Business & Tech
CBBEL’s Olson Promoted to Assistant Head of Water Resources Dept.
Olson serves as Stormwater Consultant for Crystal Lake, Cary, Oak Brook and Hawthorn Woods

Rosemont, IL (Jan. 3, 2019) – Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. (CBBEL) has promoted Darren Olson, PE, D.WRE, CFM to Assistant Head of the Water Resources Department. As Assistant Department Head, Olson will have an increased client relations and business development role, in addition to his work on complex urban drainage projects, watershed studies, stormwater management plans and flood control project design.
“We’re incredibly proud to have Darren on the CBBEL team and see him as a great fit for Assistant Head of the Water Resources Department,” said Christopher B. Burke, PhD, PE, D.WRE, Dist.M.ASCE, and President of CBBEL. “His more than 20 years of experience are a huge asset to the firm and our clients.”
Olson, who lives in Chicago, joined CBBEL in 1998. He has vast experience in water resources engineering and is the Stormwater Consultant for several municipalities including Crystal Lake, Cary, Oak Brook and Hawthorn Woods.
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“Being part of the CBBEL team means continuing the firm’s commitment to excellence and meeting the needs of both public and private sector clients,” said Olson. “I’m excited to take on this new position and be part of CBBEL’s continued growth.”
Olson has worked on water resources projects in municipalities across Illinois and Indiana, including the City of Merrillville’s Stormwater Master Plan, federally funded flood control projects in the Villages of Bartlett and Glendale Heights, the Village of Wilmette’s separate storm sewer study and the Pine Dunes Wetland Mitigation area, which received the 2016 Environmental Honor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois.
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He has also served as the CBBEL project lead for various ComEd projects across DuPage, Lake and Kane Counties, handling stormwater and floodplain permitting as well as grading and drainage design for the utility’s construction projects.
Olson is actively involved with the American Society of Civil Engineers, serving in a variety of leadership positions, including his current roles as Region 3 Governor and member of the Committee for America’s Infrastructure. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign before earning his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.