Amanda J. Hess, P.E., CFM
GFT
Vice-President, Geotechnical, Dams and Hydraulics

Amanda Hess is a vice president and hydrology and hydraulic group manager at GFT Infrastructure, Inc. She holds Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in civil engineering with a focus in water resources. Over her 25-year career, she has focused on design and application of hydrologic and hydraulic principles for dams. In that role, she has served as the lead hydrologic and hydraulic engineer for numerous spillway modification projects. She has provided supporting consulting services to several state dam safety departments on guidelines and regulations.

Greg Richards, P.E., CFM
GFT
Senior Project Manager

Greg Richards is a senior project Manager and hydraulic and hydrologic engineer at GFT in Bountiful, Utah. He obtained his B.S. and M.S. degrees in civil engineering from Utah State University. He is responsible for the management and execution of hydraulic and hydrologic analyses and design for flood control reservoirs, spillways, outlet works, stilling basins, bridges, and stream channel improvements. Greg has authored or contributed to several dam safety policy documents on both the federal and state levels. These include the Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety: Selecting and Accommodating Inflow Design Floods for Dams (FEMA P-94); Guidelines for Hazard Potential Classification and Inflow Design Flood Selection (including a simplified risk-informed decision-making approach) for the New Mexico Dam Safety Bureau; and Risk-Informed Dam Inspection Guidelines for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. He was the 2017 recipient of ASDSO’s Joseph J. Ellam President’s Award and currently serves as a member of ASDSO’s Advisory and Dam Failure and Incidents committees, leader of the Dam Safety Toolbox Committee, and co-chair of the DamFailures.org Subcommittee.

Andrew J. Lynch, P.E., CFM
GFT
Senior Project Engineer

Andy Lynch is a senior project engineer and project manager at GFT in Denver, Colorado. Andy obtained his bachelor’s degree in engineering from Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI. He has nearly 20 years of experience in hydrologic modeling and 1D, 2D and 3D hydraulic modeling; design and analysis of hydraulic structures including dams, spillways, stilling basins, energy dissipators, and flood control structures; and civil site design including grading & drainage for both small developments and utility-scale power infrastructure. He has also participated in over a dozen PFMAs and SQRAs for FERC Part 12 inspections. Andy currently serves as a leader of ASDSO’s Dam Safety Toolbox Committee and a member of the DamFailures.org Subcommittee where he has authored two case studies.