Jan. 8, 2025

Employee Spotlight: Don Montgomery

Stantec’s Senior Principal Engineer Don Montgomery has a pivotal role in the success of Chimney Hollow Reservoir. As the engineer of record, he has been responsible for overseeing the design of both the main dam and the 40-foot-tall saddle dam at the south end of the reservoir and is the technical lead for the entire project. He works with all parties on the project, enabling smooth communication between the engineering and construction teams.  

Montgomery was most involved in Chimney Hollow during the design phase, when he supervised the development of all the designs for various elements of the project. While the most noteworthy aspect is the 350-foot-tall asphalt core dam, he also worked with design teams on the saddle dam, valve house, inlet/outlet tower, interconnects and more.   

Once the construction phase began in 2021, Montgomery’s role shifted. His main duty is to serve as a consultant for on-site geologists, engineers and other teams regarding design details and dam safety. He is also responsible for making decisions if there are changes necessary due to unforeseen conditions and offers his view on potential solutions should challenges arise. Taking on an oversight role allows him to balance multiple projects simultaneously, as he is currently working on dam designs for other projects in the United States, South America and Canada.  

Montgomery said, “Each project is different. There is always a new variation on problems, and we never solve them in the same way. Incorporating the asphalt core on this scale is not something we’ve done before in the U.S. and was a unique challenge.”  

Montgomery grew up in Colorado and has spent the past 25 years as an engineer with Stantec, eight of which have been on the Chimney Hollow project. He and his family live nearby in Arvada, and they look forward to one day recreating on the reservoir he helped design.