Southern NV Chapter

2023–2024 Board of Directors - Southern Nevada Chapter

President, Christian Herrera, P.E.,
Southwest Gas Corporation

Christian Herrera, P.E.
Christian is a Distribution Engineer for Southwest Gas. He has worked on multiple capital projects throughout the company, such as the design and construction of interconnect sites, high pressure gas piping relocations, measurement and controls upgrades, and pipeline inspections. He earned both his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and Master of Business Administration from UNLV. Before working for Southwest Gas, Christian worked for NV Energy, where he managed major steam turbine overhauls, steam cycle component inspections, and piping and machinery improvement projects.

Vice President, Suchan Lamichhane, Ph.D., P.E.,
Universal Engineering

Suchan Lamichhane, Ph.D., P.E.
Suchan Lamichhane currently serves as Geotechnical Department Manager for Universal Engineering Sciences in the Las Vegas office. Suchan has more than 11 years of experience as a practitioner and another 5 plus years of experience as researcher in the field of geotechnical engineering. He holds a Bachelors in Civil Engineering, a Masters in Geotechnical Engineering – both from his home country Nepal, and a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UNLV. He has experiences in both public and private sectors with broad spectrum of geotechnical engineering projects. His project experiences include transportation infrastructures, power generation and transmission infrastructures, public utility infrastructures, oil and gas facilities, airport facilities, railway facility, and various private, public, commercial and industrial vertical construction including high-rise buildings.

Immediate Past President, Trisha Sakaguchi, E.I.,
Atkins Global

Trisha Sakaguchi, E.I.
Trisha is currently an engineer with Atkins Global in the Water Infrastructure group. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She works on various design projects throughout the Las Vegas Valley and southwestern region of the United States. Her project experience ranges from utility coordination, water distribution pipelines and facilities, wastewater pump stations, sanitary sewer conveyance, stormwater sampling, and roadway utility design. Fun Facts: Trisha was born and raised on Oahu, Hawaii. She loves to travel, especially to Disney World. She also has a passion for escape rooms.

Treasurer, Naik Banavathu, P.E.,
ENERGY Project Solutions

Treasurer, Naik Banavathu, P.E.
Naik is currently a VP of Operations & Growth in the Las Vegas office of Energy Project Solutions. He graduated from University of Texas at Arlington with a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering. With over 20 years of experience in civil engineering, management, and operations, Naik has developed an exceptional track record of accomplishment in team leadership and project management. He has directed the geotechnical and special inspections aspects of a large variety of engineering projects, including solar plants, transmission lines, substations, pump stations, pipelines, reservoirs, waste-water collection and treatment facilities, storm water channels and detention basins, bridges, roadways, park and recreational facilities, commercial and municipal developments, and other infrastructure.
Naik is registered as a Professional Civil Engineer in Nevada and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), and American Public Works Association (APWA).

Secretary, Sichu Shrestha, Ph.D., P.E.,
Atkins Global

Secretary, Sichu Shrestha, P.E.
Sichu is currently a Senior Engineer at Atkins Global, SNC-Lavalin in the Water Infrastructure group. She holds a Bachelors in Civil Engineering from Nepal, Masters in Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, and Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She has more than 9 years of work experience in water and wastewater quality, treatment processes and design. She started her career as an Environmental Engineer with a focus on water quality, laboratory analysis and treatment processes. Currently, she is working on various water infrastructure design projects. Her project experience ranges from utility coordination, water distribution facilities, pump stations, mechanical pipe design for chemical treatment and sanitary sewer lift station design.

Director of Website/Media, Rosaura Gallagher, E.I., PMP, CCM,
Clark County Water Reclamation District

Rosaura Gallagher, E.I., PMP, CCM
Rosaura is a project manager for the Clark County Water Reclamation District Engineering Department. She has worked for CCWRD Engineering since June 2014. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering and applied physics. She has more than 25 years of experience in the planning, design and construction of water and wastewater utility infrastructure, sustainable LEED design, and is a Certified Construction Manager. Prior to CCWRD, she worked for the Las Vegas Valley Water District, which included sustainable design and construction as a project manager for the Las Vegas Springs Preserve.

Director of Programming, Jaime Harsh, P.E.,
Southwest Gas

Jaime Harsh, P.E.
Jamie is currently an Engineering Supervisor at Southwest Gas. Jamie has 11 years of professional experience in the fields of chemical and civil engineering. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering with a Mathematics minor from Seattle University. Jamie started her engineering career at TIMET, a titanium manufacturing plant, monitoring chemical processes and managing continuous improvement projects. She began her career with Southwest Gas in August 2018 as an Engineer II. In her current role as supervisor, she oversees the coordination with the municipalities and other utilities on civil improvement projects throughout the Las Vegas Valley.

Director of Membership/Student Liaison
Abhusan Achhami, E.I.

Abhusan Achhami, E.I.
Abhusan was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal. He graduated from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. He has 3 years of working experience in hydropower sector in Nepal. The primary responsibility included preparation of Feasibility Study reports, hydrology analysis and design and computation of hydraulic structures. He has been working locally in the drainage field since 2019. Abhusan is married and has a 15 month old daughter. Outside of work, some of his hobbies include singing, playing and watching soccer, watching movies and shows. He also love going to concerts and standup comedy shows.