Russell Rowland is an independent, women-owned engineering firm headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. With decades of combined experience in the design of residential and commercial structures, we can assist with all your structural engineering needs. Whether you’re a homeowner getting ready to tackle a renovation or a national home builder, we value your best interest at heart through top-notch customer service, effective communication, value engineering, and an efficient process with quick turnaround times.
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Executive Officer
Jackie Rowland has over a decade’s worth of experience in Structural Engineering and has extensive experience in high-wind engineering design for residential and light commercial structures all over the Southeast. Jackie is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E) and graduated from the University of Florida with both a Master’s and a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Structures.
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As Co-Founder of Russell Rowland, Jackie focuses on the team’s consistency and efficiency to be able to provide both our clients and the building departments with familiar construction documents and quality engineering they can rely on. She believes that a great team of employees can make or break a business. As such, she puts great value on building personal relationships with each of her employees. Additionally, Jackie’s commitment to serving both the construction industry and northeast Florida community exemplify Russell Rowland’s culture and mission.
When she isn’t managing Russell Rowland, you can find her riding horses. For over 25 years, she has been competing at a national and world level for Equestrian competitions. She is a die-hard Florida Gators fan and enjoys going to football games with her husband Parker.
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Vice President of Engineering
Vice President of Engineering
Adam Russell has over a decade’s experience in commercial and residential structural engineering. Prior to co-founding Russell Rowland, Adam worked in the commercial cold-formed steel industry designing trusses, diaphragms, and lateral bracing systems before transitioning to residential structural design. He serves as the Engineer of Record for thousands of commercial and residential projects. Adam holds engineering licenses in multiple states including AL, AZ, FL, GA, ID, NC, NV, OH, SC, and TN.
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Adam has become a leader in the residential wood framed and masonry industries throughout Florida. He is dedicated, detail oriented, and always has the customer’s best interest in mind. He specializes in assessing and finding quick and efficient solutions to field issues that might arise during the building process. His technical expertise has given him a trusted reputation with his clients and his team.
Outside of the office, Adam and his wife, Laura, stay busy with their two children, Madilyn and Kellan. When he finds a free minute, he can be found working on his classic cars or taking apart things that aren’t broken.
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Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Parker Rowland started his career in the aerospace industry designing repairs and modifications for several different types of naval aircraft. He worked his way up from an aerospace structures engineer to managing a team of engineers supporting the majority of Navy’s trainer aircraft.
As his role shifted, he decided to go back to his alma mater, the University of Florida, to get an MBA and MS in Industrial Engineering. The knowledge gained from these degrees helps bridge the technical and business gap, allowing him to serve effectively as Russell Rowland’s CFO.
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He is also a die-hard Florida Gators and Jacksonville Jaguars fan and enjoys going to football games with his wife, Jackie and daughter Harper.
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Lead Engineer-Tampa
Lead Engineer-Tampa
Ben has been working in the structural engineering industry since graduating college in 2015, specializing in residential structures and value engineered design. He received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Florida State University. Through hard work and experience gained working on hundreds of projects, Ben recently obtained his P.E. license.
Ben started his professional career as a summer intern directly out of college which allowed him to grow through the ranks and eventually become a Lead Engineer and account manager for multiple clients. He has a hard-working attitude and commitment to always being ready to serve.
Prior to working for Russell Rowland, Ben had the opportunity to assist with performing structural inspections on multiple large-scale projects located in Duval and St. Johns County. Some of these projects include a multi-storied Cancer Research Hospital, the city of Jacksonville’s primary transportation hub, and a gymnasium built for a local school in St. Johns County.
Working on these larger-scaled projects allowed Ben to see the differences required in the engineering between residential and commercial structures. In addition to these projects, Ben also enjoys the challenges presented when engineering high-end oceanfront homes and complicated renovations.
A Fort Walton Beach native, Ben enjoys being outside soaking up Florida’s sunshine. He enjoys playing golf and boating with his wife Christine. On Saturdays, you can always find Ben in his Garnet and Gold supporting the Noles, through the good times and bad.
