About Us
Being a small firm, Sugarpine Engineering can provide a more comprehensive consulting and design process than other options. We are well equipped to handle any project ranging from Prefab Tiny Homes to Ski Resort Campuses. Sugarpine will never be the “Cheap Engineer” because we are looking for projects that challenge us and for clients who want a trusted partner and consultant. Our staff are licensed in California, Nevada, Montana, Ohio, and Hawaii, with additional states on the way.
Sugarpine Engineering is a DVBE, Federal SDVOSB, California registered Small Business, and registered California Green Business.
Mark Schlosser,
Founder, Professional Engineer, LEED AP
Mark formed Sugarpine Engineering from his kitchen table in January 2012 to meet the demand for accurate, sustainable engineering, energy evaluation, and commissioning in northern California and Nevada. Mark spent the prior 13 years working his way from Colorado to Montana to Senior Associate and California Branch Manager at Beaudin Ganze Consulting Engineers, a 90-person Colorado-based MEP firm. Over the past decade, he’s built a vast knowledge of construction in extreme climates, field engineering, energy analysis, Revit, field commissioning, project management, and project contracting.
Mark brings this expertise to Sugarpine, plus he’s worked with many desert and mountain resorts, building campus, government facilities, industrial plants, hotels, high-end lodges, and extremely high-end award-winning residences. His work also includes seismic, envelope and snow evaluations.
While working in Montana for CTA Architects Engineers, a 300-person firm focusing on cold-climate architecture, Mark worked directly with architects, giving him a thorough understanding of architectural and structural interactions, ice/snow, and envelope thermal performance.
Mark ensures real engineering and evaluation are incorporated into every project to the greatest extent practical. He has designed and consulted on dozens of LEED projects.
Aaron Lubrano,
Owner, Professional Engineer, LEED AP, CEM
Aaron joined Sugarpine Engineering in December 2013 after serving two years of active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard. Aaron was the Coast Guard’s Planning Section Chief for the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco, where he oversaw the Coast Guard’s planning efforts for the America’s Cup events in 2012 and 2013. This included managing federal permitting, special regulation development, environmental review and operational planning for the Cup.
Prior to that, Aaron worked 6 years as an engineer and project manager for Beaudin Ganze Consulting Engineers in Truckee. Aaron is a licensed professional engineer, a LEED accredited professional, a Certified Energy Manager, and a Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve.
Aaron brings energy engineering, commissioning, LEED consulting, and environmental permitting to Sugarpine’s already impressive list of services which include; Facilities assessments, mechanical engineering design and consulting, M&P permit plans, M&P specifications manuals, infrastructure and site design, gas, sewer, water, propane tanks and burials, site telecom, lighting and utility layouts and coordination, site mitigation – light pollution, solar, etc., OPR writing services – owner direct, LEED calcs for other engineers, RFP writing services, detailed energy simulations, envelope insulation and thermal performance.
Weld Fickel,
Engineer
Weld has called Truckee home for 6 years now after working in the Silicon Valley for many years. Weld joins the Sugarpine Engineering team to support client focused, sustainable projects with an eye for energy efficiency.
With over 20 years of engineering experience in a broad range of industries; from high tech fabrication facilities and large scale commercial developments to quaint mom-and-pop retail shops; and from grand scale ultra-efficient new homes to one room remodels. The large variety of projects have included commercial, industrial, residential, hotels, health care, and schools. Weld brings his skills and expertise for mechanical engineering, construction document preparation, energy modeling, Title 24 compliance, ground source heat pump system design, and commissioning.
J. Scott Davis,
LEED AP – Designer, CAD-BIM Technician
Scott re-joined the Sugarpine Engineering Team in 2016 after working as a BIM drafter, designer, and CAD technician for multiple interior design and MEP firms in the Denver and Reno-Tahoe regions. Scott previously had a long working relationship with the Sugarpine Team, while they were together at a prior 90-person firm. We welcomed him back as a Designer in 2016.
Over the past 20+ years, he’s developed a thorough knowledge MEP systems, building codes, construction process, AutoCAD, Revit, and integrated BIM processes.Scott has performed LEED credit calculations, detailed field-work, MEP as-built surveys, design-drafting, and field commissioning assistance on various large projects, including the notable Ritz Carlton Lake Tahoe, Village at Northstar, The Nugget Casino, and Historic Reno Post Office.
Scott works to ensure MEP coordination and accurate plans are produced for Sugarpine’s projects, to the greatest extent.
Ken Bousquet,
Professional Engineer
Ken is a multidisciplinary engineer specializing in electrical and mechanical systems. A long-time Truckee local (Wolverine class of ’04), he joined the Sugarpine Engineering team in November 2016. At Sugarpine, Ken is primarily responsible for electrical engineering system design for new commercial, industrial, and large residential developments across the country.
Additionally, Ken is developing the forensic division at Sugarpine Engineering. Clients seeking fire investigation and forensic engineering now have a new source for subrogation support and investigation in the northern California and Nevada areas.
Outside engineering, Ken is passionate about Pyrotechnics and continues to stay involved in local fireworks displays. Of note, he’s proud to be a member of the elite team of pyrotechnics specialists retained for the Burning Man main-event display.
Janice Heil,
Engineer
“Janie” joined the Sugarpine Engineering team in the fall of 2019. She has prior experience in the industrial and product design sector, so naturally we appreciate her alternate angles and viewpoints applied to project management, facility designs, and energy analysis.
In her spare time, she volunteers delivering food to families in need (Sierra Community House), rides the heck out of her mountain bike, climbs rocks and mountains, does backcountry ski touring, and takes weeklong rafting vacations. She’s been a ski instructor and river guide. In fact, we’re not sure she goes indoors except to do engineering work. Talk about motivation!
Ian Johnson,
Engineer
Ian joined the Sugarpine Engineering team in July 2021 shortly after graduating from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. Ian is well-versed in information technology and the digital world. He brings knowledge about 3D printing, JavaScript, Data Security, and A/V Systems to Sugarpine Engineering. He is studying for is FE (EIT) exam and is our go-to guy for all things high-tech.
He’s a bit of an Arduino, networking, and computer nerd so he fits right in here. And a motorhead when it comes to cars. After growing up near mountains in the high desert, he is enjoying some familiarity with life in the Tahoe region.
Mandeep Parajuli,
Engineer
Mandeep joined Sugarpine Engineering in 2022 a few months after his graduation. He has B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas, Arlington. Mandeep worked as a Supplemental Instruction Leader at the College of San Mateo in California. Mandeep has completed his Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) and is on his path to becoming licensed as a Professional Engineer (PE). At Sugarpine Engineering he contributes his fresh education and ideas to our projects. Other than engineering, he enjoys spending time in nature and with his cats. He has a long history living at high altitude, and is enjoying his exploration of the Sierra Nevada and Tahoe region.
William Walker,
Engineering Intern
“Willy” started as a mechanical engineering intern for Sugarpine Engineering in May of 2022. Willy is enthusiastic about sustainable design and energy engineering. He is the founder and president of the Sustainable Energy Club at University of Nevada, Reno where he is wrapping up his BSME degree. Previously, he completed a Spanish degree, but remained interested in LEED design and passive homes and decided to return to school to focus on his passions.
Willy served in the Peace Corps in Paraguay focusing on sustainable agriculture from 2017-2020. Now he spends his days off hiking with his dog, gardening, tending to his chickens and generally spending time in the Nevada desert; when he’s not buried in coursework, of course!