Our People

Gabriel Pescosolido

Gabriel’s collaborative attitude and commitment to client goals have led to his success as a project manager. As the point person on projects he is dedicated to both internal and external clients; valuing responsiveness, accountability, and quality. Gabriel uses his excellent communication skills to keep project teams well informed, building lasting relationships within design team and owner-direct environments.

Geraldo Aviles

Geraldo is a highly regarded project engineer with over 30 years of experience. His experience in electrical project design is focused on healthcare and commercial projects, working on projects from tenant fit out to new healthcare facilities. Geraldo is respected for his diligent attention to detail, his responsiveness, and his technical expertise. He works closely with clients to understand their needs and help them reach their goals. He also collaborates with team members to focus on reaching cost-effective solutions within schedule constraints.

Jake Lawrence, PE

Partner

As a Partner at AKF, Jake excels at seeing the big picture and making sure that all aspects are incorporated into each project’s design. He takes a hands-on, practical approach to problem solving and is always concerned about ease of operation. He stays on top of new developments, conducts research, works with manufacturers, and looks for opportunities to apply new technologies where they can benefit the client. Drawing on his 30+ years of experience as a volunteer firefighter and fire official, Jake brings real-world knowledge of fire suppression, fire alarm, and life safety systems to his projects.

Jared Donnamiller, PE

Partner

Jared is dedicated to providing solutions that support clients’ fundamental business drivers and is a much sought after partner for complex long-term projects. He is particularly adept at collaborating with stakeholders and integrated design teams on large-scale projects. Jared’s perceptive ability to uncover opportunities and suggest innovative solutions are the foundation of the long-term relationships he builds with clients. He leverages his experiences on various sized projects to provide clients large and small with exceptional value. His knowledge of market trends and new technologies make him an invaluable member of the project teams he serves on.

Jason Sylvain, PE

Partner

National Higher Education Practice Leader

Jason's passion for higher education began with his reverence for historic architecture and the unique engineering challenges presented by modernizing iconic buildings without disturbing details. As National Higher Education Practice Leader, Jason instils the Academic team with his passion and intellectual rigor. His deep knowledge of the specific combination of stakeholders and institutional drivers allows him to foster long-term relationships with global leaders in education. Whether working on a campus master plan, helping to realize an institution's vision for a new out-of-the-ground residence community, or retrofitting aging infrastructure Jason is committed to working with project teams to design advanced engineering solutions.

Jeanette Baiardi

Principal, General Counsel

Jeanette Baiardi, the firm’s General Counsel, has been at AKF since 2009 and has more than 20 years’ experience in the practice of law. Jeanette is always available to help broaden every AKF member’s understanding of the legal principles involved in complex contract language and sticky situations. She works with AKF’s Executive Committee and Team Leaders to understand our risk tolerances and to continually refine our risk management policies. She consistently applies such policies to all interactions internally and externally in way that fosters client relationships and protects the firm from business and legal losses through reasoned negotiations.

Jeff Gutsfeld

Director of Regional Business Development

Director of Regional Business Development, Jeff Gutsfeld is responsible for expanding AKF’s general client base and portfolio throughout New England, as well as nationally in the Higher Education sector. A business development and marketing professional with nearly 30 years of experience, Jeff’s innate ability to create trust and connect people is evidenced in the results he has delivered throughout the complex, solution-oriented professional services industry. Jeff demonstrates success in achieving record level revenue and volume by interacting with prospective clients and centers of influence to uncover new opportunities and turn them into mutually beneficial outcomes for both clients and firm members.

Jeffrey Rios, PE

Partner

Co-Director of AKF’s Energy + Performance Practice

Partner and Co-director of AKF’s Energy + Performance practice, Jeff specializes in increasing energy efficiency within new and existing buildings. He is highly valued for his experience as a mechanical engineer and his expertise in energy modeling platforms. Jeff is a very collaborative member of the team, working closely with engineers, designers, and architects to provide thoughtful, results–focused solutions. He has shared his expertise at Greenbuild on WELL Building, at Urban Green on NYC Energy Codes, and as a continuing lecturer at Cooper Union. Jeff also serves as a member of the ACEC Metro Region Energy Code Committee as well as the NYC DOB Energy Code Advisory Committee.

Jenn Ganesharatnam

Principal, Director of Marketing

Jennifer brings 18 years of AEC marketing experience to her role as Director of Marketing at AKF. She leads the marketing and communications department in promoting AKF’s mission and brand. Jenn collaborates with cross-functional teams at all levels of the firm to develop high-quality strategic proposals and marketing collateral for new and existing business pursuits across all of AKF’s industries, with an emphasis in Healthcare, Higher Education and Science and Technology.

Joseph Buckley

Joseph has more than 20 years of experience in project management, engineering, and facilities operations. He has successfully directed commissioning of large-scale projects for federal agencies such as the Department of Defense, Army Corps of Engineers, and NASA. His expertise includes developing commissioning plans, specifications, and test procedures; performing design reviews; TAB services; troubleshooting HVAC and control systems; and designing and executing functional performance tests. Joe performs rigorous construction inspections and testing protocols while offering practical engineering solutions to commissioning, energy and operations, and maintenance issues.

José Antonio Moctezuma Reyes

Partner

Commercial Director of AKF Mexico

With over 25 years of experience in the Engineering / Design and Construction Consulting field, and more than 20 years working in the MEP field, Antonio is a vital member of the partnership leading AKF's Mexico Offices. Antonio is known for his ability to understand business needs and develop intelligence-driven strategies to help clients achieve their goals. As the Commercial Director of the Mexico Offices, Antonio works with internal and external project teams to develop innovative solutions that help drive client satisfaction and generate positive end results.

José Martín Núñez

Partner

José is a partner of AKF with over 30 years experience throughout North, Central and South America. He is one of the founding members of AKF Mexico and brings that dedication to his projects. His role as Partner in Charge allows him to play an active role in the projects he oversees. He currently leads the engineering practice and the technical committee, sharing his experience in design, installation, project management and commissioning. He believes in the future of the industry and also focuses on mentoring young engineers.

Joseph Macaluso

Joseph is an invaluable member of AKF New England, representing AKF’s New Haven office. He has over 40 years of mechanical design experience in infrastructure upgrade project management and HVAC engineering services to building owners and managers. He has extensive experience in higher education, financial, corporate, and cultural facilities. Joseph’s professionalism and clear direction make him a strong member of any project team.

Joseph Rubino, PE

Partner

Infrastructure Service Leader

Joe leads AKF’s Infrastructure practice, and serves as the Partner in Charge on many top corporate, financial, and campus projects. He is highly respected for his technical expertise, particularly on complex mechanical and infrastructure projects involving boiler plants, central utility plants, combined heat and power systems, HVAC systems, master plans, site distribution systems, and core and shell projects. Clients value his leadership and ability to provide clear, straightforward explanations to understand their options and make informed decisions related to redundancy, reliability, efficiency, energy savings, and design concepts.

Karen Lacroix

Principal, Director of Human Resources

Karen brings over 30 years of experience to her role as AKF's Director of Human Resources, the past 15 years of which have been with architecture and engineering firms. She is responsible for overseeing the firm’s recruiting and on-boarding programs, benefit and compensation management, employee relations, and developing effective HR policies and procedures. Karen also serves as an adviser to the Executive Committee regarding employee management and career development. She has held certifications as a Senior Human Resources professional with the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Human Resource Standards Institute (HRCI).