In 2018, LEE + RO named its long-time president, Dhiru Patel, as its new CEO. Dhiru oversees the project teams and serves in many cases as the principal-in-charge and project director. His extensive experience and leadership skills, along with his expertise in water system and facility planning, are key in his vital role in shaping the company’s direction, governance and values throughout the organization.
As a member of the board of directors, Dhiru is responsible for critical corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, service offerings, business planning and development, and policies and procedures.
Dhiru was president from 2002 to 2018. Prior to joining the company, he was president of Patel Engineering Consulting, Inc., from 1997 to 2002. He mastered his engineering and management skills during his 11-year tenure at Brown and Caldwell in Pasadena from 1986
to 1997, where he focused on municipal, industrial and institutional clients. At the time of his departure, he was managing the environmental engineering section of the company’s Southern California consulting operations.
Prior to that, Dhiru was a project manager at ANCO Engineers in Culver City from 1983 to 1986, where he focused on energy management and utilities consulting. From 1980 to 1983, he was a process engineer at Fluor Engineers in Irvine.
Dhiru received his M.S. degree in chemical engineering from the University of Southern California and his B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay, India. His technical expertise is in water system and facility planning, and he is a California-registered professional engineer (chemical).
Charles Ro was named president and chairman of the board in 2018. He is responsible for directing the vision of the company as well as overseeing critical corporate functions, including business planning, policies and procedures, quality control, and staff training and development. He also leads the corporate leadership team and is responsible for the company’s continued commitment to excellence for its employees, projects, clients and the people of California.
Charles began his engineering career at LEE + RO in 2000, but his association with the company dates back much earlier as he learned the business and its processes under the tutelage of his father, Steve Ro, one of the founding partners.
Charles served as Vice President of Marketing from 2015 to 2018 during which time he oversaw business development strategy,
corporate relationship management, and improvements to the company’s customer relationship management programs. His engineering duties from 2000 to 2015 included positions as Principal-in-Charge, Principal Project Engineer, Project Manager, and Construction Inspector for linear and facilities-based design and construction projects in water and wastewater engineering.
Charles received his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Cal State LA. Prior to that, he received his B.A. degree in History from UC Berkeley. His technical expertise is in water systems and facility planning. Charles is a California-registered professional engineer (civil).
Outside of work, Charles enjoys the outdoors, gardening, working with his hands, and spending time with his wife and four children.
Named Vice President in 2020, Rick Liskow brings more than 20 years of experience in the engineering and design of municipal water and wastewater facilities, pump stations and emergency power-generation systems that support treatment plants and pump stations.
Rick joined LEE + RO in 2005. With his diverse engineering and client services background, he has held multiple positions from project manager and project engineer to client services manager. In 2010, he was named business development manager.
Prior to joining LEE + RO, Rick oversaw product sales for USFilter from 2002 to 2005. He was responsible for global sales, marketing and business development for their water treatment products.
From 1995 to 2001, Rick served as vice president of Amtec Engineering, an engineering, design, construction and service company.
He developed his project and operations management expertise while working for Serck Baker from 1989 to1995, where he was responsible for setting up the company’s operations in Southeast Asia. Before that, Rick worked as a drilling engineer for Phillips Petroleum Co. and Aminoil USA.
Rick received his J.D. from South Texas College of Law. He holds a B.S. degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and is a certified PMP.
Eric Lovering was named Vice President and Chief Engineer in 2020. He reports to the president and is an integral part of the senior management team.
As Chief Engineer, Eric will apply his 20 years of engineering experience, strong leadership qualities, and problem-solving skills to help solidify the company’s position as a leader in the design, engineering, and implementation of water, wastewater, and recycled water infrastructure projects throughout California.
From 2003 to 2020, Eric was the San Diego regional manager, which covered the territory from the border of Mexico up to Orange County. His responsibilities included business expansion, project management, and client relations, while also providing team direction, goal setting, and career development.
