James B. Echard, P.E.
President, BAI Group
Jim Echard, P.E., brings more than 30 years of leadership and technical expertise in solid waste management, landfill engineering, environmental permitting, and renewables development. As President of BAI Group, he combines deep regulatory knowledge with practical experience in the design, construction, and operation of municipal, construction/demolition, and industrial waste facilities. Echard’s career spans the full life cycle of waste infrastructure — from master planning and due diligence to permitting and beneficial reuse innovation. His hands-on approach and proven record working with national waste corporations, energy providers, public authorities, school districts, and private industry have established BAI’s reputation for precision, reliability, and technical excellence. Echard continues to guide BAI’s mission of delivering sustainable, efficient, data-informed solutions across waste management, renewable energy, and environmental compliance.
John Oliver Smith, P.E., BCEE
Director of Operations, BAI Group
John Oliver Smith, P.E., BCEE, is Director of Operations at BAI Group and a Board-Certified Environmental Engineer with over 30 years of experience in civil and environmental infrastructure. He has led major municipal programs for DC Water, Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County, and the U.S. Department of Defense, focusing on water, wastewater, and corrosion-control systems. Smith’s work combines technical precision with practical leadership, guiding projects from planning through operations in both domestic and international settings. His experience spans landfill design, solid waste management, and sustainable infrastructure development across the U.S. and abroad. At BAI, he also advances the responsible use of AI tools to enhance engineering efficiency and decision-making. His technical range spans landfill and wastewater design, corrosion control, and sustainable systems planning across the U.S., Asia, and South America.
Sel Edor
General Manager of Renewables
As General Manager of Renewables at BAI Group, Sel Edor leads the company’s solar and renewable energy initiatives for municipalities, businesses, and public authorities. His role bridges strategy, operations, and stakeholder collaboration — advancing projects that combine clean energy innovation with long-term economic performance. Edor oversees all aspects of project delivery, from feasibility assessments and financing to construction and operations. He works closely with investors, regulatory bodies, and community leaders to ensure each renewable project aligns with environmental goals and fiscal responsibility. Through his leadership, BAI’s Renewables Division continues to expand its impact in the transition to resilient, low-carbon energy systems.
Karen Finlan
Senior Environmental Consultant & Office Manager, BAI Group
With nearly four decades of environmental consulting experience, Karen Finlan serves as both Senior Environmental Consultant and Office Manager at BAI Group. Her expertise encompasses environmental permitting, site assessment, remediation, and waste management, with specialized experience in landfill design, construction oversight, and regulatory coordination. Finlan is known for her ability to guide complex permitting efforts and facilitate community engagement on sensitive environmental issues. Her integrated approach — combining technical rigor, operational insight, and public communication — exemplifies BAI’s commitment to environmentally responsible project delivery and regulatory trust.
Davar Ardalan
Director of AI Integration, BAI Group
Davar Ardalan is Director of AI Integration at BAI Group, where she leads efforts to embed responsible, transparent, and human-centered artificial intelligence across environmental and civil engineering practice. Drawing on her experience as a former Deputy Director of the White House Presidential Innovation Fellows Program and AI Strategist at Booz Allen Hamilton, Ardalan designs governance frameworks and training that empower engineers to use AI ethically and effectively. Recognized on the 2025 Voice 100 list for pioneering contributions to conversational AI, Ardalan bridges technology and storytelling to help engineers integrate ethical, data-driven tools into complex, real-world workflows. A recognized thought leader in applied AI, Ardalan is the author of AI for Community: Preserving Culture and Tradition (Taylor & Francis, 2025) and a featured speaker at international AI and engineering forums.
Steven Harshbarger
CADD Manager, BAI Group
For nearly four decades, Steven Harshbarger has served as BAI Group’s CADD Manager, combining deep technical expertise with hands-on field experience. He manages AutoCAD systems, develops drafting standards, and provides training and support that enhance design precision across the firm. Harshbarger’s background in landfill and solid waste design, corridor transmission, facilities, and many other co-offerings — from municipal to private to industrial facilities — informs his approach to both design innovation and construction quality assurance. Further, having the practical hands-on experience of inspecting over 10 million square feet of geomembrane liner and cap systems across Pennsylvania, he exemplifies BAI’s commitment to scientific accuracy, experienced, field-tested engineering, and continual improvement in environmental design systems.