Staff Archives - Digital Design & Imaging Service, Inc.

StaffTom Saulnier

Tom Saulnier

Fabrication Specialist

Our aerostat platform is unique, in part, because the key components are custom made by master craftsman, Tom Saulnier. From carbon fiber and garolite to plastics and aluminum welding, there is nothing Tom cannot fabricate well. His work is precise, strong, and light weight (the essential characteristics for lighter-than-air vehicles.) Additionally, he plays a vital roll in the fabrication and refinement of DDIS payloads. Tom, a former captain with the fire department is equally comfortable with primitive woodworking tools, or a CNC milling machine.

StaffAnnette Engel

Annette Engel

Bookkeeping Specialist

Annette graduated cum laude with her B.S. in Accounting from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1986. She then worked with KPMG Peat Marwick, planning and supervising audits, with a focus on nonprofit organizations. In addition to her responsibilities at Bay Business Group, she is a mother of three.

StaffInge De Mey Westergard

Inge De Mey Westergard

Controller

As Financial Controller Inge works behind the scenes at DDIS balancing accounts, transferring checks and other high level administration decisions. She also organizes and manages the DDIS internship program and assists with business travel arrangements. Her hobbies include languages and travel.

StaffRyan Shuler

Ryan Shuler

Project Manager, Lead Photographer, Image Analyst, Visual Impact Specialist

Shuler has worked with DDIS as a project manager, photographer, image analyst, and visual impact specialist since 2007. He has an M.F.A. in photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a B.F.A. in photojournalism from the Corcoran College of Art + Design. Shuler has worked with such notable clients as the Smithsonian Institution, National Geographic, AFI, and Discovery Communications.

StaffCurt Westergard

Curt Westergard

President, Director of Research

Curt Westergard has designed, built, tested and seeks patents on various custom balloons, launch trailers, optics platforms, used to to support drones and aerostats. His long term research focus has been on design and building equipment for time lapse aerial visualizations of tall engineering projects. His firm has over 4000 aerostat balloon ‘ascenisons’ over NYC, San Francisco and Washington DC. He has 26 years experience creating visual impact simulations of proposed skyscrapers, power lines, and cell towers in the US & Europe. Curt has taught landscape architecture at Michigan and Morgan Universities, given guest critiques and a professional development course at Harvard University, an imaging seminar at Yale, and design visualization courses in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland. He is a member of the Explorers Club and former Chairman of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronomics Lighter than Air Technical committee.
He enjoys free time with his wife and two sons. .
Education: BA–Ithaca College, Masters in Landscape Architecture from Cornell University, & Ph.D. (coursework only) in the perception of 3D Visualizations from the University of Michigan.

StaffAdam Martin

Adam Martin

3D modeling

Martin has been at DDIS part-time for 2.5 yrs. He specializes in creating detailed 3D models of the unique equipment used by DDIS. He is currently studying mechanical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic institute.

StaffDaraius Boston

Daraius Boston

Payload Engineer

Daraius, previously a summer intern, has joined DDIS as a Payload engineer. Daraius supports DDIS through 3D modeling, 3D printing, and other engineering tasks.

StaffRichard J (Dick) Westergard, BA, CCM

Richard J (Dick) Westergard, BA, CCM

AMS Certified Consulting Meteorologist and President of Shade Tree Meteorology, LLC

DDIS carefully plans and takes responsibility for choosing safe attractive weather for our analysis and aerial photo work. This involves occasionally contracting profesional NWS appvd meteroloists. For the Greater NY Region, we engage Richard Westergard.
Dick Westergard, an AMS Member, and an AMS Certified Consulting Meteorologist, is president of Shade Tree Meteorology, LLC in Niskayuna, New York, which he founded in 2004. Mr. Westergard has a BA degree from Marshall University and has worked in the field of meteorology since 1966. He served in the public sector from 1966 to 2004. The last 21 years of his public service career was in various field office leadership positions, including Official In Charge of the Huntington, West Virginia NWS office, Meteorologist in Charge of the Duluth, Minnesota NWS office and Warning Coordination Meteorologist in the Albany, NY NWS office. He is currently serving as president of the National Council of Industrial Meteorologists, and has done nationwide research with the SUNY Albany Communication Department on how people acquire, assimilate and utilize weather information. Mr. Westergard is a member of the National Weather Association, and the National Council of Industrial Meteorologists.
(Bio and Photo from American Meteorological Society – http://www.ametsoc.org/boardpges/cwce/docs/profiles/WestergardRichardJ/profile.html)

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