Cecil Consulting

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Construction Executive · Consultant

J. Michael Cecil

President of Cecil Consulting. Four decades delivering heavy civil and water/wastewater projects — value engineering, constructability, Level II–V estimates, and expert witness services.
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45

Years Of Experience

600

Acre tobacco farm

7206

Maryland State

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Employment History

J. Michael Cecil brings over four decades of progressive leadership in construction, mechanical, and water/wastewater infrastructure.

Cecil Consulting

President

June 2025 to present
I provide consulting services for private and governmental agencies and Engineering firms for value engineering, constructability, and Levels II – V estimates. I compare contractor and engineer estimates to provide the Owners’ assurance that their estimates are accurate. I also provide expert witness advice for construction contracts, especially in the realm of heavy civil and water/wastewater projects.
Bluejacket Industries Materials
2023-2025
This was a startup for a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business providing goods and services to various Federal and State Agencies. My partner and I started this from scratch and in two years reached nearly $3 million in revenue. I recently sold my shares. Services we provide include: Duct Cleaning at Hospitals, Prisons and various governmental facilities. Plumbing and HVAC at Veterans Hospitals in Baltimore and Washington, DC – Calibration gases for the Defense Logistics Agency. And lastly, Roofing for government buildings.
PC Construction Company

2022 – 2023

My former employer, PC Construction, approached me to start a new division in the mid-Atlantic region, titled ‘Special Projects’. My sales goal was $2 million per year. The Special Projects Division focuses on projects that are relatively low in value but have high margins. Project sizes range from $10,000 to $1 million, with profit margins double or triple those of other projects within the company’s divisions. After six months, I brought in over $50 million worth of projects. They told me to stop, as they could not support the amount of work I was bringing in and did not have the resources to complete all the work and deliver the projects. It was then that I began working for Bluejacket as a 49% partner. I did extensive estimating using spreadsheets I have developed, as well as using the R.E. MEANS catalog and website edition of estimating takeoffs.
American Contracting & Environmental Services, Inc.

Alternative Delivery Leader

ACE 2017 – 2022

Position: Director of Business Development and Project Director With ACE, my mission was to introduce alternative delivery projects, such as design-build and CMAR. During my four-year tenure, I generated $100 million in business for the firm and played a key role in increasing its annual revenue from $36 million to $76 million. I was, in a large way, solely responsible for winning several projects worth up to $24 million in value. Further, I instituted an entire task-order group and was awarded this type of contract for several regional Owners, including Charles County, Cecil County, DC Water, Alexandria, Fairfax County, Somerset County, and others. For ACE, I was the sole writer of proposals, attended various regional trade shows/conferences, published multiple articles and technical papers in local and national publications, and presented papers at several conferences to garner good public recognition for the firm, as well as estimating the costs of projects in the conceptual and detailed design stages. Lastly, I mentored several young engineers to help them understand the world of alternative delivery, as well as collaborate with estimators on conceptual estimating —a concept none of them were familiar with before my arrival.
Haskell

Water/Wastewater Group

2015 – 2017

Project Director My position as a Project Director involved identifying potential projects, developing relationships with Owners and potential Engineering partners, and developing strategies for responding to RFQs and RFPs. A crucial part of my role was to oversee and coordinate a team of estimators, schedulers, project managers, and superintendents with whom I worked closely during the preconstruction and construction phases of projects. The role was considered a ‘seller-doer’ in that my relationships with the Owners and the entire project team remained intact during all project phases, albeit in separate roles depending upon the stage of the project.
PC Construction Company

Water/Wastewater Group

2010 to 2015
Director of Business Development – Water Group Supported the company’s marketing and sales activities in the water segment. Specifically, I was responsible for obtaining new strategic work by maintaining contacts with potential clients, developing relationships, and formulating win strategies for integrated delivery proposals. During a 5-year period, the dollar value of awards for design-build and CMAR projects awarded on proposals I developed or assisted with was nearly $900 million. I consider my greatest success during this tenure with developing and eventually being awarded a $78 million unsolicited proposal in the Commonwealth of Virginia for the Hopewell WWTP.
Black & Veatch

Design/Build Group, Kansas City, MO

2006 to 2010
Project Manager – EPC Group Responsibilities included reviewing water and wastewater treatment projects for constructability, value engineering, cost controls, and estimate reviews. Some examples included a review of large diameter piping installation issues at a WWTP in California; constructability and sequencing review for the upgrade of the 200 mgd Denver, Colorado WWTP; constructability review for a large diameter piping installation in Delaware; construction sequencing review for the Humber WWTP in Ontario, Canada; and constructability and VE review for a new MBBR plant in Florida. I served as Construction Manager for a Phosphorous Adsorption Pilot Plant at the Lawrence WWTP in Kansas.
Complex Plant Expansion Specialist

Major Water & Wastewater Infrastructure Leadership

During this period, Mike led and delivered large-scale water and wastewater treatment projects across the U.S. and internationally, managing contracts up to $150 million. Serving in roles from Foreman to Project Manager and Mechanical Superintendent, he oversaw complex plant expansions, shutdowns, upgrades, and commissioning—consistently completing projects safely, on schedule, and without service interruptions.

