Our Team
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Christine Valachovic, PLS
Christine is the Principal Land Surveyor at Kaaterskill Associates with 34 years of experience, 20 of which as a Professional Land Surveyor licensed in the State of New York. She has been the lead Land Surveyor for Kaaterskill Associates since 2003 assisting private parties & municipalities with boundary surveys & topographic surveys for various real property needs. This work includes mapping for real estate transfers, boundary line dispute resolution, subdivisions, and for land development design purposes. Specializing in research, Christine uses that experience to trace back title of parcels of land to better understand the history of a parcel & determine the original boundaries of a parcel of land. Tenacity is the order of the day for Christine’s work process, and she can be relentless in running down the smallest detail to make sure surveys produced by Kaaterskill Associates are the best quality possible. Christine led the team developing the CAD standards for all survey plats for Kaaterskill and has had a large role in developing CAD standards for the Civil Engineering Department. Having started as a hand drafter, Christine has drafted using AutoCAD since the days of DOS based AutoCAD and has taught many past and current employees the art of drafting a quality plat.
Outside of Kaaterskill Associates, Christine is the mother of three grown sons that all achieved their Eagle Scout Rank, and she takes great pride in how they have turned out. She enjoys spending time with her husband, sons, and soon to be daughters-in-law. Her favorite pastimes include making memories with her family and animals, baking, RV camping, going on adventures to new areas, sightseeing, hiking, card making, and trying new foods & wine.
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Darrin Elsom, P.E.
Darrin is a Licensed Professional Engineer with more than 30 years of experience working on land development projects in Greene County and surrounding counties. Darrin received his engineering degree from Lehigh University. He spent approximately 6 years as an engineer for Schwarzenegger Engineering, before becoming one of the founding partners of Kaaterskill Associates in 1997. Darrin is the current President of Kaaterskill Associates and has held that position for more than 10 years.
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John Valachovic
John is our Director of Operations for Kaaterskill Associates. He oversees the Survey Department and provides training and leadership to that team. He also oversees Safety Compliance and other office operations. John is the husband of our Principal Land Surveyor Christine Valachovic. John has been Christine’s Chief of Staff for decades now and they make a very potent team. When John is not at Kaaterskill he has varied hobbies and interests, but his biggest accomplishment has been raising three sons to adulthood and watching them grow into amazing young men. Besides being a dad, John has been long involved in Boy Scouts of America and some of his proudest moments in Scouting were watching his three sons receive their Eagle Awards. Now a retired Scoutmaster, he still participates in Scouting events with the Troop he led for years, and he still enjoys mentoring young people and helping them become strong leaders. In the good weather seasons, John also is an avid outdoor cooking enthusiast, he competes in Dutch Oven Cooking Competitions and participates in Dutch Oven Cooking Gatherings. He and Christine also do quite a bit of traveling and camping. In the long winters, John is an active model railroader. He is a prototype railroad researcher that then applies his research to the construction of his model railroad. John also serves on the Town of Berne Library Trustee Board and a Director on the Leadership Team for the Hudson Berkshire Division of the National Model Railroad Association.
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Scott Ouimet, P.E.
Scott is a licensed Professional Engineer and Project Manager in the Civil Engineering Department at Kaaterskill Associates. He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He works on the planning, designing, permitting, and construction of civil engineering projects. Mr. Ouimet has experience designing a wide variety of projects from commercial to residential land development, sewer and water infrastructure, and stormwater and erosion and sediment control design. When he is not working, he prefers to be in the mountains hiking, camping, or backpacking. He has backpacked a 200-mile section of the Appalachian Trail and is hoping to do more section hikes in the future. He also likes to spend time with the pigs, sheep, and goats at his farm. After living in Germany for five years and getting to travel to several parts of Europe he has moved back home to NY to spend more time with family and friends.
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David Murray, RA
David is a NYS Registered Architect and has been designing high performance, well-crafted and beautiful homes, and other buildings in the Hudson Valley for three decades. Early in his career he was a cabinetmaker and for a time, built scenery for the Opera in Boston. His history of focus on craft and Building Science brings a wealth of experience to bear on client’s projects. His home/studio is in a historic former church lovingly converted in New Paltz, New York where he lives with his wife Carol, two sons and Niko the Australian Shepherd.
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Bill Scribner, P.E.
Bill is our Structural Engineer here at Kaaterskill. Before becoming an engineer, Bill was a carpenter and with his brother and together they ran Scribner Construction, working mostly in Ulster and Dutchess Counties. With a desire to design better and more energy efficient buildings, Bill returned to school, earning his engineering degree from RPI. His focus on energy efficiency continues to this day.
Outside of Kaaterskill, Bill is the father of two young men with Autism, and regularly works with special needs children and young adults. His favorite pastime is spending time with his family. Since the age of twelve, Bill has been a Judo player and currently teaches Judo at Ulster Budokai in Kington, NY. He also enjoys going to the shooting range with friends, riding motorcycles, and eating most things bacon.
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Stacey Poulsen
Stacey is our Accounting Manager, Office Manager, and Human Resource Manager. She has been with Kaaterskill Associates over ten years. She wears many hats, and her responsibilities are endless here at Kaaterskill, she keeps our trains on track with her organizational skills and attention to detail. When Stacey is not working, she likes to spend time with her family and friends. Her biggest hobby is travelling and seeing the world.
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Brandan Bachor
Brandan is a Senior Designer/Project Manager at Kaaterskill Associates with over 30 years of building design and construction experience. He assists clients through the many stages of a project with a variety of services ranging from conception to completion. He specializes in additions & renovations as well as new construction for residential and commercial projects.
