By: Julia Mogen, PND Marketing & Administrative Coordinator
JUNEAU, AK―Chris Gianotti, who carved out a distinguished 32-year career as a structural and civil engineer at PND Engineers, Inc. (PND), recently retired from our Juneau, Alaska, office. When Chris started at PND in 1993, something clicked for him that told him this outfit was the right fit. PND provided the ideal environment to develop his technical expertise and advance his creative problem-solving skills. Well-equipped with the right tools to grow his areas of interest, Chris returned the favor by expanding PND’s capacity for providing elite structural and civil engineering services throughout our Southeast Alaska operations. As one of the longest-tenured principal engineers in the Juneau office, Chris dedicated his time and expertise to supporting clients and communities across Alaska.
Chris received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from The University of Portland in 1980, then quickly began his career at a structural design firm in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska. Chris was eager to explore the world, though, and discover new opportunities beyond Alaska―an adventurous spirit he maintains today. He joined the Peace Corps and was stationed in Southern Thailand, where he served the local community as a water resources engineer. He designed a small irrigation dam for a town and learned valuable lessons about collaboration along the way, including discovering his calling for supporting his communities through his work. After completing a two-year stint in the Peace Corps, Chris returned to Alaska and worked at a two-person engineering firm, expanding his knowledge for delivering practical solutions to Southeast Alaska communities. Two years later, he moved back to Anchorage and worked for a civil engineering firm that eventually closed its office―one month before Chris’ wedding.
Chris worked for the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, providing design engineering on several projects. He served as project manager for the design of 14 new oil-spill response buildings from Pump Station 1 at Prudhoe Bay on the North Slope of Alaska to the Valdez Marine Terminal in Valdez, Alaska. During one fateful project, Chris collaborated with PND and came away impressed by the engineers’ knowledge and technical abilities. He also took note of PND’s strong support for its employees. After a few years at Alyeska Pipeline, Chris returned to school and earned a master’s degree from Washington State University. He was hired at PND on May 28, 1993.
“What PND offers is our people, our value, and our intelligence for services that require quality."
When Chris and his wife moved their young family to Juneau in 1993, there were less than 50 employees at PND and only three to five engineers working out of the Juneau office. (PND now has 136 total employees, including 21 employees in our Juneau office.) In the early 1990s, PND solely performed waterfront projects on docks and harbors. Chris helped change that through his preliminary civil design of the Scow Bay Water Project in Petersburg, Alaska. The project involved a 5-mile pipeline and first-service in subdivisions previously without city water. His contributions led to PND securing additional work in Petersburg moving forward. Chris built long-lasting client relationships for PND by adapting to their specific needs for efficiency and resourcefulness.
Chris was passionate about leading diverse structural projects at PND. He designed new construction, performed building assessments, and completed detailed structural inspections. Through his design of foundations, new building structures, pedestrian bridges, canopies, and mooring dolphins―to name a few―Chris supported Alaska’s government, mining industry, tourism, and waterfront industries. He managed a wide range of remodel and retrofit projects for schools, public housing, healthcare facilities, and recreational centers. His contributions to myriad infrastructure improvements continue to benefit communities across the state.
“I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Chris for over 30 years,” said PND Vice President & Principal Engineer Dick Somerville, PE, a 38-year veteran of the firm. “After I moved to Juneau from PND headquarters in 1996 to manage the office, it immediately became obvious who to go to for historical knowledge. Chris was and remains an encyclopedia of information of all kinds. He remembers everything and also where to find the written documentation for it, much of which he created. Somehow, he is able to tuck things away in his mind and recite project numbers, client names, dates of design and construction, contractor names, detailed design data, and much more in mere seconds. While most of us resort to research after a couple of years, Chris only needs to reflect a bit if a couple of decades have gone by.
“The guy is amazing that way, and it doesn’t stop at project contacts; he also remembers exactly where to find code-related information to support the design of building structures. Throughout the years, nearly all of the structural engineers walked into Chris’ office to get information and design recommendations quickly―something that took time away from his highly productive days. He enjoyed providing guidance to young engineers and often offered a history lesson on how and why a preferred solution was developed. Chris was a strong and valued asset to PND and a respected engineering mentor to many.”
