Mark started his career in 2013 at Bath Iron Works building Navy destroyers, then joined Kleinschmidt in 2017 seeking a career change and the opportunity to get professionally licensed. Kleinschmidt supported that goal, and he’s now licensed in 13 jurisdictions (3 Canadian provinces, 10 US states). His day-to-day involves mentoring new engineers, fish passage projects in the Southeast US and Canada, and helping clients upgrade aging equipment with modern technology.
The Rainbow Falls Project: A previous firm had designed a control system for the station’s restoration but left before completing it. Kleinschmidt was brought in to take over commissioning. When they arrived on-site, they discovered the PLCs (programmable logic controllers) hadn’t actually been programmed — it was all hardware with no software. Mark’s team had to program the PLCs, field-test all instruments, chase down unwired devices, and get the units generating again.
Key Challenges:
- Scheduling: They worked under a subcontractor with a two-weeks-on/two-weeks-off site schedule for three years (2018–2020), causing major travel inefficiencies.
- Learning curve: This was Mark’s first hydro control system project, though he was mentored by experienced colleague Luke DeLong.
- Commissioning scope: Many field devices hadn’t been wired, requiring a disciplined punch-list approach to keep contractors on task remotely.