Pizzagalli Construction
Position: Project Manager

2000 to 2006

Mattawoman WWTP BNR Upgrade, La Plata, MD

Contract Value: $26 million

This expansion included several new clarifiers, converting existing aeration basins to BNR, rehabilitation of existing aerobic digesters and belt filter presses, new chemical feed systems, converting chlorine disinfection to UV, and replacement of existing electrical feeders, and replacement of the existing MCCs for the influent pumps. There were several full-plant shutdowns and bypasses around facilities to accommodate the transitions necessary for the new process train, disinfection, headworks’ MCC, and electrical feeder replacement. During these shutdowns/bypasses, there was no interruption of service or permit violations.

McAlpine WWMF Biosolids Upgrade, Pineville, NC

Contract Value: $13 million

Biosolids Management Improvements: The improvements to this 64mgd wastewater treatment facility included four new anaerobic digesters with poured domes, a new sludge pumping station, a new scrubber system, heat exchangers, pump stations, and upgrades to the existing sludge pump station.

Franklin Water Treatment Plant, Charlotte, NC

Contract Value: $29 million

This project, at North Carolina’s largest water treatment facility (180 mgd), included converting the process from conventional treatment into one utilizing inclined plate settlers, combined with hydraulic sludge scrapers. Other work included the replacement of the high-service pumps, new blower building, new sand filters, and a chemical feed building. This was a fast-track project, in which most of the work needed to be completed during the winter months; it was successful not only in being completed ahead of schedule, but we were also awarded ‘Safety Project of the Year’ among Pizzagalli’s numerous projects. There were several major shutdowns and/or bypasses, all of which were successful. Further, we were awarded a substantial change order to install provisions for future growth; consisting, among other items, of installing a new 96” PCCP force-main to the property line, while connecting to the existing force-main without any service interruptions.

Mauldin Road WWTP, Greenville, SC

Project Manager responsible for project completion and startup of several systems. This $58 million expansion included a new Headworks facility, wet-weather equalization basins, Grit removal facility, new anaerobic digester complex, and administration building.

Little Patuxent WWTP, Howard County, MD

Project Manager responsible for project completion and startup. The plant expansion included new clarifiers, pump stations, and demolition of existing structures.

Seneca WWTP, Germantown, MD

Project Manager responsible for project completion and startup. This project was a $64 million expansion, and included replacement of existing influent pumps, aeration basins, DAF system, grit removal facility, biosolids composting facility, solids building with 3meter gravity belt thickeners, centrifuges, lime feed stabilization, and an odor-control system.
Position: Project Manager

1999 – 2000

Mallard Creek WWTP, Charlotte, NC

Contract Value: $26 million

Expansion including new clarifiers, converting existing aeration basins to BNR, rehabilitation of aerobic digesters and belt filter presses, new chemical feed systems, conversion of chlorine disinfection to UV, replacement of electrical feeders and existing MCCs for influent pumps. Several full-plant shutdowns and bypasses were executed for the new process train, disinfection, headworks’ MCC, and electrical feeder replacement — with no interruption of service or permit violations.

Position: Mechanical Project Manager
1995 – 1998

Port Said, Egypt - Wastewater Treatment Plant and Qantara Raw Water Pump Station

Contract Value: $150 million

My duties included supervision of the engineering staff in Cairo, as well as construction supervision for a new 50 mgd wastewater treatment facility. The project included new headworks with four 3-meter x 15-meter screw pumps, a generator building, 15 miles of underground piping, an administration building, a co-compost facility (mixed trash with dried sludge), and a serpentine ‘treatment lagoon’ which covered nearly 40 acres. Further, I assisted in overseeing the 120” PCCP effluent piping, which terminated 3km into Lake Manzala. The Qantara Raw Water Pump Station included two 500 hp, and two 750 hp vertical turbine pumps, a chlorine feed system, and a 60” discharge pipe extending 12 miles to Port Said.