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Christian Denniston
Christian is a Senior Survey Technician at Kaaterskill Associates with 4 years of surveying experience. Christian coordinates and oversees the survey department and their work on a variety of projects including boundary surveys, topographic surveys, elevation certificates, and construction stakeout. Outside of Kaaterskill Associates, Christian enjoys a variety of outdoor pursuits including backpacking and cycling.
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Johnathan Munster
Johnathan is a Survey Crew Chief at Kaaterskill Associates. Johnathan brings to the team 4.5 years of experience and knowledge in Boundary and Topographic surveys, Construction Stakeout, and recently has been working with GPS using the latest technology from Trimble. In his free time, he enjoys model railroading, music, and hot rods. He especially enjoys spending time with his family, including his 8-year-old son Brody and their 3-year-old German Shepard Bella.
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Shelby Pidgeon
Shelby is the Structural Engineering Administrative Assistant at Kaaterskill Associates. She is responsible for the administrative related duties for the Structural Department, as well as drafting some smaller structural projects under the direction of Bill Scribner, PE. She originally started schooling for Interior Architecture but has branched out by beginning to learn about structural engineering here at Kaaterskill Associates. Outside of Kaaterskill Associates, Shelby has started her own art venture called "Spooky Girl Designs" where she creates and sells her own artwork. She works mostly with two-part epoxy resin, creating beautifully "spooky" and functional works of resin art. Other than being a resin artist, Shelby loves being surrounded by the company of family and friends, traveling to new places, attending art shows and concerts, and making memories to last a lifetime.
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Rebecca Laufer
Rebecca is a Senior Designer in the Civil Engineering Department. She has over 20 years of experience in design, permitting and environmental science. She has done everything from site inspections to environmental impact studies and has extensive experience in computer aided drafting and design. She also spent several years doing technical scenic design for the entertainment industry. Outside of Kaaterskill Associates, she owns a dance studio where she teaches a variety of Middle Eastern dance styles. She also performs professionally throughout upstate NY and New England. Her home base is in the Adirondacks where she spends time boating and fishing with her husband and their pack of Pomeranians.
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L.B. Pina
L.B. is the Executive Assistant to the Principal Engineer of Kaaterskill Associates. Her responsibilities include project management, new business development, and scheduling for the Civil Engineering Group. Previously she was an accomplished NYC non-profit arts administrator. She currently is serving on the Catskill Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) Board and Zoning subcommittee. L.B. is a happy workaholic who loves and enjoys her family and appreciates beauty, art, music, and exploring.
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Caitlin Duree
Caitlin is originally from Algodones, New Mexico and was raised on a cattle ranch. She has an Associates in Agricultural Business from Morrisville State College. Caitlin is the Office Manager for Kaaterskill Associates and performs a variety of duties. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her fiancé, Michael, and their two dogs, as well as her family and friends. She enjoys hiking, fishing, kayaking, and camping. Her family is heavily involved in the racehorse industry and when she was little her grandpa named a horse after her, “Ms. Know It All.”
After living in New Mexico, the majority of her life, she now calls New York home and is looking forward to what is ahead.
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Andrew Horlock
Andrew is a Staff Engineer for the Civil Engineering Department at Kaaterskill Associates. He has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Resource Engineering from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. He works on site testing, planning, designing, and construction of projects. Outside of work, you can typically find Andrew outside backpacking, birding, or involved in some sort of outdoor recreational activity.
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Derek Elsom
Derek is an Administrative Assistant/Archivist for Kaaterskill Associates. His responsibilities include converting existing paper files into electronic files, scanning project close-outs, and assisting with submittals and approved documents. Before his time at Kaaterskill Associates, he worked for 25 years in residential treatment facilities, working with at-risk children/adolescents as well as dual-diagnosed adults. He was employed in several capacities, including Health and Physical Education Teacher, Direct Care Supervisor, and Behavior Manager. Outside of work, he enjoys going to the beach, reading, and watching sports, especially Penn State football and New York Mets baseball.
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Vincent Dawdy-Narvaez
Vincent is a survey technician at Kaaterskill Associates with two years of experience drafting, document research, and representing projects in front of town planning boards.
Specializing in survey drafting, Vincent uses that experience to produce high-quality, detailed, and accurate maps to deliver to our clients. Outside of Kaaterskill Associates, Vincent enjoys drawing, animating, and photography.
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David Crocoll
David is a Draftsperson at Kaaterskill Associates with several years of experience. He assists the Architectural & Engineering Departments with developing existing conditions and design development drawings.
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Erica Martin
Erica is the Executive Assistant to the Director of Operations at Kaaterskill Associates as well as an assistant to the survey department. Her responsibilities include new client intake, scheduling coordination, deed and market research, and social media marketing. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management and Marketing as well as her real estate license. She is originally from Middletown, DE and is a proud military spouse to an active-duty United States Coast Guard member stationed in Saugerties, NY. They have lived in 5 different states over the last 12 years. She loves traveling and meeting new people. When she is not working, she loves to find new places to travel and explore, ride ATVs, and spend time with friends and family.
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Michael Conti
Michael is a Senior Field Survey Technician at Kaaterskill Associates. Michael brings 2.5 years of surveying experience to the team with knowledge of performing boundary and topographic surveys, GPS, and construction stakeouts. He also has deed research and drafting experience. Michael is an ex-captain of Fairfield University’s D1 Baseball team in 2017, and now enjoys skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, biking, and taking his dog Lana hiking in his free time.