Quality Environmental Review Makes a Difference
Uncompromising Quality
Uncompromising quality is the foundation for everything we do. We achieve this in part through our rigorous internal Quality Assurance/Quality Control review, but also through our project management model.
Dedicated Project Manager
Cities, Counties, Developers, School Districts, and all of our clients alike are guaranteed a single point-of-contact from project inception to approval of the environmental documents. Though supported by a team of professionals and technical experts, one Project Manager will be responsible for all facets of your project’s environmental review. This is essential for both our commitment to quality and to client service.
Exceptional Client Service
Above all, we prioritize client service. We do what it takes to meet our clients’ needs and we take great pride in delivering complex projects on-schedule and on-budget. We find that our clients are best served when we provide quality environmental review and ensure the availability of a single point-of-contact for all of your questions, concerns, and project needs.
David J. Powers & Associates, Inc. is a certified woman-owned Underutilized and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (UDBE and DBE), as well as a California Department of General Services and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) certified Small Business Enterprise (SBE).
Awards
AEP 2024 Outstanding Environmental Analysis Document Award
DJP&A is pleased to receive the AEP 2024 Outstanding Environmental Analysis Document Award for the North Bayshore Master Plan EIR.
AEP 2023 Certificate of Achievement Merit Award
DJP&A is honored to accept the 2023 Certificate of Achievement Award for the firm’s 50 years of quality environmental review.
AEP 2021 Merit Award
DJP&A is proud to accept the 2021 Merit Award from the Association of Environmental Professionals for our work on the CityView Plaza Office Project Supplemental EIR.
AEP 2020 Merit Award
AEP 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award
We are so proud and pleased to announce that DJP&A’s John Hesler, Vice President/Principal Project Manager has been awarded the 2019 Al Reynolds Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association of Environmental Professionals!
AEP 2018 Merit Award
DJP&A is honored to receive the 2018 Association of Environmental Professionals Outstanding Environmental Analysis Award and Environmental Analysis Merit Award.
History
David J. Powers & Associates, Inc. was founded in the City of San Jose in 1972 by David Powers, following the adoption of the California Environmental Quality Act in 1970. Since then, DJP&A has provided professional consulting services to public agencies and private developers in all areas of environmental planning. The company has slowly grown over the years from a one person company and sole proprietorship to a 22 person, employee-owned corporation. The DJP&A employees are all dedicated to continuing the spirit and quality of service that David Powers started in 1972.
The quality of our environmental review documents has always been the focus of the firm and is paramount to the success of DJP&A. DJP&A has successfully completed environmental review documents on a wide variety of projects: General Plan updates for cities throughout the Bay Area, numerous large industrial and commercial redevelopment projects, airports, wastewater treatment plants and pipelines, solid waste and recycling plants and programs, sports arenas and ball fields, large parks, trails, community centers, city halls and plazas, hospitals and medical centers, residential development from high-rise condominiums to single family detached, shopping malls and “big box” retail, and coastline and Bay front development. With each project, DJP&A strives to prepare clear, easy to understand documents that are legally defensible and useful to both the Lead Agency and the public.
Dave Powers founded the company based on his vision of providing objective and thorough environmental review, excellent client service, and completing “a day’s work for a day’s pay.”
Dave passed away unexpectedly on July 13, 2008 of apparent heart failure. He was 61. Everyone who knew Dave understood what a truly exceptional person he was. Known for his honesty, integrity, caring, generosity, enthusiasm, friendliness, as well as his unassuming and overall down-to-earth nature, Dave was always willing to lend a helping hand.
We all miss him terribly. As an ongoing tribute to Dave, we carry on his vision for the company and the ideals he has implanted in our daily operations.
David J Powers - The Last Five Decades
“If we do good work and tell the truth, the rest will take care of itself” – Dave Powers
As we celebrate our company’s 50th anniversary, we can’t help but look back to when it all began. Dave Powers founded the company in 1972, less than two years after the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) became law, and just after he graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Biology. Little did Dave know, as he worked from his first office on the back porch of his house on Hervey Lane in San Jose, that his efforts would lead David J. Powers & Associates to become Silicon Valley’s premier environmental consulting firm.
Looking Back: The Second Decade of DJP&A
In contrast to DJP&A’s first decade as a company where Dave Powers was the sole employee learning to prepare documents that complied with the newly-enacted California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the second decade was one of substantial growth, technological advances, and high-profile projects. Between 1982 and 1991, 26 employees were hired, including five (John Hesler, Jodi Starbird, Judy Shanley, Nora Monette, and Martha Silveira) who each ended up working 30+ years at the company. Dave’s honest, caring, and compassionate nature created a work environment that fostered teamwork and impressive employee tenure.
