Sarah Ashley, P.E. and Jason Gagnon E.I.T. Earn LEED AP Accreditation

Geotechnical Engineers Sarah L. Ashley, P.E. of our Bangor, Maine office, and Jason Gagnon, E.I.T. of our Somersworth, New Hampshire office, have earned designation as LEED Accredited Professionals.  LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a rating system developed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to foster the understanding and benefits of, challenges to, and interdisciplinary design process necessary for, sustainable and energy efficient building construction. S. W. Cole is a member of the Maine Chapter of the USGBC.

Sarah is a native of Fort Kent, Maine, where she grew up. She attended the University of Rhode Island, earning a B.S. in Civil Engineering, and then graduated from the University of Maine with an M.S. in Civil Engineering (Geotechnical). Sarah worked as an Engineering Technician conducting construction materials testing for two summers with S. W. Cole Engineering, Inc. in Bangor, and for one summer with Strata, Inc. in Moscow, Idaho. She found that the summer experience working in the engineering field helped confirm her interest in working as a Geotechnical Engineer. Her three summers of experience with field and laboratory testing of soils and concrete provided her with the practical experience she now finds invaluable as a Geotechnical Engineer.

Sarah joined S. W. Cole Engineering, Inc. as a Geotechnical Engineer in the Bangor office in May 2005. Our clients have benefited from Sarah’s responsiveness and personable approach to projects. Her current responsibilities include preparation of proposals and reports, as well as geotechnical calculations. She is also involved in observation and consultation services, and monitoring of drilling and soil explorations. Sarah also has experience with stormwater runoff temperature studies. She has worked on a large variety of projects, including single story residences, commercial buildings, industrial upgrades, railroad projects, and wind farms.

Jason grew up in Rollinsford, NH in a family excavation business before attending The University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire. Moving dirt has always been a big part of his life, whether it was reaching for a shovel instead of a video game or learning to run a bulldozer before ever driving a car. When it came time to choosing a career path, ‘thinking about dirt at the next level’ just seemed like the natural step. 

Jason joined S. W. Cole Engineering in 2008 as a geotechnical engineer. His primary responsibilities are observation and coordination of subsurface investigations, preparation of geotechnical engineering reports and proposals, design calculations, and coordination of laboratory soils testing for geotechnical projects.

Jason has worked in both excavation and as a field engineer here in New England and throughout Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico. While in college, he had the opportunity to complete diverse coursework at Clarkson University and Colorado School of Mines while earning his degree. Jason is currently aspiring for his Masters Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of New Hampshire.

In his spare time Jason enjoys spending as much time outdoors as life will allow, taking in the breathtaking New England scenery. He is an avid four season mountain biker and hiker, and particularly takes pleasure in endurance challenges and solo excursions. Jason is also an aspiring landscape photographer and amateur philosopher.