Joe Aiello & Bryan Jewell

Senior Mechanical Startup Engineers, Bechtel
Veterans Court Mentors

Joe Aiello

Joseph (Joe) P. Aiello is a Senior Mechanical Startup Engineer at Bechtel. In readying the Hanford Site’s massive Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) for commissioning and startup, Joe draws on his diverse experience in engineering, construction, military aviation, and wildland firefighting. As a Test Engineer, Joe is responsible for testing/startup of all critical mechanical systems (air, water, steam, hoists, HVAC) at the Effluent Management Facility (EMF), which is key to beginning the WTP’s low-activity waste treatment vitrification process. As a Test Engineer, Joe works with design/resident engineers, contractors, and site superintendents in determining testing requirements to maximize system readiness and meet important deadlines.

Joe joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2004, where after extensive training and deployments he managed 30 Marines responsible for repairing aviation support equipment. Joe’s team maintained 450 pieces of hydraulic, pneumatic, and diesel engine powered equipment (valued at $5M) with a 94% readiness rate. Joe has more than 5,000 hours of experience in hydraulic, structural, and pneumatic maintenance/repair, having completed 4,000+ scheduled and unscheduled maintenance actions. Joe deployed to Iraq (twice) and Afghanistan and was stationed at San Diego, CA and Cherry Point, NC Marine Corps Air Stations.

As a Wildland Fire Fighter for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Joe led firefighting teams in successfully protecting $50M+ in natural resources and private and public property in the Pacific Northwest over the span of three fire seasons.

Joe believes in using compassion and fair leadership in managing and mentoring the personal and professional development of his staff. Joe understands the opportunities and challenges of transitioning from military to civilian life and shares his insights with fellow veterans through the Benton County Veterans Court Program.

Joe grew up in a in a rural community near Fairbanks, Alaska and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Gonzaga University, where he worked as a Budget/Procurement Specialist and Lab Assistant. Joe is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

Bryan Jewell

Bryan A. Jewell is a Senior Mechanical Startup Engineer at Bechtel. Bryan is helping ready the Hanford Site’s Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) for operations, by performing first-time startup testing of the WTP’s complex water, steam, and electrical systems, leading teams of highly skilled craft and engineers. Bryan writes and conducts tests for the Direct Feed Low Activity Waste (DFLAW) project, a cutting-edge system that will begin treating Hanford’s 56 million gallons of radioactive and hazardous waste, stored in aging underground tanks.

Bryan joined the Marines in 2009, where he led a military aviation maintenance unit as a Work Center Supervisor and Production Control Chief, achieving an equipment availability rate more than 90 percent. Bryan managed the induction, repair cycle, and documentation of 2,000 maintenance actions per year at Cherry Point, NC and Camp Pendleton, CA Marine Corps Air Stations.

In his free time, Bryan is a Veterans Court Mentor, where he helps veterans navigate the criminal justice system, with the goal of returning to society as productive, contributing individuals. Benton County is one of eight counties in Washington State with a Veterans Court Program, begun by Veterans Advocate Tom Mattis and Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Andy Miller.

Bryan grew up in various locations around the globe as a military child and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Project Management. Bryan is a Certified Project Management Professional and a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.