About Stonewall Engineering
OUR PROMISE
We are only as good as our word, and since opening our doors in 2011, we have made it our business to keep our promises and meet deadlines. We’ve worked diligently to become the Raleigh area’s trusted structural engineer. Our reputation has grown so strong that we’re gaining satisfied clients across, and even beyond, North Carolina.
Our team is small and nimble, so we can provide the personal attention and responsive service you would expect from a local, family-owned company. We are also highly skilled and extremely creative, which means our plans are thorough, thoughtful and easy to implement. But in our minds, the true measure of our success is in creating satisfied customers.
The referrals and repeat clients we receive affirm our work as well as our belief that integrity makes all the difference. From concept through construction, you can trust Stonewall Structural Engineering every step of the way.
MEET OUR TEAM
Meet our team. Fueled by quality and inspired by detail, this tight-knit group has the expertise you need to spot, advise and properly address your home’s structural needs.
Chuck LaVerdiere, PE, SE
CEO
Chuck is a husband, dad, engineer, business owner, and connoisseur of fine pizzas. He and his wife Sarah stay busy raising their seven children, and they enjoy family trips to the Carolina beaches and mountains whenever possible. Chuck currently serves on the Advisory Board of UNC Wilmington’s Coastal Engineering program, is a member of the HBA Raleigh-Wake County Remodelers Council, was a founding Board Member of Arise and Walk Christian Ministry (an NGO which helps provide prosthetic limbs in central Nigeria), and volunteers as a Sunday School teacher at his church. As a former surfer, punk rocker, skateboarder, and pizza kitchen manager, Chuck’s remaining hobbies include snowboarding the Appalachian Mountains and cycling Raleigh’s Capital Area Greenway trails.
Chuck grew up in Southern California and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Structural Engineering from the Jacobs School of Engineering at the University of California, San Diego. Upon completion of undergraduate studies, he continued to learn from the best, working for one of the leading structural engineering firms in San Diego.
Over the years, Chuck’s design experience has taken all shapes and sizes: master plans for tract housing developments, custom homes, residential remodels and additions, historical renovations, concrete tilt-up structures, steel-framed buildings, mid-rise mixed-use buildings, commercial fit-ups, and more. He has significant experience investigating structural failures and designing repair solutions for damaged or underperforming buildings, as well as navigating the permit process and providing expert witness testimony. Chuck is a licensed Professional Engineer in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and California, and a licensed Structural Engineer in Georgia. He also holds a Commercial General Contractor’s license in North Carolina.
Brandon Compton, PE, SE
Director of Engineering
Brandon is a licensed Professional Engineer and Structural Engineer recognized across all 50 U.S. states. A proud alumnus of North Carolina State University, he earned both his Bachelor of Science and Master’s degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Structures. In addition to his engineering credentials, Brandon holds an MBA from East Carolina University, enhancing his expertise in blending technical knowledge with business acumen.
With extensive experience in business development, team building, and managing industrial projects, Brandon brings a wealth of knowledge and innovative problem-solving skills to every endeavor. His unique ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders enables him to tackle challenges from multiple angles, fostering optimal solutions and ensuring successful project outcomes.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Brandon is a devoted husband and father to three wonderful daughters. He and his family love camping and exploring national parks, and since joining a Disney-loving family, trips to Disney parks have become an essential part of their vacations. His strong faith influences all aspects of his life, and he enjoys getting involved in their local church and reading books that encourage personal growth.
Victoria Pate
Director of Finance and Operations
Victoria holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from North Carolina State University, and a Master of Accounting from UNC Chapel Hill. Before joining Stonewall, she was the longtime Controller for a national commercial and industrial painting contractor. She brings her experience in accounting, job-site safety, human resources, and residential and commercial construction business administration to the Stonewall team in her role as our Director of Operations and Finance.
When Victoria is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, friends, and family at the beach or pool, trying out new recipes, and taking on as many DIY projects as possible. She is the proud dog mom of 4 troublemakers that keep her on her toes daily. Victoria is also an avid reader and loves time in her hammock with a good book.
Jonathan Sides
Operations Manager
After growing up on a llama farm in Virginia, Jonathan earned both his Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees from Virginia Tech. He then married his lovely wife Meghan and whisked her away to North Carolina, and together they have seven lively children to chase around. He enjoys reading, attacking the honey-do list, and volunteering as the official on-call alpaca shearer for the Museum of Life and Science in Durham.
Jonathan has extensive experience investigating residential structural damage, as well as specifying and overseeing structural repairs. Jonathan leads Stonewall’s award-winning customer service team, coordinates our project schedules, and uses his expertise to provide exceptional customer service when clients have questions or require guidance for the next steps after engineering has been completed on their project.
