Executive Leadership

James S. Downie

President

Jim has more than 30 years of UVM experience and is the president of ECI. He provides corporate leadership for ECI, including oversight of all field operations for the Consulting, Total Management, Field and Technology Services (geospatial work management systems integrations and unmanned aerial system (UAS) utilization).

Previously, as Executive Vice President, Jim provided leadership in areas of ECI’s corporate strategy, expanded service development, program oversight, technology and strategic executive consulting services in relation to wildfire prevention, UAS application development and vegetation management program improvement.

Prior to joining ECI, Jim served as the Director of Vegetation Management & Ancillary Programs (wood pole maintenance and other facility inspections) of a large investor-owned utility serving eight western and mid-western states. Over his 24-year career there, he established and maintained a collaborative strategic sourcing initiative for contractor relationships focused on continuous improvement, resolving workforce turnover issues and improving worker/public safety, productivity and electric service reliability. He is also recognized as an innovation leader in the leveraging of technology (geospatial analysis, LiDAR, high resolution imagery, work management software) for management of bark beetle epidemics, state-wide wildfire prevention/protection and FAC-003 compliance.

Jim has been active in several industry organizations, including serving as president of the Utility Arborist Association and program chair for the Rights-of-Way Symposium (ROW 12).

Jim holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, minor in Environmental Science from Hartwick College and is an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist and Utility Specialist.

Charles G. Anderson

Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer

Chuck leads the firm’s efforts to achieve higher levels of operational excellence while continuing to ensure best-in-class service to ECI customers. In addition, Mr. Anderson provides executive level consulting services with focus on helping customers develop strategies and programs to more effectively leverage remote sensing, including Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), geospatial and software technologies to solve their vegetation and asset management related challenges. 

Prior to joining ECI, Chuck was the General Manager of North American Utilities at GeoDigital International Inc., a leader in 3D mapping services and geospatial intelligence software. Before being acquired by GeoDigital, Mr. Anderson was the Vice President of EcoMarket Development at ImageTree - a LiDAR based remote sensing and analytics firm. Chuck was also a Senior Marketing Manager of the U.S. Forestry Market, at chemical firm BASF Corporation and National Director of Sales at ForestExpress, a forest products e-commerce firm. Chuck also worked 10 years in various roles as a field forester, forest manager and procurement analyst in Florida and North Carolina with forest products giant Georgia-Pacific Corporation.  

Mr. Anderson is a board member of the Utility Arborist Association (UAA), has a Bachelor’s Degree in Forestry from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point and an MBA from Duke University. 

Ryan A. Brockbank

Chief Operating Officer

Ryan Brockbank is responsible for the oversight and direction of ECI’s field operations, leading one of the nation’s largest groups of professionals involved in assisting utilities to successfully manage their infrastructure and natural resources. Ryan has nearly 25 years of experience in the areas of utility vegetation management consulting, environmental consulting, and professional contract personnel oversight and management at some of the largest North American IOUs. Ryan has expertise in the areas of safety, leadership, training, productivity, quality control, customer service, regulatory compliance and fire risk management.

Over the years, Mr. Brockbank has worked on various pipeline and electric utility vegetation management projects including distribution line clearance studies, transmission ROW and IVM studies, environmental impact studies, quality assurance management services, project management, and industry research projects. Ryan is a past Director of the Utility Arborist Association (UAA), author of the UAA’s IVM on Pipeline ROW Best Management Practices Addendum and is also a co-author of the ISA’s Utility Specialist Certification Study Guide.  

Ryan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Utah, a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management from the University of San Francisco and is an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist. 

Scott R. Rogers

Senior Vice President, Technology Integration

Scott provides executive level consulting services to assist customers as they develop strategies to deploy advanced technologies including remote sensing for vegetation and asset management, geospatial software applications, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and others. 

Scott has over 30 years of experience in operations and technology sectors, specifically within the utilities industry. Mr. Rogers is a hands-on leader, providing leadership and support to Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Corporate Development. Mr. Rogers has a successful track record of applying his deep utility experience to establish creative, risk-balanced strategies for process optimization that result in strong financial returns and improved customer satisfaction.

Prior to joining ECI, Scott was Senior Vice President of Product Management and Strategy at GeoDigital, a leader in 3D services and geospatial intelligence software. Prior to GeoDigital, Scott was CEO of Powel Incorporated, a developer of mobile work management software for engineering and vegetation management. Prior to Powel, Scott was a 20-year veteran of Allegheny Energy, where he held roles in Engineering and IT.

Scott graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering.  Scott is a 13-year member of the DistribuTECH advisory committee. 

Heather A. Amaral

Director, Human Resources

Heather oversees all aspects of ECI’s human resources department, including employee engagement and development, performance feedback and talent acquisition. Heather leads a dynamic team of recruiting professionals with extensive experience staffing contract personnel in the utility and gas pipeline industries.

In addition to earning a degree in Psychology with an emphasis in organizational development, Heather is a certified member of the Human Resource Certification Institute.

Douglas J. LeRoy

Vice President, Contract Strategy & Operational Performance

Doug is responsible for ECI contract and employee support services. Our staff supports the contractual terms and conditions between ECI and our utility clients. These services include invoicing, insurance, risk management, and other contractual requirements. We support all ECI employees by processing payroll and all associated benefit programs that are offered to our staff. We also support our Regional Account Managers to assist clients and employees assigned to contracts within their regions.   

Mr. LeRoy has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Clarkson University and a MBA with a concentration in Finance from Monmouth University. Mr. LeRoy has over 24 years of experience with ECI with previous roles as Controller and Treasurer with ECI before assuming his current responsibilities.