PERSONNEL

In 2000, David Crawford put his 22 years of experience in healthcare consulting, marketing, sales, and residential/commercial construction into a new company he named Rain Water System, Inc. His vision was to form a company that would address rainwater conservation and management as well as sustainable water applications and practices. Today that company—now known as Rainwater Management Solutions—provides design, consulting, and engineering solutions for rainwater and stormwater management to commercial and residential developers, engineering and architectural firms, and professionals in the agricultural field. To date, the Salem, Virginia-based company has designed and/or installed thousands of rainwater systems across North America.

A strong advocate of water conservation and management, in 2001 David and his brother Ed lobbied the Virginia House and Senate for passage of the first rainwater harvesting legislation in the United States. The following year he worked with the Virginia State Health Department to rewrite graywater laws. David was involved in writing Virginia’s first Rainwater Harvesting Manual used as an educational tool for many.

David is the former President of the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA; C-6 Trade association) and current Chairmen of the Board of the ARCSA Foundation (C-3) and is an ARCSA Accredited Professional. He was also involved in writing the ARCSA Rainwater Harvesting Manual.

David received his BS in Economics and Accounting from Mars Hill College in 1976. He has published numerous articles on water conservation and water sustainability issues and practices in local and national publications as Laundry Today, Consulting-Specifying Engineer, Mother Earth News, Virginia Business Journal, The Roanoke Times, Farm Bureau Monthly, and Southern Farmer.

Considered an expert in the field, he is a frequent speaker at national seminars and conferences such as Green Build International Conference and Expo, ASPE Emerging Water Technology Symposium, ARCSA’s Annual Conference, and VMI Environmental Conference.

David has been part of several publications including:

Sojka, S., T. Younos, D. Crawford. 2016. Modern Urban Rainwater Harvesting Systems: Design, Case Studies, and Impacts. In: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry Vol. 47. 351pp. Springer Publishers (ISBN 978-3-319-29335-6). pp. 209-234.

Benjamin Sojka is a partner in Rainwater Management Solutions and holds the position of Vice President of Design/Engineering. A graduate of The University of Virginia’s school of Architecture under the tenure of Dean William McDonough, Benjamin has assisted in the design and overseen construction of multiple McDonough projects. Still, an active partner in the family cattle farm, Cliffdale, Benjamin’s agriculture, and strong environmental background reinforces the common sense approach evident in all RMS designs and projects. Benjamin’s extensive site work and utility background as both a General Superintendent and Project Manager, spanned 12 years and ensures that RMS is able to take any project from conception to reality.

Benjamin has worked on a broad spectrum of projects, including residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and educational. He has also worked on multiple Living Building Challenge Projects and LEED Certified schools. Benjamin’s site work background, eye for design, and understanding the needs and requirements of the end user, as well as the installing contractor have aided in designing hundreds of rainwater harvesting systems across the United States.

Mr. Simmons initiated work with Rainwater Management Solutions during 2015 as a fractional CFO and is focused on producing and implementing development, financial, and growth strategies.   In this position, he is overseeing corporate finance, contractual matters, and capital formation activities, among other items.    

Through Impact, he works as a fractional (part-time & freelance) Chief Financial Officer and/or consultant for clients across different industries and types of projects; while providing a solution for a company’s executive financial needs.   In this role, he assists clients with a variety of management and financial activities, including areas such as capital formation (debt, equity, other), financial and M&A transactions, financial modeling, corporate finance, corporate development, contract development & negotiation, and accounting oversight and reporting. He has significant experience working on both smaller sized transactions and also multi-party and multi-million dollar transactions with a variety of parties (private and institutional) and transaction structures.  

Mr. Simmons is a seasoned financial executive with extensive experience in building and growing companies. He brings an entrepreneurial mindset and background as well as experience working in more mature organizations. He has a diverse background in finance, accounting, contracts, and real estate projects, among other business areas. Mr. Simmons has over 24 years of business and entrepreneurial experience. Prior to joining Pegasus, he advised middle-market and early-stage companies, both at his own firm and with a consulting organization. Mr. Simmons earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Virginia Tech and received an MBA degree from the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech.

