Mark Teague, Professional Engineer (PE), Certified Public Manager (CPM), serves as the principal engineer and owner. Mark’s primary role is project oversight, visioning, and forensic engineering including expert testimony as well as direct engineering services and facilitation of multi-agency collaboration. He possesses over 24 years of experience as a transportation engineer. Formerly with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, Mark has spent most of his career working with small towns and is well versed in the challenges and opportunities present with and for these communities. His experience includes licensed and forensic work with communities and clients across North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Ohio, Arkansas, New York, Illinois, and Georgia.
Will brings 33 years of experience as a planning professional to his position with JMTE. His responsibilities include conducting a wide array of traffic and transportation-related studies, such as traffic impact, corridor, feasibility, and parking studies; conducting transportation assessments for signs, pavement and sidewalk conditions, and traffic signal operations.
Will specializes in conducting multi-modal transportation studies and his expertise includes travel demand modeling, traffic impact studies, freight studies, parking studies, corridor planning, traffic operational analyses, land use studies, and public involvement.
Will moved to western North Carolina from Minneapolis, MN after serving in various professional positions from 2001-2014, including Senior Project Planner for CH2M Hill, Inc., Senior Transportation Planner/Project Manager with Iteris/Meyer, Mohaddes Associates, and HDR, Inc.
Jim Kellenberger, PE, Transportation Safety Engineer
Jim Kellenberger, PE, Transportation Safety Engineer – Jim serves as the lead instruction and manager of the JMTE Academy. Prior to joining JMTE Jim was a long time NCDOT engineer and owner of Kellenberger Engineering. In mid-2015, JMTE acquired Kellenberger Engineering and brought Jim along as the Academy manager. Jim is a long-time member and affiliate of National Society of Professional Engineers, the National Transportation Research Board, and the American Society of Safety Engineers. He brings with him thousands of loyal clients & trainees, his Certification to provide Professional Development Credits, and a North Carolina Board registration for Registered Engineers and Professional Surveyors.
Patience Stepp, Senior Engineering Technician – As Senior Engineering Technician, Patience provides data collection for in-house projects as well as for the NCDOT Transportation Mobility & Safety Division. She is a North Carolina Department of Transportation qualified Work Zone flagger, Work Zone Installer, and has completed the ITRE at NC State University Pedestrian Crossing Assessments workshop. She comes from a long line of civil engineers & land surveyors and worked for her father’s engineering firm. Patience joined JMTE as Assistant Office Manager in 2014.
Anna Sexton joined JMTE as a Community Planner, with a specialty in public policy and finance. She recently received her Master of Public Policy degree from the Georgia State University Andrew Young School of Policy Studies in Atlanta. Sexton brings experience working with government agencies at all levels and she is adept at problem-solving, prioritizing, and managing multiple tasks within tight deadlines and high-stress environments.
Her responsibilities include assisting with and leading a variety of planning projects. Since joining JMTE, she has worked on the development of a countywide wayfinding master plan, assisted with drafting a city-wide Complete Streets policy; and co-authored the transportation chapter for a town’s updated strategic vision plan.
While attending Georgia State, she was a Public Finance Fellow at the university’s Center for State & Local Finance. Her experience included participation in the Center’s partnership with the Volcker Alliance to draft the annual Truth & Integrity in State Budgeting Report; drafting 26 budget-related responses each for the Georgia, Colorado and New Mexico reports; and analyzing transparency in state budgeting practices focusing on disclosure practices, rainy day funds, pensions & OPEBs and municipal securities.
She also served as a Graduate Policy Intern for the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners and as a Graduate Research Assistant for Georgia State University’s Public Performance Management Group.
Candace Hladick, Transportation Planner, GIS Specialist – A part of the JMTE Team since May 2012, Candace provides numerous research, development, mapping, and design services that are essential for our operation.
As Transportation Planner, Candace provides multiple support services to both the planning and engineering departments, including collecting statistical data, preparing reports, and geo-located drawings and maps.
In addition, Candace conducts field evaluations and assessments, researches, and compiles information from multiple sources to assist in the evaluation of local issues, such as rezonings, ordinance amendments, site plans, special use permits, and more. She also assists with permitting with state and local governing bodies and acts as a liaison between local stakeholders, including community groups, government agencies, developers, and elected officials.
Candace is an experienced Low Impact Development (LID) Professional and CAD/GIS Technician, Candace has prepared GIS maps and CAD designs for multiple projects. She also serves in a key support role for forensic engineering research, sign design, traffic control planning, wheel path analysis, and the creation of JMTE’s innovative Sidewalk Condition Survey.
She holds an AAS degree and GIS Specialist certificate in Low Impact Development from Haywood Community College in Clyde, NC.
Candace is an NCDOT Qualified Work Zone Supervisor and has served on the Planning Board for Haywood County, NC, and the Board of Directors of the Western NC Chapter of Women in Transportation (WTS) International.