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Design Operations Manager
Design Operations Manager
Matt Pena has over a decade’s worth of experience in structural design and extensive experience managing design teams. He graduated from ITT Tech with an Associate’s degree in Computer-Aided Drafting and Design (CAD). Prior to joining Russell Rowland, Inc, he specialized in high volume residential production design for both Architectural & Structural Engineering using Revit 3D.
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In his current role, Matt enjoys managing the variety of projects Russell Rowland performs including outdoor structures, repairs, and alterations as well as new construction projects he has extensive experience in. Matt takes pride in his relationships with team members and clients more than anything. He strives for continued growth as a professional leader and gaining additional engineering knowledge to be capable of designing almost any structure.
In his spare time, you can find Matt running around either with his three young children or on the flag football field. Wood working and renovating his home are hobbies that he is looking more forward to thanks to the additional skills learned with RR.
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Lead Structural Designer
Lead Structural Designer
Originally from New York, Stephen moved to Jacksonville, Florida in 2005. He graduated from ITT Tech with an associate’s degree in Computer-Aided Drafting and Design (CAD). While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Project Management, he entered the construction industry as a CAD Designer with a local structural engineering firm.
Throughout his 10-year career, Stephen has been lucky to collaborate with a wide array of professionals throughout the residential construction industry and continues to develop new skills every day. He has extensive experience training and leading design teams that are responsible for designing thousands of residential projects across the country. As his CAD expertise grew, Stephen began judging SkillsUSA drafting contests in Jacksonville. He now sits on multiple Advisory Boards for local high schools’ engineering and construction academies which assist with curriculum development and career opportunities for the students.
In his spare time, Stephen can be found hiking, reading, or checking out new coffee shops and restaurants. He is also a big basketball fan and enjoys both playing and watching the sport.
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Structural EI
Structural EI
Sierra started her career with Russell Rowland after graduating college in 2021. She graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, specializing in Structures. She then gained the E.I. Certification and began earning her work experience to work towards obtaining her P.E. license in the future.
Since starting with the RR team, she has been gaining experience in the design of multiple different materials, including wood framing, masonry, and steel designs. She enjoys learning about the challenges and applications of each material. She then applies that knowledge to multiple different project types, including residential homes & repairs. In addition, she also enjoys solving the unique challenges that come from working on outdoor structures such as pergolas and cabanas.
When she’s not at work, Sierra enjoys playing video games, fishing, and spending time with her friends and family. She is also an animal lover, with many pets including a turtle, a fire newt, and a cat.
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Office Administrator
Office Administrator
Jennifer has over three decades of experience in providing administrative support to a wide range of industries. Her cheerfulness and professionalism are the greatest attributes she brings to the Russell Rowland team. Her primary focuses are supporting the team, building meaningful relationships with clients, and organizing corporate events to enhance company culture. Jennifer has been happily married to her husband Frank since 1983 and has three sons. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren.
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Structural CAD Designer
Structural CAD Designer
Xan Newsome moved from Georgia to St. Augustine, Florida in 2016 where he attended the Building and Construction Academy at Pedro Menendez High School. There he worked hard to develop the skills necessary to enter & succeed in the Construction industry. He participated in the SkillsUSA drafting competition and was a finalist in the district Project Innovation competition. Through the academy he also had the opportunity to do projects for the St. Augustine Parks Department.
Xan started his professional career when he joined the Russell Rowland team after graduating in 2021. Since then, he has continued to develop new skills every day. In his free time Xan enjoys playing and listening to music.
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Structural CAD Designer
Structural CAD Designer
Matthew Green attended Pedro Menendez High School (PMHS). After graduating in 2022, he joined the Russell Rowland team. While attending the Building and Construction Academy at PMHS, he participated in the SkillsUSA Competition for two years, placing in the Top 3 both years. He also showed his leadership skills by becoming a Project Manager within the ACE program. Through the academy, he had many opportunities to use his CAD knowledge & drafting skills to design many residential plans.
In his free time, Matthew enjoys outdoor activities such as: camping, fishing & hiking. He also enjoys landscape design and spending time with friends and family.
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