Advisory Council
Jack is also an Adjunct and Research Professor at University College and the Daniel’s School of Business at the University of Denver. Jack’s research focus is on the development of the 21st century supply chain system that will revolutionize the economy and society, and how supply chain systems will lead to a new definition of sustainability that will enable both environmental innovation and private enterprise profitability.
In his professional role, Jack has served on numerous supply chain professional boards, and has written for professional periodicals and spoken at industry events. In 2010, Jack obtained a Ph.D. in Industrial Marketing/Supply Chain Management at the Lulea University of Technology in Lulea Sweden. Afterwards, Jack was a post-doctoral fellow at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, Jack is currently in the process of publishing a book regarding how supply chain will address the global challenges of plastic waste and impact to human health, and has published 5 books on topics of economics, outsourcing, management and environmental sustainability. In 2017, Jack’s research won two international awards, and his team is developing important public service projects in the U.S. and Africa.
Jack is happily married with two teenage daughters and enjoys running in his spare time.
Rick has more than 35 years integrating processes and technology into business operations. He is able to accurately define the scope of a project or problem, understand business workflows and financials, and simplify complex concepts for presentation to non-technical people. He is adept at the recovery of failing projects.
Rick began his career at NASA’s Johnson Space Center testing flight-ready avionics for the first five Space Shuttle flights. Most recently he has run his own Operations and Technology consultancy for 18 years. His clients have included a 368-bed acute care hospital, a 548,000 sq ft convention center, a 22,000 member labor union, advertising agencies, law firms, commercial property managers, and more.
Rick has too many interests outside of work to list from flying to sailing, cooking, and biking.
Most importantly, Rick is the proud father of his daughter, Irene.
In Loving Memory
Prior to joining CH2M HILL, Mr. Ahearn had a distinguished military career spanning three decades, where he achieved the rank of Major General in the U.S. Air Force. During his 34 years of service, General Ahearn served in program manager assignments for deploying the Atlas, Titan and Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile systems throughout the US and the ground launched cruise missile systems throughout Europe. In Vietnam he commanded a combat engineering and construction squadron responsible for building and operating US air bases in Southeast Asia. As the senior Air Force Civil Engineer in Europe he directed the US Air Force and NATO airbase expansion program that contributed air and space power to end the Cold War. His duties in the Pentagon included shaping financial strategy, developing budgets, acquiring congressional authority and funding, and executing infrastructure programs totaling more than $7 billion annually for 154 air bases around the globe.
As the Senior Air Force Civil Engineer he also directed the readiness programs for military operations and natural disaster response of U.S. Air Force combat engineers.
Dedicated to advancing engineering education and providing sustainable systems and services in developing countries, he is a founding sponsor and governing board director of Engineers Without Borders U.S.A., a 19,000 member force for good Committed to strengthening the engineering profession, he is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineers (NAE), the President of the National Academy of Construction (NAC), a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) a member of ASCE’s Industry Leaders Council (ILC), and the past national president of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). In 2013 Notre Dame University appointed him to its College of Engineering Advisory Council.
Being a resident of the Denver Colorado region since 1997, he is committed to educating the next generation of Colorado’s leaders and actively engaged as a lecturer, advisor, and Board member of the business, engineering, and humanities colleges of Colorado’s finest
universities.
In addition to numerous military awards, the Air Force’s Noncommissioned Officer Corps bestowed its highest honor, the Air Force Order of the Sword, to General Ahearn for his exceptional caring, commitment, and service to the enlisted force. Other recognition includes the University of Notre Dame College of Engineering Honor Award for professional achievement, the Newman Medal from the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) for outstanding military engineering achievement in Europe. He was named an Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architects, received the SAME Golden Eagle award for lifetime achievement, the recipient of the 2010 ASCE Opal Award for lifetime achievement, recognized by the Construction Industry Institute with their 2012 Dunn Award for lifetime achievement, and honored by the National Academy of Construction with their 2017 Kennedy Award for lifetime achievement.
Education
M.S., Engineering Administration, Syracuse University, 1967
B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Notre Dame, 1958
Industrial College of the Armed Services, 1979
National Security Policy, Advanced Management Program, Harvard University, 1988
Professional Registration
Professional Engineer: Massachusetts #19876MA