Eric successfully completed dozens of public works projects from engineering design through construction, start-up, and commissioning. He's a pump station subject matter expert, which has led to guest speaking engagements for ASCE and CWEA.
Eric has extensive training and hands-on knowledge in civil, hydraulics, mechanical and electrical, including instrumentation & controls (I&C), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and SCADA systems.
Prior to joining LEE + RO, Eric was a project engineer at James Hardie Building Products from 2002 to 2003. During college, he worked as a carpenter with Cochran Interiors, Inc., in Arcadia, and for an HVAC engineering firm in Sacramento.
He received his B.S. degree in aeronautical engineering from UC Davis. His technical expertise is in pump station hydraulics; mechanical piping and HVAC design; and electrical and controls engineering. He holds California-registered licenses as a professional civil engineer and an electrical engineer.
Tony Park was named Vice President in 2018. He leads LEE + RO’s Northern California regional operations with offices in Walnut Creek and Sacramento. Tony oversees business expansion, projects and client relations, while also providing team direction, goal setting and career development. Reporting to the president, Tony is an integral part of the senior management team.
From 2015 to 2020, Tony was Northern California regional manager. Prior to joining LEE + RO, Tony was Vice President at LEE Incorporated in San Francisco from 2010 to 2015. He spent ten years, from 2001 to 2010, at Carollo Engineers in Walnut Creek as a project manager. Tony was at Stetson Engineers in San Rafael from 1993 to 2001 as a water resources engineer
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Tony received his M.S. degree in engineering from San Francisco State University. He also holds a B.S. degree in civil engineering from UC Berkeley. His technical expertise is in hydraulics (both open channel and pressurized systems). He has been a California-registered professional civil engineer since 1997 and has over 28 years of experience in water resources and treatment of water and wastewater.
Tony is a member of the Water Environment Federation and has served as a chair of the professional development committee for the San Francisco Bay section of the California Water Environment Association
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Amritendu was named Vice President of Operations + Principal in 2024. In his role Amritendu is responsible for resource management, manages projects, provides technical leadership and mentors staff engineers. Additionally, he oversees the operations of the company to ensure that a culture of growth and achievement is fostered.
Amritendu joined LEE + RO in 2016, shortly after relocating from New Orleans, LA to San Diego, CA. He had worked previously for 20 years in New Orleans, including critical recovery work related to Hurricane Katrina.
Amritendu has worked on diverse projects for LEE + RO all over California, including managing the design and construction of a $100M wastewater pump station facility. In his previous job, he worked on the design of flood protection structures like levees, flood walls, flood gates and pump stations
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He is also actively involved in the business development for new projects and acts as a client services manager for a number of clients in Southern California.
Amritendu received his B.S. degree with honors in Civil Engineering from Jadavpur University, India, in 1991. He then subsequently received an M.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1994 and another M.S. degree in Engineering Mechanics for University of Arizona in 1996. Amritendu is a California registered Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering.
When time permits, Amritendu enjoys photography, travel, spending time outdoors, and catching up with friends over good food
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Hector Robledo has been with LEE + RO for over 20 years and became a principal in 2024. As Director of Design & Production, he oversees the drafting and design team, ensuring the successful execution of complex engineering projects across multiple disciplines, including civil, mechanical, structural, and electrical engineering. Hector plays a pivotal role in implementing Building Information Modeling (BIM) across the company, driving innovation in project delivery through enhanced collaboration, 3D modeling, and data management.
His career at LEE + RO began in drafting and design for water and wastewater systems. Over the years, he has led the production of detailed construction drawings using advanced 3D CAD software, such as AutoCAD, Revit, and MicroStation. In addition to coordinating large-scale projects, Hector has been instrumental in training and mentoring staff, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and technical excellence.
Hector holds a comprehensive knowledge of engineering design tools and drafting techniques, with experience spanning 3D modeling, GIS, and project management. As a principal, he is focused on advancing Lee & Ro’s operational efficiency through automation and BIM integration, ensuring the firm delivers quality solutions for its clients and the communities they serve.
