Hancock Associates Announces Retirement of James White, PE

February 9, 2023 James White, PE

Hancock Associates announced that James White, PE has retired from H.W. Moore, the firm’s Boston division. Jim joined H.W. Moore in 1978. He worked primarily on private sector projects and developed relationships with many of the real estate developers and architects in the Boston area. His attention to detail, ability to solve complex engineering problems and his professionalism made him the go-to civil engineer for his clients. Over the years, he also worked on numerous public sector roadway and municipal building projects and became a trusted peer review consultant for several area Planning Departments.

“It is difficult to find a municipality in Eastern Massachusetts where Jim did not leave his imprint,” said H.W. Moore Senior Project Manager, Fred Keylor. “He will be greatly missed by his loyal clientele and even more so by his H.W. Moore and Hancock Associates family.”

“Jim was the face of H.W. Moore, an industry leader and instrumental in perpetuating H.W. Moore’s superior reputation in the Boston area,” said Hancock Associates President, Wayne Jalbert, PLS. “His tireless dedication, perseverance and commitment to the field of Civil Engineering will be missed. We wish him a long, healthy and happy retirement.”

 About Hancock Associates

Hancock Associates is made up of talented surveyors, engineers and scientists dedicated to excellence in land/coastal development, construction and preservation. They have maintained their position as an industry leader through their investment in exceptional staff, state-of-the-art equipment/technology and acquisition of multiple surveying and engineering firms, and historical survey records dating back to 1852. Since 1978, Hancock Associates has been providing land surveying, civil engineering and wetland science services throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. They value the long-term relationships they have with their clients served through their offices in Boston, Brockton, Chelmsford, Danvers, Marlborough, Newburyport, Palmer and Princeton, Massachusetts and Concord, New Hampshire.

 

Hancock Associates Wins Civil Engineering Firm of the Year

October 6, 2022 Joe Peznola Boston Real Estate Times Excellence Awards

Congratulations to Joe Peznola, PE and our entire Engineering Department on receiving the honor of Engineering Firm of the Year at the Boston Real Estate Times’ 2022 Excellence Awards. A true testament to all of your hard work and dedication to our clients and our firm. Well done!

Wayne Jalbert, PLS Featured in Engineering Solutions Magazine

September 15, 2022 Wayne Jalbert creates legacy at hancock associates

Engineering Solutions magazine, the research publication of the Francis College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, featured a great story about Wayne Jalbert, PLS and how he went from graduating with a degree in civil engineering to becoming the President of Hancock Associates.

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In the hunt for his first job after getting his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Wayne Jalbert ’85 knew he did not want a desk job.
He interviewed for a civil engineering position with Hancock Associates, a surveying and civil engineering firm serving communities in northeastern Massachusetts. However, Jalbert’s mind was set on land surveying, so after the interview, he wrote to the hiring manager to express his interest in a surveying job.

“Thank you for the interview as a civil engineer,” he recalls writing. “While I’m young and I love the outdoors, I’d like to pursue land surveying.” Months later, Jalbert received a phone call  from Hancock Associates informing him of a land surveying position. He got the job and never looked back.

“I couldn’t believe what I was making at the time,” says Jalbert. “I took the job for $7 an hour, and lo and behold, I’ve been at this company
ever since.”

In the 36 years since he joined the firm, Jalbert has gotten his hands dirty in a plethora of construction projects. As a professional land surveyor, he has been involved at the outset for many new buildings and renovations around New England.

Over the years, Hancock has grown, expanding its reach in Massachusetts and into Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

Throughout that growth, Jalbert’s career has advanced. He is now the company’s president and survey division manager. In that role, he
leads a team of surveyors and engineers, primarily in providing development design for new construction of “structures of all different types.”

Looking back on his time at UMass Lowell, Jalbert credits Herman J. Shea and Don Leitch as influential professors. He says the variety of coursework in electrical and mechanical engineering, computer science and other classes prepared him well for the construction industry.

“I can go in as surveyor on a construction site and have background knowledge of all these different aspects,” he says. “It made me really appreciate the degree that I got. I’m glad I went to UMass Lowell, and I’m glad I took civil engineering.”

His degree opened the door to a career that has brought both challenges and satisfaction. There is no instant gratification in the construction industry—projects can take months, if not years—but it is satisfying to see them go from start to finish, Jalbert says.

Over the years, Jalbert has worked on renovations at all of his alma maters—his elementary school, high school and college—and names UML’s University Crossing as one of his favorite projects.

“What’s most rewarding is being able to see the fruits of our labor,” he says. “We’re one of the professions that sees every project through from the dream in our client’s head.”

Two of the most important things Jalbert has built while climbing the corporate ladder may be Hancock’s size and legacy. Since becoming
president of the company in 2016, he has doubled the size of the business through hiring and acquisitions.

“My focus has been to slowly grow the company,” he says. “Slow growth seems to be the way to go in this industry. I’m perpetuating that.
It’s going really well, so we’ll be here for a while.”

Over the years, Jalbert has worked with Frank Hancock, the founder and namesake of the company, as well as co-founder Don Desmond.
As he looks to the future and plans for his own eventual retirement, he feels comfortable with the direction of the company.

“I have people who will eventually buy me out and will perpetuate the business, keeping Frank Hancock’s name on [it],” he says. “It’s sort of
the mantle I hold, to perpetuate the business beyond me.”

