Staff Spotlight: Celebrating the Professional Achievements of 5 Team Members

We’re excited to showcase the achievements of five team members whose recent successes highlight their dedication and excellence in their respective fields, embodying the innovative spirit and expertise of Princeton Hydro. Please join us in congratulating our team members on their professional milestones and the added value they bring to both our team and our clients!

Charlie Aquilina, PE, CFM is an FAA-Certified Drone Operator.

Charlie is a licensed professional engineer experienced in surface water hydrologic and hydraulic (H&H) analysis, including modeling streams, hydraulic structures, floodplains and stormwater systems in 1D/2D HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS & HydroCAD. He is also a certified floodplain manager familiar with FEMA Letter of Map Revisions and No-Rise Certifications. He has designed and prepared detailed construction drawings and specifications for a variety of stormwater management and green infrastructure systems, including rain gardens and underground infiltration beds. He is proficient in GIS tasks and applications, such as utilizing lidar and landcover data. Charlie also has experience in stream restoration and fluvial geomorphology, including graduate courses on the subject.

To become a licensed commercial drone operator, Charlie was required to pass the Aeronautical Knowledge Test and apply for and obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate. To maintain his license, he is required to update his drone registration every 36 months as well as retake and pass the Aeronautical Knowledge Test every 24 months. The commercial drone pilot license, issued by the FAA, grants permission to conduct commercial drone operations in the United States.

Drones are a helpful tool for environmental restoration initiatives because they can efficiently monitor project progress by collecting aerial data, including GIS information, that tracks information like vegetation growth, erosion rates, and site topography. Because drones can access remote and challenging terrain with minimal environmental impact, they are a valuable tool for planning, managing, monitoring and assessing habitat restoration efforts.

Learn more about Charlie.

Mike Chenosky became a Notary in New Jersey.

As a commissioned Notary Public, Mike is now authorized to witness signatures, administer oaths and affirmations, and certify certain documents. Notaries play an important role in helping prevent fraud by verifying identities, ensuring signers are acting willingly, and serving as impartial witnesses during the execution of important legal and business documents. This achievement further strengthens Mike’s role as Business Administration & Compliance Manager at Princeton Hydro, where he supports regulatory compliance, policy development, and the smooth operation of administrative processes across the organization.

Mike holds an MBA from Temple University and a Bachelor of Science in Business from Penn State University. Before joining Princeton Hydro, he served for 20 years in the United States Air Force as a KC-10 Extender Boom Operator. During his military career, Mike’s responsibilities extended far beyond flight operations. He managed global logistics missions and oversaw the training, certification, and compliance requirements of aircrew personnel, ensuring operational readiness and adherence to strict regulatory standards. Following his retirement from military service, Mike spent four years as a Senior Manager at Verizon, where he led initiatives focused on business transformation, process improvement, and strategic planning.

Learn more about Mike.

Ryan Eno became a Professional Engineer (PE).

The PE license is the engineering profession’s highest standard of competence, a significant symbol of achievement and assurance of quality. To become licensed, engineers must complete a four-year college degree, work under a Professional Engineer for at least four years, pass two intensive competency exams, and earn a license from their state’s licensure board. Then, to retain their licenses, PEs must continually maintain and improve their skills throughout their careers.

Ryan is a Geotechnical Engineer in our Geosciences group and an FAA-Certified Drone Operator whose work blends engineering, technology, and creativity to support our projects. He works on a wide range of projects, contributing to foundation design, embankment stability and settlement modeling, technical report preparation, and laboratory soil testing. Ryan earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Rowan University in 2022 and joined Princeton Hydro in April 2023. His interest in engineering began in high school through participation in a STEM club, where he developed a passion for creative problem-solving and infrastructure design.

Ryan was recently featured in our “A Day in the Life” blog series. Click here to learn more about his work.

Dana Patterson Grear appointed to Pinelands Alliance Board of Trustees.

Our Director of Marketing & Communications Dana Patterson Grear has been appointed to the Pinelands Alliance Board of Trustees. The Pinelands Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and advocating for New Jersey’s Pinelands through conservation, education, and community engagement. Its board and leadership team includes both staff and trustees who guide its mission and programs.

Dana brings extensive experience in science communication, stakeholder engagement, marketing, and digital media strategy. As a member of Princeton Hydro’s Senior Leadership Team, she helps shape the firm’s strategic direction, brand, and public engagement efforts. She leads communications, media relations, digital marketing, business development support, and outreach initiatives that advance the firm’s mission and strengthen connections with clients, communities, and partners. Her ability to translate complex environmental challenges into compelling and accessible stories has helped elevate public awareness, foster stakeholder collaboration, and support conservation efforts throughout the region.

Dana holds a MEM from Yale University and a BS in Chemistry from Fairleigh Dickinson University. At Yale, her studies focused on communication strategies related to climate change and wildlife conservation. She served as a Teaching Fellow for the Yale’s Science Communications with Impact course, helping students develop effective approaches for engaging diverse audiences through science-based storytelling and human-centered communication.

For the 2026 New Jersey Coastal & Climate Resilience Conference, Dana led a digital storytelling demonstration, titled “Launching an Interactive ArcGIS StoryMap for Public Outreach.” Click here to learn more.

Eric Zawatski became a Certified Wildlife Biologist.

The Certified Wildlife Biologist (CWB) designation, awarded by the Wildlife Society, is a highly regarded professional credential that demonstrates advanced education, training, and experience in wildlife biology. Fewer than 2,000 wildlife biologists across the United States and Canada hold this certification, reflecting a high standard of professional achievement in the field. In his role at Princeton Hydro, he works on a diverse range of natural resource management and restoration projects and wildlife monitoring and conservation initiatives. He also specializes in wetland science and delineation, ecological inventories and assessments, regulatory compliance, and habitat and vegetation management planning.

Eric has a MS in Ecology and BS in Wildlife Science from Penn State University. During his time at Penn State, Eric studied state-listed endangered breeding birds, landscape ecology, forest management, and forest ecology, developing a particular expertise in ornithology. His academic and research experience provided a strong foundation in wildlife conservation, habitat management, and ecological assessment.

Eric recently traveled to Southwest Montana to assess vegetation, wildlife, and other indicators of ecosystem health as part of a broader biodiversity monitoring initiative for a grassland restoration project. Click here to read more about Eric’s work on this project and take a look at some of the beautiful wildlife photos he captured.

Our staff is composed of individuals with academic training and extensive project experience in stormwater management, geotechnical investigation, hydrology and hydrogeology, aquatic and wetland ecology, fishery biology, population and community dynamics, GIS, environmental design and environmental risk analysis. Our staff’s unique perspectives are apparent in the innovative nature of many of our projects, especially in the disciplines of aquatic and wetland ecology, environmental engineering and watershed management. Click here to learn more about our team!

The cover photo is a soaring Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia), by Princeton Hydro Vice President Mark Gallagher at John Heinz Wildlife Refuge.

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