Craig Schuh, PE, one of Ayres’ engineering services managers, will oversee Cooper and looks forward to supporting growth in the multidisciplinary firm’s service offerings in North Carolina.

With Cooper’s decades of private and public sector contacts and the parade of RFPs coming out of North Carolina, Schuh sees a lot of potential there. “Development has been occurring at a furious pace, creating a lot of engineering needs,” he said of the municipal entities in the state.

Cooper also is working closely with Binoy Panicker, AICP, senior director of planning and infrastructure in North Carolina, and Joey Fuller, PLS, supervisor/land surveyor in North Carolina, to bring Ayres’ many services to his local connections.

“Entering and expanding within a competitive market requires building trust, developing strong relationships, and creating a reputation for delivering high-quality work and excellent client service,” said Cooper, a North Carolina native. “I’m excited about the challenge of helping lead that effort and building something that has a lasting impact for both Ayres and the communities we serve.”

“Douglas is very excited to pursue work in both markets he’s experienced in – private development and municipal,” Schuh said. “With his dual experience leading both operations and growth, he is the right person to set us up for success in North Carolina.”

Ayres’ deep bench of municipal and site civil staff will provide support to Cooper as he takes on projects with developers and municipalities. As growth results, the North Carolina-based municipal staffing is expected to increase, and Cooper has the mentoring and leadership experience to lead that expansion.

Besides Cooper, Ayres has 14 additional North Carolina registered professional engineers to support private development and municipal efforts, including municipal, structural, and transportation engineers. Also available to assist on projects are North Carolina registered professionals in electrical, mechanical, water resources, geotechnical, hydraulic, and environmental engineering; survey; geology; and landscape architecture.

Over the past 27 years, Cooper has worked on projects including site development, stormwater management, utilities, roadway design, permitting, and construction administration.

“In addition to technical experience, a large portion of my career has involved building relationships with developers, municipalities, review agencies, and industry partners throughout the region,” Cooper said.

Cooper has overseen delivery of complex residential, mixed-use, and commercial projects, and he has cultivated relationships with national and regional builders, education clients, and the energy sector.

Cooper is a registered professional engineer and a registered professional land surveyor in North Carolina and completed the Professional Engineers of North Carolina Leadership Institute and its mentor program. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology in civil engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and an associate’s degree in civil engineering technology and surveying technology from Sandhills Community College. He is a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, the American Public Works Association, and the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County.