, financial analysis and economic analysis for public-and private-sector clients since 1985. Todd joined FCS 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.
Chris Gonzalez
Utility Rate and Fee Consulting
Chris Gonzalez is an FCS principal specializing in developing utility rates and connection charges. His rate and public finance experience began in 2003, joining FCS 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.
Sergey Tarasov
Utility Rate and Fee Consulting
Sergey Tarasov is an FCS principal 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, 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.
Scott Lester
Business Development
Scott W. Lester is an FCS marketing and business development director with over two decades of experience providing marketing communications for professional service firms. He joined FCS 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.
Judita Hansen
Judita Hansen is an FCS controller and business manager with over 20 years of regional and international finance experience with both corporations and non-profit organizations. Her work experience includes developing financial models, providing key financial reports, and strategic plans. She manages FCS’s financials and business performance, supporting the executive team and administrative staff.
Judita received a BS in Auditing and Accounting, and a MA in Business Administration from Vilnius University.
Your Project Team
Amanda Levine
Amanda Levine is an FCS project consultant 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, 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 an FCS office and project assistant with many years of customer service and corporate office experience. As FCS’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.
Angie Hammrich
Angie Hammrich is an FCS project manager with over two decades of utility and project management experience. She has experience in strategic planning, comprehensive date analysis, budgeting, and rate making. Her previous experience includes over 15 years of water rate analysis.
Angie received her BS degrees in Accounting and Management Information Systems from Kansas State University and her MS in Analytics from Dakota State University.
Brooke Tacia
Brooke Tacia is an FCS project manager focused on financial analysis and modeling experience. She has worked in the industry since 2006, joining FCS 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 project consultant with experience in water, sewer, and stormwater rate analysis, ambulance cost of service studies, and fee development studies. Chase joined FCS 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.
Caleb Hansen
Colton Richard
Colton Richard is an FCS water resources and utility finance project consultant who has been working in the industry since 2015. Colton joined FCS 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.
Devin Tryon
Devin Tryon is an FCS senior analyst who specializes in financial modeling and quantitative economic research. His background in economics and business solutions strengthens his work in utility data analysis. He joined FCS in 2023.
Devin has a BS in Economics from Arizona State University.
Diane Harmon
Diane Harmon has been with FCS for over 25 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 an FCS project manager with analytical experience in municipal and private sector positions. His comprehensive financial planning experience involves extensive water, wastewater, and stormwater utility rate development, long-term financial planning, and system development charges. Doug has created detailed, interactive models that facilitate sensitivity analysis and scenario testing to determine business direction in group decision-making environments. He has also conducted economic analyses, cost-of-service analyses, and business process improvement projects.
Doug received a BA in Classical Languages from Santa Clara University, and a MBA in Finance from University of Oregon.
Evan Coughlan
Evan Coughlan is an FCS senior 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 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. His experience inside local governments allows him to approach management and financial consulting projects from a client perspective.
Since joining FCS in 2007, 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.
Grace Glahn
Grace Glahn is an FCS senior analyst specializing in financial modeling and analysis. Her previous experience includes cost analysis and allocation, spreadsheet management, and public policy. She joined FCS in 2023.
Grace received a BA in Political Science and an MPA in Public Financial Management.
Kyle Holland
Kyle Holland is an FCS senior financial analyst specializing in cost analysis and project management. Prior to joining FCS, Kyle worked in the education, agriculture, and defense industries. He enjoys creating accessible tools that can drive data-informed decision making and policy choices.
Kyle holds Masters degrees in Business Administration and Food Studies, with a concentration in Agriculture from Chatham University. He also holds a BS in Finance from SUNY Brockport.
Luke Nelson
Luke Nelson is an FCS senior analyst specializing in data analysis and utility modeling. His previous experience includes financial reporting, budgeting, and database management. He joined FCS in 2023.
Luke received a BS in Economic Sciences with a Minor in Business Administration from Washington State University.
Maxwell Smith
Maxwell Smith is an FCS senior analyst specializing in data analysis and utility rate design. His previous experience includes database management, programming, and financial and economic modeling.
Maxwell has a BA in Business Administration from University of Washington.
Melanie Hobart
Melanie Hobart is an FCS project manager with public sector business management and financial consulting experience. Her experience in the industry began in 2007. She joined FCS 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 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 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.
Robert Hamud
Robert Hamud is an FCS project manager with over 20 years of experience in the public sector, including over eight years serving as a municipal finance director, most recently for the cities of Issaquah and Snoqualmie, Washington. Robert has extensive experience with utility rate and fee studies in the jurisdictions he has served as well as expertise in both short-term and long-term forecasting and financial plans for general fund, capital improvement program and enterprise budgeting.
Robert received a BA in Government from California State University – Sacramento, and a MPA in Public Administration from University of Utah.
Sarah Schenkein
Sarah Schenkein is an FCS senior analyst specializing in financial data analysis and research. Her previous experience includes policy analysis, project management, and economic research.
Sarah received a BA in Economics-Environmental Studies from Whitman College.
Shivani Lal
Shivani Lal is an FCS project manager with over two decades of program and project management. She started her career in banking and transitioned into local government. Shivani has experience in transportation planning, TDM utilization, and GIS application, used to inform stakeholders in strategic short and long-term planning and decision making. She joined FCS in 2023.
Shivani received a BA in Sustainable Urban Development from the University of Washington.
Tage Aaker
Tage Aaker is an FCS 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 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 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. 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.
Zech Hazel
Zech Hazel is an FCS project consultant with experience in water, sewer and stormwater rate and fee development studies, including data collection and research. He joined FCS in 2019. Zech 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.
Zech received a BA in Mathematics from the Willamette University.