Over the course of three decades, Chris earned multiple awards for his skills and dedication, including but not necessarily limited to:
- 2013: Basin Road Trestle & Port Customs & Visitor Center | American Society of Civil Engineers
- 2007: ASCE Engineer of the Year | American Society of Civil Engineers
- 1997: Hawk Inlet Dolphin & South Franklin Cruise Ship Dock | The James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation
In addition to his memorable designs in the Juneau area, Chris specifically recalls notable school renovation projects in Kodiak and Metlakatla, Alaska. The five-story classroom tower addition at the 60-year-old Kodiak High School was Chris’ largest building renovation design. That project won multiple awards in 2018, as well―the American Institute of Architects Alaska Design Award for Excellence in Architecture; the Association for Learning Environments Len Mackler Award; and Architectural Digest selected it as Alaska’s representative in its Most Beautiful Public High School in Every State competition. In Metlakatla on Prince of Wales Island, Chris and the PND team applied creative techniques to excavate and replace the community’s middle school’s foundation, resulting in significant cost savings for the client. He also identified the Chiniak Emergency Shelter & Library on Kodiak Island as one of his key projects, which included renovations to the Old Harbor Gymnasium, a facility that serves the remote Alaska village as a community center.
Innovation in remote and challenging environments is what makes PND unique. Chris took advantage of that opportunity and was afforded the chance to explore so much more of his home state. Chris grew up in East Anchorage, raised by an engineering dad, and his passions included cross-country skiing and hiking. It wasn’t until a brief discussion with a high school science teacher that Chris realized his vocation. He enjoys the intricacies of complex engineering designs, much like solving a challenging puzzle.
Chris advises young engineers to stay on top of the technical aspects of engineering while exploring their interests. One of his mottos is: “If you start work at 8 a.m. and the next thing you know it’s noon, you have a good and interesting job,” Chris said.
Chris mentored many throughout his career and had his own important advisors, too, including Dennis Nottingham, a founding member and the ‘N’ in PND. Dennis, who passed away in 2022, mentored Chris on his first big dock project in 1993, a new cruise ship dock in Ketchikan. PND submitted 100% design deliverables in October, and the dock was built by May the next year.
“Dennis was a smart guy with lots of good ideas,” Chris said. “He’d take one look at your design and ask, ‘Why are you building it like that?’ Then, immediately show you how to make it better.”
Chris steps into retirement with his hobbies: canoeing, mountain biking, and traveling with his wife. He volunteers for the local Scouting America camp by maintaining and renovating its facilities. He recently constructed a new porch for an aging cabin, reminding him of what stays sturdy through the years. He serves as the President for St. Vincent de Paul Juneau’s Board of Directors, where he supports affordable housing and food-accessibility initiatives through the charitable organization. Chris continues to explore his beloved state and build up his Juneau community, now in more ways than design.
Notable Chris Gianotti Projects:
- Auke Bay Harbor Restroom
- Auke Bay Harbor Retaining Wall & Harbormaster Office
- Gastineau School Renovations
- Glacier Valley School Renovations
- Haines High School Renovation
- Haines Quick Shop Rebuild
- Harborview School Renovation
- Hoonah Icy Straight Point Gondola Ticketing, Restroom, & Gift Shop
- Hoonah School Renovations
- Juneau Catholic Cathedral Renovations
- Juneau St. Paul Church Foundation & Entry Designs
- Ketchikan Bar Harbor Parking Lot & Retaining Wall
- Klukwan Chilkat Heritage Center
- Mendenhall Library Structural Design
- Numerous Coeur Alaska, Inc. Kensington Mine Projects
- Numerous Hecla Greens Creek Mine Projects
- Sitka Paxton Manor Housing Replacement
- Skagway School Addition
- Wrangell Middle School Renovations
- Wrangell Reliance Dock Reconstruction