AboutOur Experienced Team
At Franson Civil Engineers, we pride ourselves on our extensive and comprehensive knowledge of water resources engineering. The basis for our knowledge and expertise begins with our senior management. The firm is directed by three principals who oversee the project teams, consisting of engineers, designers, and field and support staff. Learn more about our principals and their respective experience and expertise.
Eric J. Franson, P.E.
Principal
As President of Franson Civil Engineers, Eric is personally committed to setting and maintaining the firm’s high professional standards for quality control and client satisfaction. This begins with building relationships with clients to understand their needs. Eric is also dedicated to the local community, the engineering profession, and the State of Utah. He demonstrates his dedication by serving as a member of the ACEC Water Committee and the Utah Drinking Water Board.
Eric is a Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate from Utah State University, and a registered Professional Engineer in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada. He has more than 35 years of experience in all aspects of consulting engineering from the initial planning stages through funding, design, and ultimately through construction review. His professional basketball experiences (college and overseas) taught him the true effectiveness of being a team; he brings that unique knowledge to civil engineering by managing the firm’s successful team atmosphere.
Eric has worked on several water-related projects, including: pressurized irrigation systems, water storage tanks, spring rehabilitation, culinary water systems, and earth-fill dam rehabilitation. His work has included master planning, feasibility report preparation, water rights evaluations, preparation of cost estimates, funding acquisition, contract administration, agency coordination, preparation of contract documents and specifications, and preparation of water management and conservation plans.
His commitment of service to client’s projects and needs are the mainstay of our firm’s ability to consistently deliver projects that meet client needs on schedule and within budget.
Layne D. Jensen, P.E.
Principal
Layne Jensen is an experienced Project Manager known for leading challenging projects, specifically those with technical and environmental compliance issues. Layne is a Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate from Stanford University, a Mining Engineering graduate from the University of Utah, and a registered Professional Engineer in Utah and Idaho. He joined Franson Civil after spending 11 years working as a consultant for the mining, refining, and aerospace industries.
Layne recently led the Millsite Reservoir Outlet Relocation Project, the Wide Hollow Dam Rehabilitation Project, the Fairview Tunnel Rehabilitation Project, the Fairview Lake Dam Rehabilitation Project, and the North Summit Pressurized Irrigation Project, with total project costs in excess of $25 million.
Layne has experience with all parts of the project process, including funding acquisition, feasibility studies, alternatives development and analysis, client representation, and agency coordination. His design work has included pipelines, wetland mitigation, embankments, culverts, channels, ponds, spillways, sedimentation ponds, pumping systems, erosion control systems, and stormwater control systems. These designs typically include engineering cost estimates, design drawings, specifications, and contract documents. Layne also has extensive experience conducting environmental investigations and preparing environmental documents.
Chad H. Brown, P.E.
Principal
Chad has worked with a variety of clients over his 17+ years in the industry, including private owners and developers, conservation districts, state and county agencies, cities and towns, and canal and irrigation companies. He’s helped these clients acquire funding from the NRCS, Utah Division of Drinking Water, Utah Division of Water Quality, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, USDA Rural Development, Community Impact Board, and more.
Chad has extensive experience with Environmental Assessments, Stream Alteration Permits, and the transfer of title of federally owned facilities to local water utilities. He excels at developing relationships with clients and agency members. He shows his dedication to the engineering community and local communities by serving as chair of the ACEC-Utah Ethics Committee.
Chad has also received praise for his work. His Master of Science research paper, “Outlet Air Venting Requirement of Medium Sized Dams,” received state funding from the Utah Dam Safety Office. He went on to present this paper at the 2006 American Society of Dam Safety Officials conference in Boston, Massachusetts. He has a bachelor’s and master’s degree and is a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) in three states: Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming.
Jay W. Franson
Founding Principal (retired)
Jay Franson founded Franson Civil Engineers in 1989 and subsequently worked tirelessly to build the firm’s reputation as the best water resources engineering firm in Utah. Jay leaves a legacy of values, ideals, and successes that we honor today.
Jay is a Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate from Utah State University, a Mathematics graduate from Ashland University, and a Registered Professional Engineer in Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. He managed water projects in the western United States for over four decades. He had major roles on several extremely large and controversial projects including the Central Arizona Project and the Central Utah Project.
His commitment to the community has been an important aspect of his career. He served as the Mayor of Highland City for four years and served as the President of Highland Water Company for 13 years. He also served as a member of the Utah Drinking Water Board for nine years.
His credentials and character were recognized by his peers in 2007 as ACEC-Utah’s Engineer of the Year and in 2009 from the Utah Chapter of AWRA for Outstanding Service.