Our Team

Management Staff

Thomas C. Berger, IIBEC, CSI, BEC, CDT, SCIP

Managing Principal, CEO

Building Enclosure Consultant | Forensic Investigator

Peer Review Specialist | Specifier

Tom has over 29 years in the Architectural/Engineering and Construction Industry.  His experience ranges from an Architectural Project Manager, Construction Administrator/Inspector, Construction/ Program Manager, Carpenter, Facilities Planning & Design Manager, Technical Specifier, and Forensic Investigative Consultant to Office Leader, then Managing Principal.  Before founding DTR in 2002, he successfully managed the launch of a new expansion office for a national A/E Firm to become the 3rd most profitable office in its first year.  

John Guill, FCSI, AIA, IIBEC, SCIP, CCS, CCCA

Architect | Building Envelope/Waterproofing Consultant | Specifier |Principal in the Firm

John Guill, a licensed architect & more recently honored with Fellowship in CSI. In charge of our San Francisco Area Office, John has better than 30 years of architectural & engineering experience in a wide variety of civic, educational, and institutional projects for various government agencies as well as corporate & private clients.

He utilizes his ever expanding technical knowledge and understanding to develop proper construction specifications, identify proper building materials/ products and offer quality control/coordination reviews of our client projects. In addition John is part of our Building Sciences division using hygrothermal modeling to verify exterior enclosure assembly are constructed properly. His strong construction and architectural background offer a professional perspective on constructability and coordination issues to the Design team while his experience with numerous project-delivery methods and Building Information Modeling (BIM) are a resource for non-traditional delivery and procurement methods and integrated project design.

He has received numerous awards & recognitions for architecture, building specifications and industry education, including honors by Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH). In 2012 he was honored with "Fellowship" in (CSI) Construction Specification Institute for his many years of both local and national service particularly in educational seminars, webinars and public education.

Gail D. Baker, M.Ed+HR,SHRM-SCP

V.P. of Human Rersources | Business Development Leader & Organizational Leadership | Principal in the Firm

Gail is a Senior Certified Professional in Human Resources with 25 years of diversified experience working in business development and HR operations across multiple industries. She is a highly focused leader whose high energy allows her to move easily from vision and strategy to implementation, problem resolution and follow through.

Gail leads the talent management, talent review, and succession planning efforts, identifying opportunities for individual and organizational development.  She is able to motivate participation and support from individuals and teams at all levels with a proven ability to develop strategic alliances and build lasting relationships. Gail is a dynamic team builder, consistently inspiring, motivating and coaching others toward success. She is responsible for the design and delivery of learning initiatives across the company including continuing education, professional development, performance management, new employee onboarding and organizational development.

Bobbi Tilton

Finance Manager

Bobbi brings twenty years of financial experience, with seven years’ experience in public accounting and taxation, to her role as the Finance Manager at DTR.  She served as a tax manager, senior auditor, controller, and VP of finance in the service industry with a robust knowledge of GAAP, asset accounting, KPI’s, tax, regulatory, and payroll responsibilities.

Bobbi’s experience as a financial leader who is highly organized and detailed oriented will assist DTR currently, and in scaling future growth. 

Bobbi earned her Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from California State University, Sacramento.

Senior Technical Staff

Jim Syme, AIA, CSI, IIBEC

Sr. Building Envelope Architect | Project Manager

Jim Syme is an experienced architect, registered in multiple states including licensed in California, with a proven ability to manage multiple projects on time and on budget.  His leadership and management expertise allows him to motivate teams and create a collaborative work environment with internal staff and those of the entire project team.  His deep knowledge of building science and design of the building envelope, makes him invaluable to our team.

Jim is a senior project manager with a diverse background of project types and a thorough understanding of construction drawings and specifications.   In addition, he has an extensive expertise in building codes, exterior envelope concepts, and design sensitive detailing.  His experience, technical background and knowledge of the building industry make him ideal in the development of construction specifications, research and identification of proper building materials and construction methods for our Clients.

Edward Ueda, Architect, CCS, LEED AP BD+C, SCIP

Senior Specification Writer | Architect

Edward is a licensed Architect, Certified Construction Specifier and experienced senior project architect with a exxtensive background of project types. With over 25 years of experience in the architectural profession, Edward has produced dozens of project manuals for a wide variety of commercial projects, including medical, assisted living, retail and industrial building types.

His experience, technical background and knowledge of the building industry make him ideal in the development of construction specifications, research and identification of proper building materials and construction methods for our Clients.  Edward is part of our San Francisco North Bay team where he develops and produces project specifications for various projects and works with our technical staff in all our offices. 

Melisa Sharpe, Architect, DBIA, CSI, CDT, LEED AP

Senior Specifier | Technical Architect | QC Specialist

Melisa is a licensed architect, and specifier with over 24 years of architectural, specifications, and construction administration experience. Melisa has produced over 60 project manuals for a variety of major project types ranging from educational and institutional to hospitality and mixed-use projects.

