Allegro and its team challenge the stereotype of a run-of-the-mill local civil engineering firm. Allegro chose Chicago as its HQ because it serves as a tech, talent and transportation hub for the center of the country. With two International Airports accessible by transit, Allegro can be on the ground in almost any City in the Lower 48 States with a direct flight, and is never more than 2 hours off the time of any project location. So whether it is a quick-serve restaurant in McComb, Mississippi; an electric vehicle facility in Natick, Massachusetts; an historic church renovation in downtown Cleveland; a new Health Club in Herriman, Utah; or an Automotive Sales and Service facility in the City of Los Angeles (all real projects completed by Allegro staff); Austin and his team at Allegro can serve any project “like a local firm.”
Austin Hahn
Principal
Austin is a 3rd Generation Civil Engineer. His grandfather Carl work as deputy engineer for the Sandusky County Engineer’s Office from 1945 to 1980, while father Kevin toiled away in the private sector working first as a design engineer (1972), then as a construction manager and contract administrator for a highway contractor (1984), and finally in an administrative role with a raw materials company (1996). Austin was especially proud to call Kevin a co-worker in the 2010s as he provided construction administration services at their former firm, CaliChi Design Group. Austin graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 2002, and has worked as a full-service land development civil engineer in Chicago for twenty years. When not fulfilling continuing education requirements for the thirty States he’s licensed in, Austin serves as an AYSO certified soccer referee for his son’s teams, plays piano, rides his skateboard, and tries annually to complete a full marathon.
Mark Johnson
Technology Director
Mark Johnson, Engineering Designer, is a professional CAD designer with over 15 years of experience. He earned a degree in mechanical drafting from MacMurray College and a degree in art from Southeastern Illinois University. He is a master of his craft, which shows in the quality of his work.
When Mark is not working, he enjoys traveling with his wife, Susana, attending live music festivals, reciting lines from The Big Lebowski, and growing some monstrous tomatoes in his vegetable garden. His best friend Ernie, a black Cockapoo, can usually be found close by his side.
Brian Emrich
Engineering Director
Brian grew up in the Chicago suburbs before moving down for school to Atlanta in 2011. He graduated with Honors from Georgia Tech with a B.S. in Civil Engineering, and has spent his professional career in land development (Geotechnical and traditional Civil/Site engineering) since graduating in 2016. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Illinois, and is currently working towards PE licensure in the State of California. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, as well as the American Planning Association.
Outside of work, Brian lives in Chicago and spends as much time as he can playing beer-league kickball, soccer, softball, basketball, and any other intramural sports he can work into his schedule.
Anne Marr
Director of Business Operations
Anne is a native Chicagoan. She attended Loyola University Chicago where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration concentrating in Public Accounting. She
obtained her CPA and worked for seven years at the Chicago office of Arthur Andersen. Since leaving public accounting, Anne has worked for several small companies and for small
engineering firms for the last 12 years.
In her spare time Anne likes to run 5ks, read, knit and travel.
Lauren Marshall
Planning Technician
Lauren earned her bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning with a minor in Environment and Health from Michigan State University in 2021. Lauren has worked both in public municipalities and private consulting firms since graduating. Prior to joining Allegro, Lauren’s expertise was based in the state of Michigan. Since joining Allegro in September of 2023, Lauren has expanded her professional planning knowledge to include other states such as Ohio, Colorado, Wisconsin, Florida, California, Illinois, Georgia, and Indiana. Lauren assists in code research, planning permitting and other ministerial permitting. Lauren is a member of the American Planning Association – Illinois Chapter.
Outside of work, Lauren is a bagel sandwich connoisseur and is determined to find the best bagel sandwich in all of Chicago.
Eric Van Wazer
Project Engineer
Eric grew up in the Chicago suburbs and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, graduating with a degree in geological engineering in 2018. He returned to the suburbs and worked as a geotechnical engineer after graduating. During the pandemic, Eric attended Illinois Tech and obtained a master’s in environmental engineering in December 2021. He has passed the Professional Engineering exam in water resources/environmental engineering and will soon be a licensed P.E.
Outside work, Eric is the project leader for a project in Guatemala to bring drinking water to a village of approximately 500 people. Eric is also a huge baseball fan and is working towards visiting all 30 MLB stadiums.