Outside of his professional responsibilities, Hector enjoys traveling, watching soccer, and values quality time with his family. His two teenage sons keep him busy with their high school wrestling careers, providing him with a deep sense of pride and involvement in their achievements.
Boyana was named Senior Civil Engineer + principal in 2024. She leads and executes key projects while mentoring her team, providing technical expertise, and fostering a culture of growth and achievement. Additionally, Boyana is part of LEE + RO's Professional Development Committee, where she helps shape strategies for employee growth and career development, contributing to the company’s overall professional advancement.
Boyana began her engineering career at LEE + RO in 2018, shortly after relocating from Boston, MA to San Diego, CA. She joined the San Diego office of LEE + RO soon after her move to California. Boyana has grown with the company, contributing to a diverse range of projects all around California, from $100 million wastewater pump station facilities to essential potable water storage tanks.
She is actively engaged in business development for new projects, leveraging her passion for client communication and her commitment to ensuring that projects are executed to the highest standards of client satisfaction.
Boyana received her B.S. degree from Northeastern University, Boston in civil engineering. Her expertise is in pump station facilities and treatment plants. Boyana is a California-registered professional engineer (civil).
Outside of work, Boyana enjoys playing pickleball, spending time outdoors at the beach and in nature, kayaking, cooking and trying out new recipes, and spending quality time with her boyfriend, friends and dog.
Jordan was promoted to Sr Electrical Engineer and elevated to firm principal in 2024. In addition to detail design, Jordan lends his operations-oriented mind and skillset towards assisting critical corporate functions, including policies and procedures, marketing, staff recruitment, training and development.
Jordan began his engineering career at LEE + RO in 2019. Prior to LEE + RO, Jordan worked for a system integrator where he designed, manufactured, installed, and programmed control panels via programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Throughout his tenure at LEE + RO, Jordan has proven to be an organized and effective communicator, and is growing his technical skillset, acumen, and engineering judgement under the direction of Eric Lovering, chief engineer of LEE + RO. His engineering duties currently include positions as project engineer, discipline lead, and staff engineer for design and construction projects in water and wastewater engineering.
Internally, Jordan founded and leads the L+R Professional Development Committee. He is responsible for directing the vision of the committee and has developed trainings and resources aimed at facilitating the transition from college graduate to productive working professionals and shortening the incubation period for entry-level hires.
Jordan received his B.S. degree from Cal State Fullerton in electrical engineering. Post undergrad he received his M.B.A. degree with an emphasis in management from Cal Baptist University. His technical expertise is in electrical controls in water/wastewater systems. Jordan is a California-registered professional engineer (electrical).
Outside of work, Jordan enjoys golf, tennis, performing sub-par card magic for family and friends, and spending time with his fiancée.
Jay Jung was named Vice President in 2020. Reporting directly to the President and CEO, Jay is an integral part of the senior management team. Between 2006 and 2020, Jay held a dual role as manager of operations and project manager. As one of the premier treatment plant and reservoir experts, he continues to provide his project management expertise on these types of projects.
Jay has conducted extensive research in the field of environmental engineering. From 2002 to 2005 he was a research assistant for the department of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Southern California. While in South Korea, he worked as a research engineer at the National Institute of Environmental Research from 2001 to 2002 and at Yonsei University from 1999 to 2001.
In 2005 Jay earned his second M.S. degree in environmental engineering from the University of Southern California. In 2001 he received an M.S. degree in environmental engineering from Yonsei University, South Korea. His technical expertise is in water and wastewater treatment plant design, process and mechanical design for chemical supply to the plants, and disinfection systems.
Jay has been a California-registered professional civil engineer since 2010 with over 18 years of experience in water and wastewater treatment research, engineering, process design, and consulting experience in the area of municipal water and wastewater treatment.
