Ring & Du’s Lighting Group is happy to have Elizabeth Basten on board as an intern for the summer. Elizabeth, who will be a senior at UW-Stevens Point in fall, is majoring in Interior Architecture with an Art minor. She’s highly interested in both the technical and aesthetic functions of light and will be exposed to both in the position.
Welcome, Elizabeth!
Ring & DuChateau has welcomed three new interns for the summer.
Alexander Kurzeja, who has completed his sophomore year at Milwaukee School of Engineering, will work with the Electrical group. He is pursuing an Electrical Engineering degree and brings AutoCAD and Revit experience to the internship.
Jayda Nelson has completed her sophomore year in Architectural Engineering at MSOE. She’ll spend the first half of the summer with Ring & Du’s Plumbing/Fire Protection group, then transfer to the HVAC department for the remainder of the summer.
Tom O’Byrne will apply his interest in thermal dynamics, boiler and chiller plants and process piping to his internship with Ring & DuChateau’s Utility group. He will begin his junior year in the Aerospace Engineering program at Notre Dame University in fall.
Additionally, 2024 interns Roland Gutknecht and Nick Heling continue in their roles with Ring & DuChateau’s HVAC department.
We’re glad to have all of our interns on board!
We are happy to announce the promotion of Mike Hoadley, R.D. Ruffin and T.J. Smith to Partners at Ring & DuChateau. We believe that the success of our company lies with our people, a team of 100 engineers, designers, managers, support staff, interns and partners. Together, we are bonded by strong culture of community, hard work, strong ethics and a drive to succeed. These three individuals are a key part of that culture, showing tremendous leadership capabilities on behalf of Ring & DuChateau both in developing our current client relationships and fostering new ones. We count on them to continue to do so in their new leadership roles.
Congratulations!
Ring & DuChateau Lighting Designer Teresa Haas and Partner/Lighting Group Manager Holly Blomquist were honored with the Illuminating Engineering Society-Milwaukee Section’s 2025 Edwin F. Guth Award for Interior Lighting Design for their work on the 125,000 sf Potawatomi Casino Renovation.
Each space within the casino was treated with a unique lighting approach to reinforce specific purpose and atmosphere, creating special moments within each space. Working closely with the architectural design team, a lighting experience was seamlessly integrated into the casino’s environment, adding depth, warmth, and drama across each area with layers of lighting. Surveying and updating the lighting controls within a tight timeline made for a challenging, but ultimately extremely successful lighting design solution.
Additionally, Teresa’s lighting design work on the project was recognized with a 2025 DMF Design Award, earning third place in the lighting manufacturer’s annual industry award. The $2,500 award was donated to local charities, Journey 21 ($2,000) and Zachariah’s Acres ($500), organizations chosen by Teresa’s children.
Congratulations to our lighting designers!
Ring & DuChateau was not only named a top workplace for the 11th time, but for 2025 was ranked 10th in the small business category for this year’s Top Workplace awards.
“We are humbled and grateful for the honor you’ve given us by recognizing our ongoing efforts to make Ring & Du the best that we can be,” Ring & DuChateau President Mike McGann told employees. “This honor reflects the amazing work culture we’ve built together.”
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Top Workplace list of outstanding businesses measures qualities such as company leadership, career opportunities, workplace flexibility, compensation, benefits, and the impact company policies have on innovation and morale. The results reported are based entirely upon employee input made about the organization. Employers only receive the Top Workplace recognition when their employee benchmark exceeds national benchmarks. This year’s survey responses were from more than 80,000 Milwaukee area employees including all categories.
Ring & DuChateau Staff sharing Top Workplace Award (from left): HR Director Brenda Barker, Partner Steve Shibilski, Accounting Manager Rachel Kozak, Partner R.D. Ruffin, Partner Dave Guberud, Partner Holly Blomquist, President Mike McGann and Associate Justin Cosgrove.
Ring & DuChateau staff smashed United Way Diaper Drive goals by donating a total of 5,618 diapers and 10,718 wipes to benefit families with young children in the Milwaukee area. The two-week diaper drive was structured as a friendly competition between Electrical, HVAC, and combined Administration/Plumbing/Commissioning teams, which drove great results. According to United Way representatives, Ring & Du’s drive was the largest donation they’ve received from any organization in over a year!
Way to go Ring & Du team!
Matt Biwer has joined Ring & DuChateau’s electrical team as an intern. Matt is currently studying at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) and is set to graduate in May 2025 with a Master of Science in Architectural Engineering. He passed his FE exam in April 2024 and brings hands-on experience from previous internships. He is active with Engineers Without Borders as a PMEL Officer, creating project documents and helping coordinate student trips to Guatemala.
Welcome, Matt!
HVAC Project Engineer Laura Toepfer and Electrical Senior Project Engineers Max Bartelme and Chris Endicott are now able to add a “D.E.” after their names since earning their Wisconsin Designer of Engineering Systems Certificates! The certification requires seven years of approved experience in specialized engineering design work, up to four of which may be equivalent academic training or apprenticeship, plus professional recommendations or passing an exam specific to engineering design discipline.
Congratulations Laura, Max and Chris!
Shane Copsey has joined the Ring & DuChateau team as a BIM Content Manager. He brings to the new position more than 19 years of systems design experience, most recently as BIM department manager for a consulting engineering firm in Colorado. Shane holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Colorado School of Mines. He will be responsible for the creation and management of Revit content, as well as cross-disciplinary training to optimize workflow and enhance project efficiency and delivery.
Welcome, Shane!
Andy Harrah has joined Ring & DuChateau’s commissioning team in Madison. He brings to the position nearly three decades of industry experience, most recently as building project automation manager with large mechanical contractors. With Andy on the team, Ring & DuChateau now has 10 commissioning providers to serve clients in Wisconsin and beyond.
Welcome to the team, Andy!