Kenny Armstrong, Senior Transportation Planner, joined the JMTE Team in 2016, shortly after completing Western Carolina University’s public affairs graduate program, which included coursework and project application in community and economic development, land use and transportation planning, quantitative statistics and data analysis, policy analysis, public training and facilitation, and ethics. He has since worked on a variety of comprehensive land use and transportation plans, with an interest in multimodal infrastructure planning. In addition, Kenny brings ten years of professional graphic design and illustration experience to the firm, which translates well to his role at J.M. Teague as a planning project technician, where the need for visual communication is fundamental for effective print design, public dialogue, and concept renderings.
Denise Teague has been named JMTE Finance Manager, after serving as Public Relations Specialist and Technical Writer since the company opened in 2010.
In her new role, Denise will manage staff payroll, accounts payable and receivable, company taxes and IRS-related matters, and other financial matters. She will also work closely with the company accountant and company attorney on all necessary financial and contractual matters.
Previously, Denise has worked in customer relations, marketing, social media development and other tasks with several area professional firms and western North Carolina nonprofit agencies. She also served as a grant writer and project manager. In addition, she is the former owner and operator of Fun Things Etc., a Waynesville, NC-based toy store.
Denise graduated from N.C. State University with a BA in History with a concentration in Education.
Duke Nonprofit Management Certificate Program
YMCA of the USA Senior Program Director Certification
Mountain BizWorks Foundations for Business Development
NCDOT Qualified Flagger
Girl Scouts Peaks to Piedmont Council, Service Unit 114 Chair
Long’s Chapel United Methodist Church
Corinne Lembo joined JMTE in December 2016 as Executive Assistant to Principal Engineer Mark Teague.
Corinne’s primary responsibilities are to provide general support and manage the flow of information to Mark. This includes managing client files, handling sensitive and confidential information, record retention, client communication, assisting in multiple aspects of our forensic engineering work such as gathering subpoenaed information, scheduling depositions, securing evidence and more. She also is a Notary Public and provides back-up assistance to the Finance Department.
Corinne moved to western North Carolina from Florida, where she worked in the court system for about 18 years, mostly as a court reporter. Prior to that, she worked in Texas as a Real Estate Title Insurance Closer for commercial and residential properties. Her educational background includes obtaining a Court Reporting Certificate for the State of Florida from Segal Institute for Court Reporting and a Texas real estate license from San Jacinto Junior College.
In her spare time, Corinne enjoys working with Girl Scouts of America. While in Florida, she was also affiliated with organizations that supported young people, such as Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Youth and Family Alternatives.
Verda Davis joined JMTE as Assistant Office Manager in October 2016.
In this capacity, Verda provides support services for JMTE projects by organizing and assembling marketing materials, manuals and other materials, opening and closing projects, conducting research, reporting and providing general office support.
A Haywood County native and Pisgah High School graduate, Verda is also a graduate of Southwestern Community College. Prior to joining JMTE, Verda had previous experience as an office assistant and had worked as a medical laboratory technician and phlebotomist for area hospitals.
Verda is a Haywood County native from the Bethel area. In her free time, she enjoys animals and being out in nature and she loves to read. For the last 10 years or so, Verda has sponsored a child through the Uganda Child Fund International.
JMTE is excited to welcome David B. Gildersleeve as Business Developer.
Dave brings more than 43 years of professional planning experience to JMTE, most recently as a Principal at Wade Trim Civil Engineers. In his more than 30 years with Wade Trim, he also served as a Senior Vice President and member of the Board of Directors. His areas of specific experience include Comprehensive Master Plans, land development regulations, waterfront planning and design, parks and recreation master planning, downtown and neighborhood development/redevelopment studies and plans, visioning and public participation, Developments of Regional Impact (DRIs), Project Development and Environmental (PD&E) studies, and expert witness.
As Business Developer, Dave will be responsible for most client relations and development across all JMTE areas of service. This will include attending and presenting at public and client meetings; assisting in the preparation of master planning documents for bicycle, small area, pedestrian, parking and wayfinding projects; reviewing development proposals and site plans for conformance with codes, plans and regulations; conducting research and developing ordinances and standards for government clients; and preparing grant submittals.
Pamela Waldron joins JMTE as a valued member of the Administrative Team. Born and raised in Mississippi, she attended the University of Southern Mississippi and received a BA in Psychology with a minor in Marketing. Pamela’s early career years were spent in mass communication endeavors. She was employed with the Biltmore Company before pursuing her dream career as a flight attendant. Pamela retired from flying in 2007 and moved to Western North Carolina.
Since joining J.M. Teague as a Data Counter in October 2015, Jon’s role on our team has continued to expand. He was named Office Manager in June 2016 and most recently became Human Resources Manager.
His areas of responsibility include supervising support staff; developing and managing job descriptions and employment packages; coordinating meetings, staff events and conferences; overseeing facilities maintenance; and coordinating record retention, transfer and disposal.
Jon brings a wide range of experience to J.M. Teague, from industries as varied as Disney Management, Law enforcement, Hazardous Materials removal and various marketing and sales management positions. He also holds certificates as a Human Behavior Specialist and conducts training in personnel utilization, communications within the workplace and conflict resolution.
Jon works with local youth sports organizations and musical theatre groups in his free time. He is a single father of four. He has a BA in Communications from Western Kentucky University and a BS in Theology from Beacon University.
