Our Leadership

J. Clay Sykes, P.E.
Principal and Founder 

With over 30 years of experience in the master planning, design, startup, operation, and maintenance of water and wastewater treatment facilities, Mr. Sykes has in-depth knowledge of many aspects of water and wastewater treatment, and has been responsible for the operations and maintenance of more than 150 municipal and industrial water and wastewater treatment facilities. He has been involved in the design, construction, startup, operation and maintenance, and process troubleshooting of numerous facilities using a variety of treatment processes. Sykes is also active in professional and technical societies. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering from Mississippi State University, and he is a registered Professional Engineer.

Daniel E. Groselle, P.E.
Principal and Founder  

Mr. Groselle has been involved in the planning, design, construction, and operation of more than 150 water and wastewater facilities. Groselle has 30 years of hands-on experience in utility design, operations, and management, in addition to extensive experience in the planning, designing, implementing, and operating effluent and biosolids reuse and disposal systems for municipal and industrial treatment and processing facilities. He received his M.S. and B.S. in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Georgia and is a registered Professional Engineer. Groselle is a member of several professional organizations, including the Georgia Water and Pollution Control Association, American Water Works Association, the Water Environment Federation and the National Society of Professional Engineers.

John F. Eddlemon
Senior Vice President and Partner 

Mr. Eddlemon has 21 years of experience in the water and wastewater industry with solid experience in plant design, hydraulic design, construction management, operations of treatment facilities and project controls. He has also worked with Fortune 500 companies in the areas of personnel and financial management. Eddlemon brings a bottom-line perspective to daily operations and overall strategy, merging sound technology development with strong financial management and oversight. He has been involved in the planning, design, construction, and operation of more than 200 utility systems throughout the U.S. He has in-depth knowledge of many aspects of water and wastewater treatment, and is recognized as an expert in the fields of hydraulic design, modeling, and analysis. Eddlemon holds a B.S. degree in Natural Resources Engineering and a M.S. degree in Water Resources Engineering from the University of Connecticut and an M.B.A. from the University of Georgia. He is active in numerous professional organizations. 

Paul Tickerhoof
Vice President and Partner 

Mr. Tickerhoof has 30 years of experience in the water and wastewater treatment industry, including 20 years in supervisory positions. He has been responsible for managing activated sludge facilities ranging in size from 0.02 mgd to 46.2 mgd, and his background encompasses treating wastewater that has heavy industrial loading from a denim mill and textile finishing plant waste streams. His areas of expertise include land application of sewage sludge (under 40CFR, Part 503 regulations), computerized process control, supervision and management, compliance monitoring, personnel training, budgeting and cost savings, solids processing, pumping station operation, and interfacing with regulatory agencies. He has been involved with a variety of wastewater construction activities from the design phase through project completion. Tickerhoof received his B.A. from Georgia State University, he holds operator certifications in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi.


Mike Hilyer
Vice President 

Mr. Hilyer has over 30 years of experience in state, county and municipal government, specializing in management, design, operations, and construction. His areas of expertise include time management, purchasing, scheduling, and disaster mitigation. Previously a city administrator, city public works director, and city building and zoning official, Hilyer managed the largest biosolids operation in the Southeast United States. Hilyer has extensive coursework study from the University of Alabama, Auburn University, Albany State, and Faulkner University.