DFI Educational Trust Appoints New Members to Board of Trustees
Hawthorne, N.J.: Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) Educational Trust, the charitable arm of DFI, recently appointed Tom Richards and Thad Tobaben to the Board of Trustees to serve two-year terms.
Thomas D. Richards, Jr., P.E., D.GE, is retired chief engineer, and now a consultant, at Nicholson Construction Company. For over 30 years at Nicholson, he has dealt with technical aspects of a multitude of specialized geotechnical projects using micropiles, anchors, soil nails, diaphragm walls and numerous grouting techniques. His responsibilities included design, quality control, research, testing and instrumentation. Richards was a trustee on the DFI Board of Directors and was active in numerous committees of DFI, ADSC, PTI and ASCE leading to frequent commenting on FHWA and other industry documents. He remains active on a few DFI and ADSC committees. He is also a member of The Moles. In 2019, he was awarded the DFI Distinguished Service Award and was selected as the 2021-2022 DFI Travelling Lecturer.
Thad Tobaben is a business development professional specializing in client relationships, strategic partnerships and organizational development. He currently serves as Kiewit Foundations’ business development representative across the U.S., securing new clients for Kiewit’s infrastructure engineering projects. For the past 8 years, he has worked in various roles in engineering recruitment and talent development. Tobaben served in the Nebraska National Guard for 6 years. He brings a passion for prospecting, team collaboration and project management, all leading to the development of successful relationships.
About the DFI Educational Trust
The Deep Foundations Institute Educational Trust (www.dfitrust.org) is an independent, 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2006 by the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) as its charitable arm. The mission of the Trust is to support and encourage individuals in the fields of study related to the deep foundation industry by providing scholarships and opportunities to meet and work with deep foundation industry leaders.
About the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI)
DFI (www.dfi.org) is an international association of contractors, engineers, suppliers, manufacturers, academics and owners in the deep foundations industry. Our multidisciplinary membership creates a consensus voice and a common vision for continual improvement in the planning, design and construction of deep foundations and excavations. We bring together members for networking, education, communication and collaboration. With our members, we promote the advancement of the deep foundations industry through technical committees, educational programs and conferences, publications, research, government relations and outreach. DFI has more than 4,000 members worldwide.