Matt Murphy, PE, CWI
Inspections Division Manager
Matt Murphy is a licensed Professional Engineer and Certified Welding Inspector, bringing a wealth of expertise to the field. He proudly holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University and has extensive experience in investigative engineering services, particularly in the inspection and nondestructive testing of critical infrastructure such as towers, bridges, and dams.
Outside of his professional pursuits, Matt is passionate about supporting the Canes at hockey games and cherishing moments with family at the lake. He also enjoys hitting the slopes for skiing and snowboarding during the winter months. A fun fact about Matt is that during his time at NC State, he showcased his musical talents as a drummer, performing at both football and basketball games!
Libby Palmer
Office Administrator
When you call our office, Libby is one of the helpful people who will answer your call. She brings her customer service expertise to Stonewall’s front desk from previous employment in the restaurant, hospitality, and healthcare industries, and is motivated to provide each of our clients with exceptional customer service and a smooth administrative experience.
Libby grew up on North Carolina’s Outer Banks and earned a degree in International Studies from North Carolina State University. In her free time, she enjoys jogging, yoga, painting, participating in her book club, coaching youth soccer, and playing stringed instruments.
Sarah LaVerdiere
Community Engagement
Over the past decade, Sarah’s role at Stonewall has changed from bookkeeper to accountant to business coach to recruitment researcher to executive assistant to brand ambassador to chief advisor and business development. She and her husband Chuck enjoy the challenging and rewarding nature of operating their small business together and seeing the Stonewall team flourish.
Sarah grew up in the foothills of North Carolina. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Meredith College, then moved to San Diego where she met structural engineer and surfer dude Chuck. The two were married the following year and together moved back to North Carolina where they founded Stonewall Structural Engineering in 2011. They are currently living happily ever after.
Emma Gee
Client Care Specialist
Emma grew up in Advance, North Carolina. She is one of seven children and a proud aunt of four nieces and one nephew. Emma earned a degree in Interpersonal Communication from North Carolina State University as well as a minor in Business Administration. Her education and previous work experiences have equipped her to provide exceptional experiences for our clients, and she admires that Stonewall’s company core values are dedicated to serving others. When not at work, Emma enjoys being outside, going on walks with her husband, decorating her home, and spending time with friends and family.
Summer Barnes
Marketing Specialist
Summer is the driving force behind all our social media presence, event planning, imaging, and overall marketing initiatives. With a rich background in marketing within the construction industry, she brings valuable expertise and innovative ideas to our marketing department. You can often find her capturing pictures of our team or engaging with attendees at sponsored events, showcasing her passion for networking and building relationships.
Summer is from Wilson, NC, and is currently attending the University of North Carolina Pembroke majoring in Marketing. Outside of work, you’ll find Summer enjoying time at the racetrack, out on the boat, or spending quality moments with her fur baby, Tanner.
Pamela Durham
Administrative Assistant
Pam enjoys playing in the handbell choir at her church, playing the piano, and taking long walks. She also loves traveling to her home state of Florida as much as time allows and cheering for her Gators.
Pam holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida, and a Master of Science degree from Florida Atlantic University, both in Electrical Engineering. She began her career at IBM in Boca Raton, Florida as a hardware developer and spent many years there working on Personal Computers and low-end servers in various development, test, project management, and management positions. After IBM, she worked for Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions and then for LexisNexis as a software engineering development manager.
She and her husband were transferred to North Carolina in 1995. They have 2 grown daughters who have since been replaced by 2 rescue dogs.
Harrison Welch, PE
Project Engineer
Harrison grew up in Snow Hill, North Carolina. He’s the son of two math teachers and has always enjoyed solving problems to find exact solutions. His favorite part of working at Stonewall is the opportunity to serve homeowners by deducing the root causes of their structural problems and helping them find the best path to remediate and prevent future structural damage.
Harrison graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer in North Carolina. When not crawling under houses, he enjoys working out, being outside, woodworking, and sharing good food with good friends. His favorite part of every day is coming home to his wife Sara and their daughter.
Jake Blankenship, PE
Project Engineer
Jake Blankenship is a licensed Professional Engineer with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He has extensive experience in structural forensics and building design, working with various construction materials for commercial, residential, industrial, and institutional buildings. In particular, Jake specializes in additions and renovations for schools, churches, residences, and historic sites, helping clients ensure the integrity of their projects.
Recently settling in Wilmington, NC, Jake looks forward to building relationships and expanding services in the local community. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife, cooking from scratch, working on cars, and aims to visit every US National Park, having already explored 12. His blend of professional expertise and personal interests demonstrates his commitment to both engineering excellence and community involvement.
Kelvin O'Gorman, PE
Project Engineer
Kelvin is the only member of the Stonewall team who had a chance of becoming a professional athlete with his ultimate frisbee skills. He and his wife still enjoy playing frisbee and disc golf, hiking, and taking their very energetic pups for long walks. Kelvin is also an avid kombucha brewer and purveyor of scobies.