Looking Back: The Third Decade of DJP&A
The third decade was one of maturity, continued growth, and legendary feats. DJP&A was now a California Corporation with a solid core of employees growing in tenure and new employees joining the team. Windows 95 was released and technology was booming! To keep up with the times, DJP&A registered davidjpowers.com, created a website, and traded in the 56k dial-up modem, sneakernet for a server network with personal email. The office at 1885 The Alameda was continually expanding but DJP&A continued to be a close-knit family, celebrating the week’s accomplishments with homemade wine and getting together for summer BBQs.
Looking Back: The Fourth Decade of DJP&A
The fourth decade of DJP&A ushered in a period of transition and expansion. While DJP&A had grown over the years and laws and technologies changed, the core leadership of the company had remained constant.
By 2003, Dave Powers, President of the company since it was founded in 1972, was ready to transition to the Chairman of the Board, and Judy Shanley, an employee with DJP&A since 1990, became DJP&A’s second president. During this period, the company continued to thrive and completed a number of EIRs for major development and planning projects, including the North San José Area Development Policies, Evergreen/East Hills Vision Strategy, Hitachi Campus, Coyote Valley Specific Plan, and Flea Market Redevelopment projects. The company also made time for fun, including holiday parties, wedding and baby showers, summer BBQs, and kayaking in Elkhorn Slough – a trip that is still talked about today!
Looking Back: The Fifth Decade of DJP&A
The year 2022 marks the grand celebration of 50 years as a company. What an incredible milestone! Our fifth decade as a company consisted of great successes and leadership transitions, as well as challenges.
At the start of the decade, the company was led by the generation of employees recruited by Dave, including Judy Shanley, Jodi Starbird, John Schwarz, John Hesler, Martha Silveira, Michele Yesney, and Nora Monette. This core group successfully ran the company after Dave’s retirement and untimely passing in the prior decade. With retirements on the horizon in the early 2010’s, they began the process of transitioning the company leadership to our current generation, comprised of Akoni Danielsen, Demetri Loukas, Julie Wright, Kristy Weis, Michael Lisenbee, Shannon George, and Will Burns. Martha Silveira continued in her role as the steady, dedicated fiscally-focused presence, bridging eras as Chief Financial Officer. In 2016, DJP&A opened its second office in Oakland to better serve communities and clients throughout the region! At the end of 2019, Judy Shanley retired and Akoni Danielsen became our new president.
Kristy joined DJP&A in 2003 and has a wide breadth of experience preparing environmental documents in compliance with CEQA. Kristy’s strong organizational and project management skills enables her to effectively manage complex projects. She was the Project Manager for several notable projects including the 2024 AEP Award Winning 
Amy joined DJP&A in 2016 after graduating from the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning, focusing in City Regional Planning.
Connor joined DJP&A in 2019 after graduating from California State University, East Bay with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science. Before coming to work for DJP&A, Connor interned with the East Bay Regional Park District where he performed biological field surveys, worked on habitat restoration projects, and co-authored an article on California Red-legged Frogs that was published by the Western Wildlife Journal in 2019.
Nick joined DJP&A in 2021 after previously working in the public sector for multiple planning agencies in Santa Clara County. In his previous positions, he was responsible for processing planning permits, conducting plan checks, and providing excellent customer service to applicants. From this experience, Nick has become skilled at working with developers, public agencies, and other consultants. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning degree with an additional certificate in Environmental Planning from San Jose State University.
Martha joined DJP&A in 1991 and is deeply familiar with the culture and operational aspects of the firm. She manages the firm’s finances, employee benefits, and office administration. She is responsible for all aspects of financial matters for the firm, which includes: accounts receivable, accounts payable, client billing, cash and accrual financial statements, payroll, and analyzing financial data. In addition, she is responsible for various human resources tasks, including purchasing and administering health insurance plans and administering the company’s 401k plan. Martha is also responsible for managing the company’s corporate insurance policies.
Tyler joined DJP&A in 2017. He previously worked as an intern for the City of Mountain View’s Economic Development Division, and as erosion-control inspector for the Town of Atherton. While in college, he worked as a GIS intern for a local agricultural nonprofit in San Luis Obispo.
Fiona joined DJP&A in 2016 after graduating from the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning. While attending UC Davis, Fiona interned for the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources 4-H Youth Development Program where she was able to work with others to develop an animal welfare curriculum. Her internship and prior involvement in Calpirg has provided her experience in research as well as working in a collaborative environment.
