Quandel Consultants Names Three Senior Directors
National Planning and Engineering Firm Promotes Longtime Employees
CHICAGO – Chicago rail and transit firm Quandel Consultants has elevated three employees to the role of Senior Director – Daniel Schulte, Melanie Johnson and Laura Quandel.
Quandel Consultants, Inc. is an employee-owned company, planning and engineering the nation’s transportation systems, with a legacy in high speed and intercity passenger rail and a passion for sustainable mobility.
As Senior Directors, Schulte, Johnson and Quandel will contribute to the firm with a focus on operational efficiency, project oversight, client relationships, staff development, and branding and market research. Quandel Consultants is a company of 32 employees and consultants, with eight offices across the U.S.
“Our Senior Directors have worked together for many years,” said Charles Quandel, CEO of Quandel Consultants. “Their unique and complementary talents are a tremendous part of our current success and will play a significant role in our future.”
The Senior Directors
Daniel Schulte, P.E. 
Melanie Johnson, PE 
Laura Quandel, MBA
Daniel Schulte, P.E., Senior Director of Engineering, brings more than 18 years of experience on transportation engineering and construction projects. After six years of structural engineering experience at other firms, Schulte joined Quandel for the opportunity to focus his career on the railroad industry. He is proud to be a leader in this organization with 12 years of experience in track and civil design and project management primarily on intercity passenger rail projects. Schulte serves as the project manager for Quandel’s contract with Michigan DOT Office of Rail for the implementation of its accelerated rail improvement program between Dearborn and Kalamazoo and is the engineering team lead for the Illinois DOT Chicago to Quad Cities Passenger Rail project. He values collaboration and building lasting relationships with coworkers, clients and stakeholders. Schulte is registered as a professional engineer in Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Melanie Johnson, P.E., Senior Director of Planning, has worked as an engineer and planner in the transportation industry for 16 years, dedicating the past 11 years of her career to the high-speed intercity passenger rail field. Since joining Quandel in 2009, Johnson has advanced environmental planning and engineering on intercity passenger rail corridor projects in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Colorado, working with State DOTs and the Federal Railroad Administration. Enthusiasm and collaboration are what drew Johnson to the rail industry 11 years ago, and the people, projects and challenges have kept her excited about coming to work every day since. Working for Quandel has afforded her the opportunity to fulfill her passion for transportation issues and work with the “movers and shakers” in the passenger rail industry. In 2019, Johnson was recognized by Railway Age as one of their “Fast Trackers – 10 Under 40” industry stars. Johnson is registered as a professional engineer in Illinois, Colorado, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Laura Quandel, MBA, Senior Director of Marketing, guides branding, communications and market research for Quandel Consultants. Quandel earned her MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and is an active member of the American Marketing Association. She has worked for the firm for 10 years and also spent three years working in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia where she experienced world-class rail transportation and discovered how an efficient transportation system plays a vital role in the quality of people’s lives. The idea of ‘better movement of people and goods’ is what keeps Quandel passionate about her work, and she is grateful to work alongside industry leaders building a stronger transportation network in the United States.
About Quandel Consultants
Quandel Consultants plans and designs the nation’s transportation systems, with a legacy in high speed and intercity passenger rail and a passion for sustainable mobility. Services provided by Quandel Consultants include program management, engineering, planning, operations analysis, construction management, rail transit, highways, and highway bridges. Quandel Consultants has completed work for Departments of Transportation across the U.S., including Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Florida.
Anitra Schulte
anitra@strategy.ink
* * *