Ismailia Wastewater Treatment Plant

Contract Value: $65 million

Position: Completed project punch list, and commissioning of this 29 mgd wastewater plant.

Position: Mechanical Superintendent

1994-1995

Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant Contract No. 728, Baltimore, MD

Contract Value: $35 million

This project was an expansion that included new aeration basins configured for BNR, with air provided by 60° SS air headers. I was responsible for shop drawing reviews, material acquisition, as well as coordination and scheduling of workforce for a peak crew of 30 union mechanics. Highlights of this project included connection to the existing blower air piping without any interruption of air flow to the existing aeration basins.

Position: General Foreman

1990-1994

Little Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant Addition No. 5, Savage, MD

Contract Value: $17 million

Converted existing aeration basins into BNR Process Reactors, new clarifiers, and a septage receiving facility.

Freedom District Wastewater Treatment Plant, Sykesville, MD

Contract Value: $12 million

This expansion and upgrade included new belt filter presses, lime stabilization, converting chlorine contact basins to UV treatment, blower building and improving the treatment process to include BNR

Mechanical Design and Fabrication

Contract Value: $12 million

In the design department I was responsible for the overall coordination of the various crafts in implementing design and coordination drawings for the following projects

Position: General Foreman

1981-1990

Little Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant Addition No. 5, Savage, MD

I began as an apprentice plumber and advanced to Master Plumber and Project Manager for this commercial/industrial mechanical contractor. The types of projects I participated in included shopping malls, hospitals, restaurants, Allied Chemical, Bethlehem Steel, Armco Steel, and National Wire, as well as other various manufacturing plants, such as International Paper.

My Background

Educational Background

J. Michael Cecil completed extensive technical and academic training in construction management, HVAC systems, plumbing, and mechanical design. His education includes coursework at Catonsville Community College and UMBC in Construction Management, along with specialized technical programs in HVAC and plumbing apprenticeships.

1993-1995

Catonsville Community College

Course work for Construction Management degree

01

1993-1995

University of Maryland Baltimore (UMBC).

Associates degree in Construction Management

02

1987-1989

RETS Technical Training Center, Baltimore, MD.

Completed a comprehensive 750-hour course of study for HVAC service, installation, & design.

03

1985-1986

Anne Arundel Community College, MD

Completed course of study in basic and advanced HVAC service & design.

04

1981-1985

Plumbers Local Union No. 48 Training School, Baltimore, MD

Completed a four-year plumbing apprenticeship; received an award for an overall top student for all four years.

05

1979-1981

Mount Saint Mary’s College, Emmitsburg, MD

Course work in business administration

06

1975-1979

Mount Saint Joseph High School

Baltimore, MD

07

My Skills

Management
0 %

Pass with certification

Projects
0 %

Client Satisfactions

Licenses & Certifications

J. Michael Cecil holds a comprehensive range of professional licenses and certifications across multiple states, covering master-level plumbing, HVAC, general contracting, and utility management.

State of Maryland

Master HVAC (#6888); Master Plumber/Gasfitter (#7206); Licensed Contractor (#101475)

Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Master Plumber/Gasfitter (#A2-1599); Master HVAC (D1-1391)

Baltimore County, Maryland

Master Plumber, Master Gasfitter (#MP-429A)

Master Plumber, Master Gasfitter (#MP-429A)

Class A General Contractors License (#2701-015900A, Class: Plb, Bldg., H/H, HVA)

Commonwealth of Virginia

Master Plumbing, Master HVAC

WSSC

Master Plumber, Master Gasfitter, Certified Backflow Technician (#1204)

District of Columbia

Master Plumber (#PC10000946)

Master Plumber (#PC10000946)

Mechanical Contractor/Master Plumbing & HVAC (#M110112); General Contractors License.

State of North Carolina

Master Plumber/HVAC (#29517); General Contractor (#66348)

State of North Carolina

Unlimited General Contractors License

State of Georgia

Utility Manager License (#UM102535)

State of Florida

General Contractor’s license – application currently in the process

OSHA

Competent Person Certificates: Excavation, Confined Space, Scaffolding, Fall Protection, Crane Management, and Electrical

State of Florida

10-Hour Course, Certified in SCBA confined space rescue

Boards

Cecil actively contributes to the industry through leadership roles in national and regional boards focused on water

  • DBIA National Water/Wastewater Education Committee
  • DBIA National Water/Wastewater Conference Committee
  • Water Environment Federation (WEF) Awards Committee
  • Jammin4Water – Vice President of this water-based fundraising charity
  • Chesapeake Water Environment Association – Committee for four years
  • Cecil’s Historic District - President
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