Chris joined Rainwater Management Solutions in 2017 after spending 15 years in the Central Appalachian coalfields with Alpha Natural Resources. During his time at Alpha, he was responsible for the company’s brokerage coal efforts as well as selling high-quality metallurgical coal to a variety of customers both domestically and internationally. Chris also worked in logistics, forecasting, and human resources while at Alpha.

Chris’s experience in business development and relationship management will help RMS continue to grow and maintain its position as the premier rainwater harvesting solutions company in the country. He also provides a broad business background to help RMS grow internally to meet the increasing demand for its services.  

Chris is a 1998 graduate of Virginia Tech with a BS in Business – Marketing Management.  

Shawn grew up in Southwest Virginia and was heavily involved in the rainwater harvesting industry and installed his first potable system at age 11. His passion for water reuse started early and over the course of 14 years, has developed a great understanding of the evolution of the industry and how it came to be what it is today.

Shawn received his undergrad from Virginia Tech in Wood Science and Forest Products. During his academic career, he studied abroad in Europe studying sustainable building practices where he gained hands-on experience in greywater reuse systems, thus furthering his passion for water conservation. After receiving his undergrad, he pursued a Masters of Forestry with an emphasis on Implementing Lean Manufacturing Concepts to Reduce Energy Consumption in 2012.

Being an ARCSA (American Rainwater Catchment System Association) Accredited Profession and a member of the educational committee puts Shawn at the frontlines of driving rainwater reuse to be a nationally recognized alternate source of water. Shawn is also a silent member of the NSF/ANSI 350 Standard for Water Treatment Systems and is an active committee member for the IAPMO 324 Alternate Water Source Systems for Multi-Family, Residential, and Commercial Use.

Dave holds an M.S. in Water Resource Science from the University of Minnesota a B.A. in Environmental Conservation from the University of Colorado and has worked in the water resources field since graduation. He has managed river remediation, stormwater and environmental permitting projects in the U.S.A. and South America.

He has been instrumental in bringing rainwater harvesting projects from concept to completion beginning with his own home with rainwater, greywater and composting systems in 2004. Dave has been an independent representative for RMS since 2012 and installed WISY filtration products in cold climate applications. He has led the rainwater harvesting design of notable projects attempting to meet net zero water standards through the International Living Building Institute (ILBI) and providing the first commercial systems to utilize captured and treated rainwater inside of structures in Duluth and St. Paul, Minnesota.

Dave’s passion is working on integrated water management solutions with engineers, architects, and general contractors on source separated systems at various scales. He is an accredited professional (AP) and regional representative for the American Rainwater Catchment System Association (ARCSA) and served on the national technical committee for rainwater harvesting ARCSA/ASPE standard 63. He advocates code adoption and design standards that allow indoor and outdoor use of harvested rainwater to maximize cost effectiveness and minimize stormwater impacts. When not working, he enjoys traveling to Central and South America with his wife and son Tyler to keep his Spanish and whitewater kayaking skills sharp.

George Francisco earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree at Roanoke College in 1988. He also holds an Associate of Applied Science in Accounting degree from Virginia Western Community College, earned in 1984. Since 2008, George has been the Controlller and responsible for accounting duties at Rainwater Management Solutions. Prior to joining the RMS team, George and his father Randolph owned a stone masonry business, R.L. Francisco & Son. George has been active in the community and joined the Cabell Brand Center as Treasurer in December 2013.  

Growing up in the heart of Salem, Virginia, Megan graduated from Salem High School and attended Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Science.

Prior to Rainwater Management Solutions, she worked for an environmental services firm specializing in the remediation of soil as an Environmental Technician.  

Currently, Megan serves as the Sales Manager. Her role consists of the creation of proposals, project cost estimating, following up and tracking projects, project management, training, production tracking, and website administration of sale and design. Her hard work is recognized as a Certified Water Specialist (CWS), certified by the Water Quality Association (WQA). This professional certification shows her dedication and knowledge of selling and configuring water treatment equipment. She has also obtained her ASSE International Rainwater Catchment Systems Design Certification.