Melisa’s strong technical and research skills, along with her design-build delivery experience bring a well-rounded perspective to the project team.  Strong focus on specifying the proper materials and installation procedures for a sustainable/durable building from the building envelope to the interior.

Melisa is part of our Los Angeles office team where she works with clients on product selection, code requirements for the exterior envelope, developing technical specifications for various large scale projects. Melisa holds a Bachelor's of Architecture from California Polytechnic State University.

Casey Curry, IIBEC

Roofing & Building Envelope Consultant | Forensics

As a Roofing & Building Envelope Specialist, Casey has assisted regional and national Clients with their inventories of critical facilities throughout the United States. Casey is incredibly detailed-oriented and forward thinking, helping Client’s to simplify how they ascertain & process their facility information. Casey has conducted hundreds of investigations nationally and customizes deliverables to ensure end-users have the concise information they need to make the most-informed decisions on their facilities. Casey is a committed problem-solver and his mantra is to help extend the life of Client’s building assets.

Areas of specific expertise include Roofing, Wall Systems, Building Waterproofing design and field experience. Casey holds a Bachelor's Degree in Construction Management, which provides customers with a well-rounded problem solver that understands how all building components should integrate with one another. In addition, as a Certified Level I Infrared Thermographer, Casey utilizes this technology to aid DTR Clients in identifying areas of potential trapped moisture and/or thermal loss within their facilities.  

Casey is committed to ensuring that each project is completed on-time, within budget & to the highest level of quality. 

In Memoriam

Spencer Nilson, AIA, CSI, CDT, CCS, SCIP

Architect |Sr Specifier | QC Specialist

It is with great sadness that we recently lost Spencer Nilson who passed away on Tuesday, November 5th, 2019. He was a highly valued member of our team since 2012 and will be highly missed.

Spencer, a licensed Architect, Certified Construction Specifier and experienced technical architect worked on a diverse selection of project types and clients.  Outside the firm, he was a passionate steward and advocate for our coastline, and cherished his time as a volunteer with the Surfrider Foundation and the Sonoma Coast surfing community.

Spencer worked out of our San Francisco North Bay Office developing project specifications and on peer reviews, working with many of our Clients on a variety of projects and coordinating work with our technical staff in all our offices to best meet the needs of our Clients.  He was an integral part of our DTR team.

Key Technical Staff

Ryan Cadd, AIA, LEED AP

Technical Architect | QC Specialist

A licensed Architect with eleven (11) plus years of experience and a meticulous work ethic.  Ryan is a technical project Architect with the responsibility of running the production and coordination of building envelope designs and development of remedial architectural construction documents for DTR projects.  His experience includes design, development, drawing documentation and construction administration of several 100,000+ S.F. projects in California and across the U.S.  Ryan is a positive voice within the team, and always looks for solutions within the parameters of the project and schedule.

Nathan Taylor, IIBEC

Building Envelope Consultant |Field Tech

A gifted international professional with conceptual building design, technical architectural and building envelope/ waterproofing experience. He is skilled in cross cultural communication and team building. He holds a master's degree in Architecture and Urban Planning, which is complimented by a broad understanding of building envelope (all six sides of a structure), waterproofing design, material compatibility and construction oversight.

He is also a very talented field investigator, construction administrator and assists our forensic team in identifying construction defects. Nathan's international background and experience working with multicultural teams allow him to examine projects from multiple points of view, understanding the concerns and input of all team members.

His involvement with such a diverse body of projects bring an enhanced ability to coordinate and provide technical feedback to the Project Team, the Contractor and our Clients.

Kathryn (Kat) Burrud, CSI

Junior Specifier | Building Envelope Technician

Kat holds a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Loyola Marymount University, which provides her with a well-rounded understanding of water and water vapor movements in relationship to the building enclosure.  She is an integral part of our specification team in assisting in the development of specifications specific to each project.  Kat can be found in the office and in the field supporting DTR staff and our Clients.

Affiliate Staff & Consultants

Mike Rice, CSI, CDT

Senior Hardware Consultant

Mr. Rice is a Past President of the San Francisco Chapter Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and a past Associate Principle with DTR Consulting Services. His work highly specializes in commercial door & hardware consulting with an emphasis on coordination issues between the construction industry and various disciplines (Project Architects, Electrical Engineers, Security and Fire Life Safety Consultants).

Mike is partnered DTR Consulting Services in expanding his independent door hardware services to bring our A/E Clients the same great level of service as he did when he was an employee of DTR.. Michael's new firm is Opening Consultants, Inc with offices located in Orange County, CA.

Jointly, his projects numbered over three hundred buildings throughout the U.S. and internationally, which include health care projects (OSHPD), public & private schools/ universities, city & county projects; and high end Class A office building projects. His experience in the field has assisted in retro-fit projects and coordination issues with contractors, saving our Clients both time and money.