What Does Bob Do? 
With a career-long commitment to the successful construction and improvement of commercial buildings including a focus on public facilities, Mr. St. Mary is one of Elara Engineering’s most experienced Project Engineers primarily supporting the firm’s K-12 school and public-bid market. In this role and directly because of the depth and breadth of his accumulated expertise, he has completed a wide variety of Elara’s most complex and demanding school and municipal projects. Well-known within the industry as a skilled leader, manager, and technical expert, Mr. St. Mary – as Engineer-In-Charge and Primary Contact — leads a variety of engineers and support staff in new construction, renovation, and energy retrofit projects – including multi-million-dollar major capital improvement programs for entire school districts. Although principally leading municipal and K-12 projects, Mr. St. Mary’s design and construction expertise extends to behavioral healthcare, higher education, recreational, high-rise residential, and commercial buildings.
His Areas of Expertise.
- Team/Project Management
- Technical Knowledge
- Industry Experience
- Sustainable Design
- Innovation
- Construction Knowledge
- Master Planning
- Cost Estimating
- Controls & Commissioning
- Troubleshooting
- Collaboration
- Experience in Education Markets
Throughout his career, Mr. St. Mary has been driven by excellence, client service, innovation, collaboration, and a passion to build and improve learning environments for current and future school-aged children. These attributes have ensured a long list of successfully completed highly complex design and construction projects and have benefitted all those that have worked with him as part of any project execution team including clients, employees, vendors, suppliers, district officials, and community stakeholders.
Key Project Contributions.
- Lead Engineer (District Projects)
- DeKalb, IL School District 428
- Maine Township High School District 207; Park Ridge/Des Plaines, IL
- Community Unit School District 300; Algonquin, IL
- Eastland Community Unit School District 308; Lanark, IL
- Township High School District 113 Phased Capital Improvements; Deerfield/Highland Park, IL
- Indian Trails Public Library Addition & Renovation
- Wintrust Sports Complex at Bedford Park
- Numerous behavioral healthcare facility renovations and additions throughout the continental United States.
Key Industry Contributions.
Bob is an active participant in industry associations such as the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Illinois Association of School Board Officials (IASBO).
What People Are Saying About Bob.
”Bob is incredibly passionate about what he does and his commitment to the project and the customer is unmatched. He is very hands on, practical and thorough, drawing from his extensive experience in a variety of markets during his tenure. He is an invaluable resource and an asset to any team. He’s also a force to be reckoned with on the golf course and always fun to be around.”
– Caitlin Levitsky, Principal – Elara Engineering
Life Before Elara. 
Bob is a native of upstate New York and stayed in New England to earn an Architectural Design degree and a Building Construction degree in Boston, MA. With his degrees in hand and not passing up an offer from his brother to join him in Chicago, Bob relocated, put down roots, and has no-doubt completed his transition to a true Midwesterner.
Prior to his current tenure at Elara, Mr. St. Mary was Chief Mechanical Engineer, Mechanical Department Manager, and Project Manager at Metro Design Associates in Elgin, Illinois. Early in his career he was a Design Engineer at Brooke & Choporis Consulting Engineers in Lombard, Illinois and a Custom Fan Designer for Champion Blower & Forge in Roselle, Illinois.
Life Outside Elara.
When not at Elara, Bob – always in motion and always involved in a project – likes to get his hands dirty with home renovation projects, gardening, and meticulous yard maintenance. Rumor has it that his yard is always the envy of his neighbors.
For additional rest and relaxation, you’ll frequently find Bob on the golf course. An avid golfer with a low handicap as proof of his skill, Bob has played rounds at some well-recognized courses that PGA professionals have tackled; including: the Blue Monster at Doral; Harbor Town Golf Links at Hilton Head, SC; Pinehurst #2 and #4; and Whistling Straits in Kohler, WI.
More about Bob’s professional and technical abilities can be found at here.