Jim is a native of Montgomery County, Virginia, and studied Fine Art at Ferrum College. Jim’s art was featured on the cover of Tideland Times Magazine. After serving as an NCO in the Coast Guard, he worked in construction. Jim also worked in commercial art, for which he won both Gold and Silver Addy Awards. He has developed experience and passion for architectural drafting, design, and structural design.

Jim was the Assistant Director of Engineering at North American Housing Corporation and implemented the transition from manual to computerized drafting. Most recently, Jim has been a consultant on several structural and architectural projects for clients in the Roanoke Valley area. Jim brings over 30 years’ experience in construction and design to RMS.

Gordon holds Magna Cum Laude degrees in both Integrated Environmental Studies and Liberal Arts from Virginia Western Community College. Gordon also has a background in marketing and graphic design with an expertise in Adobe Photoshop. Consequently, his addition adds a diverse skillset and well-rounded perspective to the Sales Team at RMS.

Originally from the ski town of Truckee in Sierra Nevada mountains of Northern California, Gordon has also lived near the beaches of North Florida and also in the heart of New York City. Since 2004, Gordon has lived with his family along Smith Mountain Lake in Southwest Virginia. Gordon’s first-hand experience with diverse aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems along with his training in biology and ecology have given him unique insights and continue to fuel his passion for fresh water sustainability.

Andrew grew up in Virginia Beach, graduating from Landstown High School’s STEM Academy and went on to study at Virginia Tech. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Biomaterials with a concentration in creating sustainable societies and green building systems. Before joining as a Sales and Design Project Manager, Andrew worked as an intern for the company learning the processes of writing proposals all the way through production, shipping, and installation of rainwater harvesting systems. 

Andrew's knowledge of the industry is reflected in his ASSE International Rainwater Catchment Systems Designer Certification. His role consists of project management from beginning to end, account management and customer relations, system designs, and estimate creation. Andrew brings a special drive and fresh approach to the industry and RMS team.

Cole was born and raised in Lovettsville, Virginia and studied at Virginia Tech where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Biomaterials with a minor in Green Engineering. During his time in college, he worked with the university as an undergraduate researcher and junior sustainability consultant. The following year, he joined RMS as the 2023 Summer Intern where he acquired a general understanding of water reuse systems, created and shared demonstrative and promotional web content, and helped to draft a website redesign.

Cole leads system design, estimate and proposal creation, customer relations, and account management for the Residential and Light Commercial Department. His certification as an ASSE International Rainwater Catchment Systems Designer strengthens his suitability for the role. Cole also assists with website, media, and marketing strategy.

Growing up in rural Ohio and Virginia, Alicia learned at a young age how important natural resources are to the growth of our community and the well-being of the planet. Her traveling spirit has guided her to work across the country using her associate degree in travel and tourism for national parks in the Grand Canyon, along the shores of North Carolina and now back home among the rivers of Western Virginia.  

Known to family and friends as a river enthusiast who loves animals, gardening and family, Alicia is uniquely equipped to showcase what rainwater conservation means to residential and corporate communities while bringing a human touch to her role as Sales Support Specialist.

She is a Jane-of-all-trades who is as comfortable behind a desk as she is getting her hands dirty in the garden or working on her home.

Jeff is Rainwater Management Solutions' Production Manager. He was raised in Roanoke and relocated to Tennessee after high school to attend Lincoln Tech, graduating with a degree in Auto Service Technology.

Jeff brings seventeen years of diverse technical experience, working on a variety of systems, in the shop and in the field, as lead technician. He brings his knowledge and experience with schematics and fluid power, as well as manufacturing, up-fitting, and field work to Rainwater Management Solutions.

James joined Rainwater Management Solutions as the Controls Technician and Fabricator. Growing up in the Roanoke Valley, James brings broad technical knowledge and experience acquired from years of installing complex furniture installations. He also brings the oversight experience from his time as a Firearms Manager.

His role involves organizing and maintaining inventory, building complex filtration and pump skids, and installing rainwater harvesting systems onsite. James focuses on building system controls and is responsible for custom programing each project.