Mark Knaack

Vice President
Environmental Services

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Mark Knaack’s love for outdoor activities finds expression in his passion for leading and growing the environmental group at Burns & McDonnell.

Mark Knaack has more than 30 years of environmental consulting experience in investigation, remediation, environmental insurance, liability management and risk transfers. He served as a national business development manager at Burns & McDonnell for 10 years before leading the expansion of the firm’s environmental practice in Houston and India. The success of the environmental group in Houston led to Mark being selected as regional manager of the environmental practice there. Additionally, he worked with what was then the Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing to institute professional state registrations for hydrologists, geologists and soil scientists. He also participated in developing the professional exam for hydrologists in Wisconsin. Mark is certified as an environmental risk manager and as a hazardous materials manager. He is also a registered professional hydrologist in Wisconsin.

In the community:

• United Way
• American Cancer Society: I have been a supporter for years and have also been participating in its cancer prevention study since 2013
• Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation

What inspired you to pursue your career?

I have always loved science and being outdoors. Whether it’s hunting, fishing, swimming, snow skiing or snowmobiling, I knew I had to combine the two things I’m passionate about. That is why I decided I wanted to work within the environmental field.

What's the coolest part of your job?

I’d say it’s definitely recruiting the best talent in the industry to join our team, and working with the best talent in the environmental field on some of the most complex and cutting-edge projects being engineered and constructed. Whether it’s working on hydrogen and carbon sequestration projects or solar plants and offshore turbines, I am never bored working in this field. One of the most interesting professional experiences I've had was studying wellhead protection plans in Germany. I was able to apply learnings to inform the first wellhead protection plans written in the United States.

What excites you most when you look at the future of infrastructure?

The creativity of the environmental industry to adapt and the continuous improvement of delivery methods of our products is amazing. From how we get our energy and water to our food and means of transportation, these methods are changing with technological advancements rapidly. It is so exciting to be part of these advancements that will change the way the industries we support operate.