Nitsch Engineering is thrilled to share that Jennifer Johnson, PE, CFM, LEED AP has been named CEO-Elect. Jenn’s term as President & CEO will begin on January 1, 2025, when she will succeed Lisa A. Brothers, PE, ENV SP, LEED AP BD+C. Lisa will remain at Nitsch as Chair of the Board.
Following Lisa’s decision to step down as President & CEO after 14 years, the Nitsch Board of Directors formed a succession planning committee to lead the internal search for Nitsch’s future leader. The committee worked throughout 2023 to identify and recommend the new President & CEO to the Board, unanimously recommending that Jenn be appointed. The Board subsequently unanimously elected her based on her proven strategic leadership and long-term vision for the company.
Jenn said, “Working at Nitsch for the past 15 years has been a pleasure and a privilege, and I am so honored to serve as the next President & CEO! I feel really lucky to have built my career at Nitsch – a company where our core values align with my own personal values, and where authenticity and passion for our work are celebrated. Driving our purpose of ‘building better communities with you,’ maintaining and enhancing our culture, and helping our amazing people find their passions – these are why I am excited to take on this role.”
Since joining Nitsch in 2010 as a civil engineer, Jenn has grown as a leader both within the company and in the industry at large. She shifted onto our Resilience Planning & Design team in 2015, was instrumental in that group’s growth and strategic direction, culminating in her promotion to Director of the team. Jenn became a Nitsch shareholder in 2017, has served on the Nitsch Board of Directors since 2020, and was promoted to Executive Vice President in 2023.
Lisa said, “Jenn is an inspirational, natural, and authentic leader who is ideally suited to lead Nitsch into the future. It’s the right time for the next generation to lead the company, and she has proven herself as a strategic thinker and enthusiastic change agent. Jenn has been a critical part of Nitsch’s growth and success since joining the company. She impressed our Board of Directors and Advisory Committee with her leadership on a wide range of corporate initiatives, particularly those that are focused on intentionally maintaining and building our values-driven, highly engaged corporate culture. I look forward to continuing to work with Jenn as she guides the vision and future of Nitsch Engineering!”
Jenn has 20 years of experience as an engineer, and holds a B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and an M.S. in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from North Carolina State University. She is actively involved in a number of professional societies dedicated to the environment, including the Environmental Business Council of New England (EBC/NE), the New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA), and the Water Environment Federation (WEF).