Kelvin was born and raised in South Africa where he worked as a construction foreman erecting steel buildings before moving to the United States to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Seattle University. After graduating college he and his wife relocated to North Carolina when he joined Stonewall’s Inspections Division. Kelvin’s experience includes performing forensic engineering and analysis of damaged, failed, and underperforming structures, as well as designing civil structures, modifications to existing buildings, and structural repair plans.
Derek Harwood, PE
Project Engineer
Derek is a licensed Professional Engineer and a proud graduate of North Carolina State University. With nearly 30 years of experience in commercial, residential, and industrial projects, he brings a wealth of knowledge to our team and is excited about exploring new engineering opportunities. He looks forward to contributing to the company’s growth while mentoring younger engineers and also learning from them.
Derek currently resides in Raleigh, NC with his wife. He loves spending time with his family and getting involved in community activities at his church. In his free time, he enjoys staying active by exercising, golfing, fishing, and camping.
Adam Cox, PE
Project Engineer
Adam is a dedicated and accomplished Civil Engineer, holding both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University. As a licensed Professional Engineer with over 7 years of experience, Adam specializes in the design of Type III and V wood-framed multifamily structures, as well as building and site retaining walls, and shallow foundations. His expertise also extends to the design of renovations for wood and cold-formed metal framed buildings, showcasing his versatility in the engineering field.
Beyond his professional achievements, Adam is passionate about several activities outside the office. He is a certified scuba diver, enjoys playing Pickleball, and loves water skiing and disc golf. When he’s not engaged in these hobbies, you can find him working in his yard or cheering on the Wolfpack football team.
Nick Piantadosi, EI
Project Engineer
Nick’s favorite part of his work at Stonewall is that every day is different in our Inspections Division. He enjoys playing outdoor sports and woodworking. Nick brings a lot of laughter to the Stonewall team, and he can be easily identified as the engineer wearing the loudest Hawaiian shirt each Friday. He has recently taken up golf, but he doesn’t like it very much.
Nick was raised in Youngsville, NC, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University with a concentration in Structures. He is experienced in performing forensic engineering and analysis of damaged, failed, and underperforming structures, as well as in designing civil structures, modifications to existing buildings, structural repair plans, and deep foundation support plans.
Colson Teal, EI
Project Engineer
Colson was born and raised in the great town of Creedmoor, North Carolina. He is the son of two pharmacists and the brother of a future nurse. He has always loved the challenge of analyzing and solving problems, which is a huge reason he enjoys working for Stonewall’s Inspection Division.
Colson graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with a concentration in structures. When Colson is not inspecting structures, he dabbles in a variety of hobbies including pickleball, chess, and collectible card games.
Will Rogers
Project Engineer
Will grew up in Raleigh and spent his summers in Wilmington. He loves surfing and chose to attend UNC Wilmington for their one-of-a-kind Coastal Engineering program, and the school’s proximity to Wrightsville Beach. Will played lacrosse and soccer, and coaches boys lacrosse in his community. When Will isn’t surfing or at work he can be found spending time with his dog and cats.
Will’s favorite parts of working at Stonewall are being able to get out of the office to solve problems for homeowners and using his coastal engineering education to make a difference in the company’s Wilmington office.
Chris Garner
BIM Specialist
Chris is a graduate of Catawba Valley Community College and brings nearly 30 years of expertise in structural drafting to the Stonewall team. Throughout his career, he has worked on diverse projects across commercial, industrial, hospitality, healthcare, education, cold-formed metal framing, and specialty foundations. Chris’s drafting journey began with T-squares and parallel bars, and he has successfully adapted to advancements in technology, including AutoCAD and Revit/BIM modeling, which have greatly enhanced design team collaboration. He understands the importance of building strong relationships with clients and team members alike.
Outside of work, Chris is an avid bowler and enjoys staying active through pickleball, fishing, and Carolina Beach Shagging. He is a passionate foodie who loves traveling to explore new places and experience great cuisine. Chris has dedicated nearly 20 years to serving his community as a Firefighter, Rescue Technician, and Emergency Medical Technician. He looks forward to sharing his love for the outdoors and active lifestyle with his first grandson.
Stonewall Structural Engineering Reviews
"Chuck and the team are absolutely great to work with! They are timely, thorough, and gave us an engineering report that was top notch."
- Derek E
"These guys are top notch. They came out quickly to assess our home, gave a prompt letter, and then answered lots of questions afterwards."
- Courtney V
"I just completed a foundation assessment and associated repair sign-off with Charles LaVerdiere of Stonewall Structural Engineering. I am very pleased with their professionalism and attention to detail."
- John M
Stonewall Structural Engineering, PLLC
9203 Baileywick Road
Suite 200
Raleigh, NC 27615
