Sam Mehta Joins GS&P, Brings Over 30 Years of Aviation Environmental Experience
Gresham, Smith and Partners announces that Sam Mehta, P.E., has joined the firm’s Water + Environment practice as senior vice president. Mehta brings more than 30 years of experience in environmental sustainability, project management, environmental compliance, construction management, engineering and litigation support. He will provide client, project, and thought leadership with a focus on aviation environmental management, compliance, and sustainability.
He joins GS&P from San Francisco International Airport (SFO), one of the nation’s leading airports in terms of both passenger traffic and sustainability, and one of the only two airports in North America that have been certified by Airport Carbon Accreditation as a Level 3 airport. At SFO, Mehta planned and oversaw key environmental and environmental compliance initiatives. Most recently he managed the implementation of the airport’s Sustainable Planning, Design and Construction Guidelines to ensure a minimum of LEED Gold certification. His experience also includes the development of climate action and sustainability plans to reduce waste, energy and carbon footprint and negotiating environmental settlements and permits. Mehta has held additional engineering design, construction management and business development roles.
“We are proud to have Sam join the GS&P team. He is a true industry leader with the demonstrated ability, energy and passion to lead teams and organizations to environmental compliance and sustainability,” commented Joe Whitson, P.E., executive vice president, Gresham, Smith and Partners. “With Sam’s expertise and leadership, the firm continues to add value for our clients.”
“GS&P’s commitment to technical excellence, teamwork and service is foundational for building long-term strategic partnerships with our clients,” added Mehta. “I am excited to join the team, where I can apply my experience at SFO and share those learnings more broadly with the industry. I believe through smart planning, design and implementation, environmental initiatives can profoundly impact sustainability while also improving operations.”
Recognized time and again by the industry for his individual and organizational achievements, in 2017, Mehta received the James M. Crites Aviation Sustainability Pioneer Award, a part of the 2017 Airports Going Green Award program. Other awards include Airport Council International – North America’s Environmental Achievement Award and Airport Going Green’s Sustainability Leadership Award. In 2009 SFO’s sustainability program was selected by the United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 for an Environmental Achievement Award and the SFO Airport Sustainability Report he developed won the 2007 Airport Council International Award.
Mehta served as the chairperson for Airport Council International – North America’s (ACI-NA) Environmental Committee’s Air Quality Working Group and co-chair of ACI-NA’s Sustainability Working Group. He is one of three panel experts for Sustainability Practices, Carbon Footprint Determination, Benefit Cost Analysis and Air Emissions for the Academy of Science, Transportation, Research Board ACRP projects. Mehta earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Mumbai, a Master of Science in Structural Engineering from the University of Louisiana and a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from the University Houston.
GS&P’s Water + Environment team consists of experienced environmental engineers, designers, geologists, operations and regulatory specialists, and scientists providing a wide range of water, wastewater, stormwater, environmental management, compliance, and sustainability services. By staying abreast of the latest developments in technology, water quality, and regulatory legislation, the team integrates environmental services with other in-house capabilities to maximize project delivery, efficiency and cost-effectiveness.