Legacy

Rudolph
Rudolph Frederick “Rudi” Besier
Founder of GNCB Consulting Engineers, P.C.
In Memoriam
Rudi Besier was a talented engineer with good business sense. Engineering was always in Rudi’s blood, having served in the Navy as a Seabee and dedicating over 30 years of his profession to practicing as a consulting structural engineer in Connecticut. In 1956, he joined the innovative engineering firm of Ketchum, Konkel, & Hasting (now Martin/Martin, Inc.) in Denver, CO. In 1961, he and the firm's founder, Milo Ketchum, opened an east coast office in Old Saybrook. Rudi found the CT shoreline to be a desirable place to settle and practice while easily being able to service our clients between New York and Boston. He bought the practice in 1965 and together with Kenneth Gibble, who became a partner in 1972, built a thriving structural engineering business. He established our company culture focusing on client satisfaction and the use of sound engineering practice to solve our clients’ challenges. Rudi retired in 1994 and remained an important part of our practice and culture for many years. The firm carries on today as GNCB Consulting Engineers, PC.
Charles C. Brown

Kenneth Gibble, P.E.

Past Principal 

In 2018, Kenneth Gibble retired after 46 years spent with the company. Kenneth Gibble has over 50 years of structural engineering experience and has been actively involved in professional and civic organizations throughout his career. He is certified as a mediator for construction disputes and has served as a reviewer of books on management topics for the American Society of Civil Engineers. Mr. Gibble has received numerous recognitions for his involvement in the AEC industry and successful business practices including the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Structural Engineers Coalition in 2002.

Charles C. Brown

James F. Norden, P.E.

Past Principal 

After 54 years of Structural Consulting Engineering, James Norden retired on January 14, 2022. He was been an outstanding addition to GNCB Consulting Engineers, P.C. for the past 46 years, forty of those years as a partner in the firm. Jim was instrumental in developing our Historic Preservation department in 1995 and has mentored our next generation of engineers in this field. His structural engineering career spans across the United States and serves a variety of sectors including cultural, institutional, religious, residential, and specialty structures. Jim’s Historic Preservation experience includes projects involving over 50 sites on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as a number of National Landmark sites.

Charles C. Brown

David L. Freed, P.E.

Geotechnical Associate

After over 50 rewarding years of geotechnical engineering practice, the last 28 of which were with GNCB as an Associate, David Freed retired on December 31, 2023. In 1995, David established the geotechnical engineering practice that provided many of GNCB’s clients, as well as his core clients, an integrated engineering service in foundation design. David’s presence both enhanced the structural engineering staff with a greater understanding of geotechnical theory and practice as well as provided the firm’s clients with a fortuitous combination of structural and geotechnical engineering services that lasted throughout the project. David’s experiences at GNCB provided the basis for his paper “Benefits of In-House Collaboration of Geotechnical and Structural Engineering Services” that appeared in the 2008 Geotechnical Special Publication No. 180 that honored his University of Florida professor, Dr. John Schmertmann.   David’s geotechnical work crossed a wide range of projects and foundation types; he developed an expertise in resolving construction problems.