Initiation      -      Planning       -      Execution      -      Control      -      Closure

       280 MW Mojave Solar Project - Lead Planner and Scheduler

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PictureSteve Vergara MBA, PMP, PSP
​​​​PROJECT CONTROLS PROFESSIONAL
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS​
Civil Engineering Degree
Project Engineer
MBA Degree- Project Management
Lead Planner / Scheduler
PMP, PSP Certifications
 Project Controls Manager           
                                                           Area Lead                                                                 
                                                       Department Manager                                                           
                                                                       AACE Arizona Section President                                                                        ​College Adjunct Professor 
            Technical Director, Project Controls                                                                                       

CAREER TIMELINE
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​EXPERIENCE – PROJECT CONTROLS PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
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 Mr. Vergara brings 25+ years supporting complex, publicly funded infrastructure programs, with a strong emphasis on:
  • Owner-side project controls and program governance
  • Construction-informed CPM scheduling, forecasting, and recovery planning
  • Interface management across multiple contracts, agencies, and third parties
  • Executive-ready reporting to support timely owner decisions

Valley Metro Light Rail – Initial Operating Segment, Phoenix, AZ
Program value: ~$1.4B
Served as Project Engineer supporting roadway, right‑of‑way, and utility coordination on a major urban rail program. Responsibilities included development of right‑of‑way plans, support of ROW acquisition (temporary and permanent easements), and extensive coordination of utility relocations beneath active roadways to accommodate rail installation. The work required continuous engagement with multiple utility owners, designers, and City stakeholders as design matured. Phased construction, maintenance of traffic and business access, and evolving third‑party constraints required disciplined coordination, risk awareness, and proactive issue resolution.

RTD West Corridor Light Rail Transit, Denver, CO
Program value: ~$700–750M
Supported design and delivery of a 12.1‑mile light rail expansion program, coordinating across roadway, rail, landscape, and utility disciplines. The role required integration of design development with anticipated construction sequencing and stakeholder agency requirements. Experience on this program strengthened Mr. Vergara’s understanding of public‑sector delivery, interface management, and the importance of clear, defensible reporting to support informed owner decision‑making.

Abengoa Solar – Mojave CSP (280 MW), California
Program value: ~$1.6B
Served as Lead Planner/Scheduler with a strong focus on construction‑phase execution and recovery planning for a first‑of‑a‑kind facility. Supported field construction through detailed EPC CPM schedules integrating construction, startup, and commissioning. The project encountered vendor delays and environmental constraints, including protected species restrictions that directly affected access, work windows, and productivity. These conditions required frequent resequencing, revised work strategies, and close coordination with construction management, procurement, and environmental teams.

Bechtel – California Valley Solar Ranch (CVSR), 250 MW PV, California
Program value: ~$2B
Supported large‑scale field construction execution as Lead Planner/Scheduler, working closely with construction leadership on detailed schedules, production curves, and short‑interval planning. Managed construction‑driven challenges including material availability, vendor performance, and environmental compliance constraints. Provided schedule analysis and mitigation strategies to support recovery efforts and maintain transparency with project leadership—key skills for on‑call program controls support where conditions vary by segment and contract.

APS – TSMC Semiconductor Manufacturing Infrastructure, Phoenix, AZ
Program value: Multi‑billion‑dollar campus supported by APS high‑voltage transmission and substation infrastructure valued in the high hundreds of millions of dollars
Currently serving as Lead Project Controls Manager supporting fast‑tracked, mission‑critical infrastructure delivered through multiple parallel design and construction packages. Responsibilities include milestone governance, re‑baselining, recovery scenario planning, and executive‑level reporting. The work demands strong interface management across owner, EPC contractors, and regulators, with phased energization requirements.

APS – Sun Valley to Morgan 500 kV Transmission Line, AZ
Program value: Several hundred million dollars
Provided integrated schedule management, forecasting, and contractor coordination as part of the design team. Construction contractors were intentionally engaged early in design, improving constructability, sequencing, and early risk identification. Frequent communication with the client regarding costs, schedule status, and anticipated risks proved invaluable, contributing to successful on‑time and on‑budget delivery.


EXPERIENCE – TRANSPORTATION DESIGN & CORRIDOR ALIGNMENT

Kittitas Valley Wind Power Project – Kittitas County, WA
Program value: ~$300–400M
Served as Design Task Leader for a 65‑turbine wind energy facility, responsible for the design of site delivery access roads, crane travel roads, turbine pad access, and county road upgrades. Work required development of horizontal and vertical alignments across constrained terrain to accommodate oversized and heavy construction loads, tight turning radii, grade limitations, and phased construction access. Alignment decisions were closely coordinated with turbine layout, grading limits, drainage, and environmental constraints. This experience directly aligns with  access road planning, temporary haul routes, and constructability review within constrained corridors.


Pinetree Wind Power Project – Kern County, CA
Program value: ~$500–700M
Supported roadway and grading design for an 80‑turbine wind farm, including development of horizontal and vertical alignments for permanent and construction access roads. The work required balancing earthwork efficiency, constructability, and long‑term operations while working within California permitting and environmental review frameworks. Experience gained on this project is directly applicable to CHSR corridor development, where early alignment decisions must account for constructability, environmental constraints, and long‑term maintenance access.


State Route 161 Widening (Milton–Edgewood) – Washington State DOT
Construction value: ~$150–250M
Served as Design Engineer on a multi‑year state highway widening project expanding an existing corridor from three lanes to five lanes. Responsibilities included development of horizontal and vertical alignments within constrained right‑of‑way, preparation of Plan for Approval (PFA) submittals, identification of new right‑of‑way requirements, and coordination with utilities and agency reviewers. The project required staged reviews, formal approvals, and adherence to public‑agency design standards—experience directly relevant to CHSR’s phased design packages, third‑party reviews, and governance processes.