WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – Carollo Engineers announced the hiring of Chitra Foster as design-build technical practice director and the elevation of Nathan Zaugg to private sector group director and Shawn Corrigan to resilience and sustainability technical practice director. These strategic appointments strengthen Carollo's position as a leader in delivering complex design-build projects, addressing industrial water challenges and meeting evolving resilience needs.
Chitra Foster ReJoins as Design-Build Technical Practice Director
Returning to Carollo after six years at a leading design-build firm, Chitra Foster brings 28 years of experience in public and private water infrastructure development to her role as design-build technical practice director. Her expertise spans the full spectrum of collaborative delivery methods, including design-build, construction manager at risk and progressive design-build.
Foster will take leadership of the technical practice while continuing to serve as program director for Harris County Flood Control District’s $883M Community Development Block Grant-funded flood mitigation and disaster recovery program through 2025.
Foster excels at managing complex, multistakeholder projects and has overseen projects for clients with varying levels of collaborative delivery experience. Her portfolio includes projects for clients new to collaborative delivery as well as high-risk, large-scale engineer-procure-construct and fixed-price design-build projects for private sector and federal clients who have long relied on collaborative delivery as their preferred approach.
In her prior role at Carollo, Foster focused on strategic initiatives that involved guidance, policies and processes to support the firm’s growth in the design-build market. She will now provide technical leadership and strategic direction for the design-build practice, leading project development and risk management initiatives while developing internal talent and fostering lasting relationships with teaming partners.
"Chitra's extensive design-build experience and proven ability to navigate complex project delivery challenges make her an invaluable addition to our leadership team," said Vinnie Hart, Carollo executive vice president and managing director of technical practice. "Her deep understanding of collaborative delivery methods and track record of successful project execution both domestically and overseas position Carollo to better serve our clients' evolving infrastructure needs."
Nathan Zaugg Promoted to Private Sector Group Director
With more than 23 years of experience, including nine years with Carollo, Zaugg has deep expertise in industrial process engineering and facility planning. Under his leadership, Carollo will continue to leverage its decades of water and wastewater expertise to solve complex industrial water challenges for clients across high-demand sectors, including data centers, semiconductor manufacturing, food and beverage, natural resources, automotive, electric vehicle battery production, mining, and pharmaceuticals.
Zaugg's technical leadership will be especially valuable for data center clients, where time-to-market is critical. His focus on advancing Carollo's robust capabilities in industrial water management involves developing practical, effective strategies that address clients' immediate needs while also supporting their long-term sustainability goals. As water demands continue to grow, Zaugg will lead initiatives to develop innovative water solutions for challenging industrial applications.
Carollo specializes in developing advanced water and wastewater treatment systems, cooling infrastructure and on-site water recycling solutions that help companies achieve sustainability goals while minimizing their water footprint. Notably, Carollo has served as the lead water management system designer for some of the world’s largest and most complex mission critical clients and facilities, demonstrating the firm’s industry-leading expertise in designing complex, large-scale water projects.
Shawn Corrigan Elevated to Resilience and Sustainability Technical Practice Director
In addition to his three years of resilience work with Carollo, Corrigan brings over 30 years of leadership experience and qualifications as an Envision sustainability professional, certified emergency manager and business continuity expert to the firm's resilience and sustainability technical practice. The practice focuses on four strategic areas: greenhouse gas emissions and energy management, resilience management, sustainability management and operational resilience.
In his new role, Corrigan will spearhead initiatives helping clients navigate a wide range of issues, from climate adaptation to infrastructure vulnerabilities, supporting the continuous delivery of reliable water and wastewater services to communities. Carollo integrates comprehensive mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery strategies to safeguard critical water systems against emerging threats, an approach that seamlessly aligns with Corrigan’s risk management background.
Corrigan brings a wealth of expertise in water and wastewater management, wildfire management, public health preparedness, nuclear safety, and emergency management. This is complemented by his education and professional certifications. His multidisciplinary background positions him to guide the development of resilient and sustainable solutions tailored to today’s evolving risk landscape.
Additionally, Corrigan is leading efforts to strengthen Carollo's business continuity capabilities, enabling the firm to provide uninterrupted service to clients even during unexpected disruptions.
These appointments reflect Carollo's continued expansion as Hart continued:
"We're pleased to welcome Chitra and congratulate Nathan and Shawn on their new leadership roles. These exceptional appointments position Carollo to better serve clients across key areas, from streamlined design-build execution to building resilience for communities and industries. As water demands grow and infrastructure faces increasing pressures, our expanded leadership team is focused on solutions that address today's most urgent water challenges."
