Leadership

Our senior leadership is invested in the communities in which we serve. We are committed not only to the growth and development of these communities, but also to the growth and development of the people within. Our passion is to create fundamentally sound places where people can thrive; and we start right here within our walls by investing in our people and processes.

We possess a depth of experience that provides a solid foundation upon which to layer innovation. We remain an intentionally close-knit team working under a multi-generational family business. However, we ensure that our relative size doesn’t impede our team’s access to resources, including training and technology. We take a genuine approach to business in our dealings with our clients and our team, and we continue to build a culture that thrives on problem-solving for people.

President/CEO

Jay Chastain, ENV SP

Jay Chastain is consistently broadening the scope of his knowledge for a greater purpose. His unending quest for a greater understanding of people and systems, and his ability to be agile and adaptable, is propelled by an authentic desire to see people succeed.

Jay is intentional about ensuring that the firm’s legacy is preserved, but he also incrementally invests in advances that serve both his team and his clients well. Jay’s role in the growth of the firm is rooted in his uncanny ability to identify and address opportunities for innovation.

Throughout his tenure at the firm, Jay’s steadfast guiding principle is his commitment to equipping experts with resources to propel the power of their expertise, and then to put those experts squarely in the driver’s seat.

Jay joined the firm in 2008 and was named President in 2014. He initially found his place at the firm by identifying opportunities and investing in solutions that would advance the company and empower its people, and this approach continues to inform Jay’s leadership style today.

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” – Lao Tzu

The people of Chastain-Skillman are and have always been, unrivaled technical experts. However, Jay hones the firm’s technological and corporate infrastructure to better support the team and the firm as a whole. Jay actively looks for ways to improve client service through technology, best management practices, and business systems.

Jay is an ISI Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) and a proud graduate of the University of Florida where he earned a BA in Business Administration.

He is also an active member of the Lakeland community, engaging with Habitat for Humanity, the LEDC, Florida Presbyterian Homes, the High Skill High Wage Board, and other community-focused groups and initiatives.

CFO

Andrew Mason
Principal/Senior Consultant

Jim Chastain, PE, PhD, BCEE, MPH
Principal/Vice President of Civil Engineering

Ron Cauthan, PE
Director of Water/Wastewater Engineering

Doug Jones, PE
CFO

Andrew Mason

Coming soon!

Principal/Senior Consultant

Jim Chastain, PE, PhD, BCEE, MPH

Jim Chastain is an engineer’s engineer, and he’s a formidable force. Most people would describe Jim as a statesman, a giver, a servant, and someone who is fiercely competitive technically. But Jim notes that he enjoys mentoring people more than anything else.

In the industry for over five decades, Jim joined ChastainSkillman | DCCM as an intern first, and then as a project engineer after college graduation. Throughout his career as a civil engineer, he has continued academic pursuits that have positioned him to lead the firm.

In 1981, Jim became president of ChastainSkillman | DCCM, following in his father’s footsteps. His legacy was, and remains, his ability to connect the team to the ideals of the founding fathers of the firm.

During Jim’s tenure as president, engineering excellence reigned and this created a culture of precision that still lives today. His broad academic training and advanced statistical expertise aids in synthesizing engineering and environment, and bringing public health perspectives to projects.

Currently, Jim serves as principal and senior consultant.

He is passionate about supporting his son, Jay, who now leads the firm as president. Jim also invests professionally in the entire ChastainSkillman | DCCM team and the clients he’s spent his career working alongside.

On a day-to-day basis, Jim continues to work as an environmental engineer and focuses on studies related to water, wastewater, or water resource needs/strategies for clients.

Jim earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE), graduating cum laude, from the University of Florida in 1971 and went on to earn a Master of Engineering (ME) in Environmental Engineering; also from the University of Florida in 1972.

In 1991, Jim earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of South Florida and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from the University of South Florida in 2004.

Additionally, Jim was awarded the designation as a Professional Engineer (PE) from the State of Florida in 1975. He is a Board Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE), certified by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists in 1997.

Principal/Vice President of Civil Engineering

Ron Cauthan, PE

Ron sets the bar for technical professionalism; he’s a hardworking engineer with the heart of a servant-leader.

As a ChastainSkillman | DCCM shareholder, Ron serves as a beacon for incoming engineers and a collaborator for tenured professionals.

With over 4 decades in the industry, the majority of Ron’s career has been at ChastainSkillman | DCCM. He began as a young registered professional engineer at the firm before investing in the company and becoming a principal. Ron is now the vice president of Civil Engineering for ChastainSkillman | DCCM.

Additionally, for about 15 years, Ron also served as a county consulting engineer for Florida’s Highlands County.

Ron provides consultative engineering services to private and municipal clients and has spearheaded an array of successful projects for the firm. He cites his team’s experience and the breadth of projects under their management as a key factor in the firm’s success.

Notably, Ron has designed seven recreation and park projects in central Florida. These projects have ranged from passive parks on environmentally sensitive tracts to active parks boasting baseball, softball, football, and soccer facilities.

Ron possesses a BS in Engineering from The Citadel where he played college football.

He has also completed the FDOT Bridge Inspection Training and FDOT Advanced Maintenance of Traffic Certification (MOT).

He’s registered as a professional engineer, licensed in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina.

Director of Water/Wastewater Engineering

Doug Jones, PE

Doug innately possesses the qualities of an exceptional engineer. He is organized, thorough, collaborative, and intelligent; and he personifies a deep dedication to the firm and to the team.

Doug Jones established himself on the team at ChastainSkillman | DCCM over two decades ago. Since then, he has built his career in environmental engineering at the firm, with expertise in water and wastewater treatment, pumping, and conveyance systems.

Prior to becoming an engineer, Doug managed a microbiology laboratory for 12 years. He earned an engineering degree thereafter in 1993 and began at ChastainSkillman | DCCM in 1996 as a project engineer.

In 2017, Doug became the director of environmental engineering at ChastainSkillman | DCCM.

Doug’s biology and microbiology background and training make him an invaluable asset to the firm; contributing knowledge to environmental engineering projects that most engineers do not possess.

During his tenure at the firm, Doug has served in the roles of design engineer, engineer of record, and project manager for multiple projects. These projects involve linear pipelines, sewer evaluation and rehabilitation, water and wastewater treatment, and master planning.

An industry expert, Doug has acted as Chairman of the ASCE Water Supply, Treatment, & Distribution Technical Committee.

He is also the author of peer-reviewed journal papers and conference presentations, and the reviewer of hydraulic articles and publications.

Doug earned an MSE, Environmental Engineering from the University of South Florida, along with an MS in Microbiology from the same institution and a BS in Biology from Valdosta State University.

Doug is a professional engineer, licensed in Florida and Colorado.

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