UNC Charlotte Facilities Management and VHB will share the process and lessons learned for converting unreliable partial records and tribal knowledge into a useful asset management tool using GIS and modeling software. This process works for numerous kinds of assets. This presentation outlines the data integration and modeling strategies that were used by the UNC Charlotte team to develop the concepts and steps necessary to build informative and indispensable digital twins that mirror the campus’s water distribution network. Additionally, this session will share lessons learned, best practices, and next steps as UNC Charlotte continues to enhance these databases and models.
After this sessions you will be able to visualize, plan, execute, and build a modern asset data management tool (digital twins) capable of analyzing your network to support and easily communicate complex data to facilitate decisions.
Gregory Cole, PE, ENV SP has over 20 years’ experience in the civil engineering field. He earned his Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech in 2001. Since then, he has worked in both the private and public sectors. He has been a design engineer, contractor, municipal stormwater project manager, and asset manager on projects across the mid-Atlantic region. For the last 5 years he has been managing the water, reclaimed water, sewer, and stormwater assets for the UNC Charlotte campus.
Craig Schneider has 11 years of experience in the civil engineering field. He earned his Bachelor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Masters of Transportation Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Craig is the Technology Leader for the Mid-Atlantic Region at VHB where he leads a team of GIS specialists and application developers to create innovative solutions both internally and for private and public sectors clients. For the past 2 year, he and his team have provided planning, transportation, and water resources technology solutions for universities in Virginia, DC, and North Carolina.
Don Janus has 18 years of experience in the mechanical engineering field. Don is the Facilities Management Director of Engineering for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In this role, Don manages a multi-disciplined team of professional engineers, technicians and other FM professionals. The majority of Don’s career has been spent as a commissioning agent for higher education and healthcare facilities, focusing on the design, construction and operation of HVAC systems. He earned his Bachelors in mechanical engineering from UNC Charlotte and is currently pursuing his masters in Construction and Facilities Engineering from University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Athens, GA | October 6-10, 2025
