Who We Are
ADVANTAGE OF STRONG SENIOR LEADSHIP
At the PE Group, working Principals oversee small, highly effective, teams of engineers and consultants on every project. Our highly interactive project approach results in better internal and external communication and quality control.
The Team
PARTNERS
Charles E. Hahl, PE
President
Charlie has been President of The Protection Engineering Group since 2003. In addition to his duties as President, he works as a Principal leading some of the firm's largest projects. He has over 25 years of management and consulting engineering experience concentrating in fire protection, life safety and physical security. Charlie provides strategic oversight to all the firm's offices and works closely with the management team to ensure our continued success and growth. He is a registered professional engineer in five states and holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech and a Masters in Engineering Management from The Catholic University of America.
John O'Neill, PE, FSFPE
Vice President / Principal
As Vice President and Principal, John plays a leading role in the execution of some of the firm's most technically challenging projects. During his 40 year career, John has built a reputation as a nationally recognized leader in the field of water-based fire protection systems. He is widely considered a leading "technical expert" in the investigation and evaluation of fire related events involving suppression systems (sprinkler/standpipe, foam-water, underground piping, gaseous and wet-chemical systems). In addition to taking on a lead role in project execution, John also focuses his efforts on the professional and technical development of the engineering staff. John is a Professional Engineer and holds the designation of Fellow in the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE). He has a B.S. in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland and is an active Member of the National Fire Protection Association and is the Immediate Past Chairman of the Technical Correlating Committee on Automatic Sprinklers, NFPA 13.
Douglas J. Rollman
Vice President
As Vice President, Doug plays a key role in firm operations and management, establishing and managing key strategic alliances, defining overall sales strategy, and leading overall strategic planning efforts. He manages the day-to-day business development and marketing initiatives across the Company. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from The Catholic University of America and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from The George Washington University. He is an active member of the Society of Marketing Professional Services (SMPS).
J. Michael Thompson, PE
Secretary / Principal
Mike is a Principal in the Washington, D.C. office with responsibility for engineering and managing some of the firms most challenging projects. He has over 35 years of experience in all aspects of fire protection and life safety and also possesses unique experience in the area of historic building life safety and property protection. Mike is a registered Professional Engineer and holds a B.S. in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland. He is a Member in the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the International Code Council (ICC).
Isa Y. Saah, PE
Treasurer / Principal
Isa has over 18 years of experience and is currently in the role of Principal in the Washington, D.C. office. He performs many roles for the firm in the areas of operations, management, and engineering. His experience includes the design of fire suppression and fire alarm systems, building and fire code evaluations, and hazardous materials assessments for a wide variety of clientele. Some of his most notable projects include the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater, and the Benjamin Franklin Museum. He is a Professional Engineer with a B.S. in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland and is an active member in the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
PRINCIPALS
Mark M. Hankewycz, CPP
Principal
With over 24 years of experience in the security field, Mark is Principal for the firm's Security and Information Technology Services Group where he manages the day-to-day operations of all security and technology consultants and engineers and acts as the firm's Facility Security Officer (FSO). Mark has extensive experience in physical, electronic, and operational security; security planning, risk assessment and analysis; and policy and procedure development. His portfolio includes a broad array of security projects for a wide variety of Federal, Commercial and Institutional clients. He is an active member in various industry associations and is a Principal Committee Member for the Premises Security Standards Committee (NFPA 730) and the Electronic Security Standards Committee (NFPA 731) of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Security Architecture and Engineering Council of ASIS.
Thomas W. Gardner, PE, FSFPE, LEED AP
Principal
Tom is the firm's Principal in charge of the Atlanta office, with responsibility for the entire Southeast Region. He has over 28 years of specialized experience in protecting a wide variety of facilities, with an emphasis on the application of building and fire codes and the design of fire suppression systems. Tom has been a longstanding industry leader for fire protection and life safety in the healthcare industry and has been an active participant in the development of industry standards such as the Standard for Health Care Facilities (NFPA 99) and the Life Safety Code (NFPA 101) for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). He is a registered Professional Engineer in 10 states and holds the designation of Fellow in the International Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE). He holds a B.S. in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland and a B.S. in General Science from Fordham University.
Matthew T. Smith, PE
Principal
Matt is the Principal of the firm's Baltimore office and plays a key role in expanding our client base throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. He brings over 18 years experience in all aspects of fire protection and life safety engineering and consulting, including specialized expertise in Industrial Fire Protection. Matt is a Professional Engineer registered in four states with a B.S. in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland. He is an active member in the International Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).