Jalbert continues to maintain strong ties with UMass Lowell. He serves on the Civil and Environmental Engineering Industrial Advisory
Board and sees his role as helping to ensure the university continues to prepare students with the skills they need for the workforce, just as it did for him.

“My focus in being on the advisory board is to make sure they maintain geomatics and AutoCAD as part of the core curriculum,” he says. “It was so important to me, and it’s so important to the engineering industry. Civil engineers can’t function without surveyors doing geomatics and using AutoCAD software.”

Additionally, when Jalbert meets UMass Lowell students working for Hancock Associates during their professional co-ops, where students apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to realworld engineering environments, he remains impressed year after year.

“We have a robust co-op program with UMass Lowell, and I am continually blown away by the quality of our co-op students,” he says. “I wish
I could hire more.”

Looking back on his education and his career, Jalbert has no regrets with the decisions he has made.

“I owe my career to UMass Lowell,” he says. “I picked the right school, and I would not have changed a thing.”

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Matthew Connors, PE Joins Hancock Associates as Regional Engineering Manager

August 15, 2022 Matthew Connors, PE

Hancock Associates is proud to announce that Matthew Connors, PE has joined the firm as Regional Engineering Manager. Matt with be assisting Joe Peznola, PE, the firm’s Director of Engineering, in managing Hancock’s eastern engineering operations. He is based in Hancock’s Newburyport office at 1 Harris Street.

Matt has nearly 30 years of experience in site/civil engineering, project management and construction administration, with particular emphasis on developments with excessive environmental constraints. His experience is broad-based and includes design, specifications, management and permitting of projects in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Arizona, covering residential, commercial, institutional, municipal, sub-division, utility and wetland projects. Matt’s technical expertise includes hydraulics, hydrology, pump stations, water distribution modeling and storm/sewer collection modeling; local, state and federal permitting; and wet utility design and construction.

Matt was a former Project Manager at Hancock. Prior to his return to Hancock as Regional Engineering Manager, Matt was an Associate at Engineering & Land Planning Associates, Inc. in New Jersey. He has a Masters in Business Administration from Boston University and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Matt is a licensed Professional Civil Engineer in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Arizona and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Boston Society of Civil Engineers and the U.S. Green Building Council. He is a resident of Groveland, Massachusetts.

“I enjoy working with clients and staff to build something that will better communities and future generations,” said Matt. “I came back to Hancock to continue doing great work with exceptional people.”

“I am so glad to have Matt return to Hancock and join our Management Team,” said Wayne Jalbert, Hancock’s President. “He brings an exceptional blend of engineering, technology and management skills to Hancock and will bolster our organization into the future.”

About Hancock Associates
Hancock Associates is made up of talented surveyors, engineers and scientists dedicated to excellence in land/coastal development, construction and preservation. They have maintained their position as an industry leader through their investment in exceptional staff, state-of-the-art equipment/technology and acquisition of multiple surveying and engineering firms, and historical survey records dating back to 1852. Since 1978, Hancock Associates has been providing land surveying, civil engineering and wetland science services throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. They value the long-term relationships they have with their clients served through their offices in Boston, Brockton, Chelmsford, Danvers, Marlborough, Newburyport, Palmer and Princeton, Massachusetts and Concord, New Hampshire. For additional information, call (978) 777-3050 or visit www.HancockAssociates.com.

James M. O’Neil Joins Hancock Associates as Survey Manager

July 22, 2022 James O'Neil

Hancock Associates is proud to announce that James M. O’Neil, L.L.S. has joined the firm as Survey Manager in their Chelmsford, Massachusetts office. Jim is responsible for overseeing the surveying department in the Chelmsford office and coordinating with the surveying teams in other offices.

Jim has almost 30 years of experience in land surveying. Prior to joining Hancock Associates, he held positions as Director, Chief of Surveys and Assistant Survey Manager at several well-respected engineering firms and was the owner of his own land surveying company.

Jim attended Wentworth Institute of Technology and participated in the institution’s civil engineering program. He is a licensed Professional Land Surveyor in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and Connecticut and pursuing licenses in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Jim is a member of the National Society of Professional Surveyors, the New Hampshire Land Surveyors Association, the Connecticut Association of Land Surveyors and the Massachusetts Association of Land Surveyors and Civil Engineers. He is also a former member of the Bedford, New Hampshire Zoning Board of Adjustment. Jim resides in Bedford, New Hampshire.

“I joined Hancock Associates because of their reputation for being an exceptional company with great people and a supportive atmosphere,” said Jim. “I’m excited to be part of the team.”

“Jim has extensive experience in surveying and applying the latest technology and will help foster our continued growth into our northern neighbors,” said Wayne Jalbert, Hancock’s President. “I am so glad to add him to our expanding team.”

About Hancock Associates
Hancock Associates is made up of talented surveyors, engineers and scientists dedicated to excellence in land/coastal development, construction and preservation. They have maintained their position as an industry leader through their investment in exceptional staff, state-of-the-art equipment/technology and acquisition of multiple surveying and engineering firms, and historical survey records dating back to 1852. Since 1978, Hancock Associates has been providing land surveying, civil engineering and wetland science services throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. They value the long-term relationships they have with their clients served through their offices in Boston, Brockton, Chelmsford, Danvers, Marlborough, Newburyport, Palmer and Princeton, Massachusetts and Concord, New Hampshire. For additional information, call (978) 777-3050 or visit www.HancockAssociates.com.