Ryan joined DJP&A in 2018 and plays an integral role in the company as our Graphic Artist, Administrative Assistant, and as a member of our marketing team. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies. He prepares all the graphics for our documents and manages their reproduction, maintains the website, works closely with our CFO on accounts receivable, and assists with marketing needs.
Natalie Noyes joined DJP&A in 2017. She holds a Masters in City Planning from San Diego State University, and is a professional planner certified by the AICP. Natalie has over 18 years of experience helping clients navigate environmental regulations and managing the preparation of environmental resource studies and planning documents pursuant to CEQA and NEPA throughout California. Her favorite projects are often those that challenge her the most. Natalie was the Project Manager for several notable projects including the El Paseo and 1777 Saratoga Avenue Mixed-Use Village project in San Jose and the Heritage House & Valle Verde Housing project in Napa.
Carolyn joined DJP&A in 2019. She is a professional planner certified by the AICP with experience preparing numerous environmental documents pursuant to CEQA and NEPA for development projects and planning policies throughout California. Carolyn also has experience providing contract planning services to local government agencies and assisting in the documentation and recordation of historic resources. Carolyn holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Environmental History from University of California at Berkeley and a Masters of Urban Planning Degree from San Jose State University.
Mimi McNamara joined DJP&A in 2022 after previously working as a technical CEQA air quality and greenhouse gas specialist for other environmental consulting firms. She has extensive experience with both subject areas and has prepared numerous technical reports to support environmental documentation prepared pursuant to CEQA and NEPA. At DJP&A, Mimi specializes in completing environmental review documents for data center facilities for the California Energy Commission and local lead agencies. Mimi has also prepared a variety of environmental documents for clients, such as Microsoft and GreenWaste Recovery, and Lead Agencies, such as the cities of San José, Mountain View, and Los Altos. In addition, she supports projects post-approval by assisting project applicants with completing their environmental requirements listed in the project’s Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program. Her goal is to see projects through entitlement and construction.
Demetri graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a degree in Ecology and Systematic Biology. Working as a Biological Technician for the National Park Service out of college, he transitioned to a career in planning with DJP&A in 1998. His diverse project experience includes environmental review for transportation projects, schools, 
Mike joined DJP&A in 2006 after graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies. Since then, he has prepared environmental documents in compliance with both CEQA and NEPA for highly complex projects, including the 
Maria joined DJP&A in 2019 after graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management and Protection and a concentration in Environmental Policy. Her studies allowed for a hands-on experience in environmental analysis, with projects that included preparing a mock impact analysis for a housing development project and a proposal to assess impacts on bird populations from a large-scale solar power facility. During her time as a student, she interned at Templeton Community Services where she developed and oversaw water conservation and recycling programs. Prior to starting with DJP&A, Maria worked at Family Supportive Housing where she gained a greater knowledge of community issues along with experience in public outreach and event coordination.
Patrick joined DJP&A in 2019 and works closely with staff to prepare environmental documents. He has experience writing CEQA and NEPA reports on freeway projects, railroad grade separations, California High Speed Rail projects, affordable housing, and a variety of development projects. He also has experience with field monitoring and research from his previous work at the Santa Clara Valley Water District and Jet Propulsion Laboratories.
Where do we start with John Hesler? John is DJP&A’s third employee, and joined in 1982 after he completed his undergraduate studies in Environmental Planning at San José State University. John immediately developed a focus on transportation, from roads and highways to transit and airports. With a 43+ year tenure at DJP&A, John is our “transportation guru,” and boasts successful environmental review for hundreds of projects including the construction of the 18.7-mile California 
Shannon is an experienced Project Manager who has been in the environmental field for over 25 years. She graduated from San José State University with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and worked for another environmental firm before joining DJP&A in 2001. Since then, Shannon has managed the environmental review for many iconic projects throughout Silicon Valley, including the 
Desiree joined DJP&A in 2018 after graduating from Cal Poly University, San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management and Protection and a concentration in Wildlife Biology. Her education provided her with hands on experience with local city projects and environmental issues.
Akoni joined DJP&A in 2010, after working for the City of San José for 13 years, most recently as Principal Planner, where he was responsible for the City’s preparation of CEQA and NEPA documents, as well as managing the City’s environmental review, historic preservation, urban runoff management, and green building policy programs. During his time with the City, he managed the preparation of over 40 program- and project-level Environmental Impact Reports, and participated in the preparation of the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan.
Will joined DJP&A in 2003 and has a deep understanding of CEQA and NEPA and has extensive experience preparing Environmental Impact Reports (EIR), Initial Studies, and Environmental Assessments. Among his many achievements, he was the Project Manager for the preparation of the