Our Team
At ABES Contracting, we believe in giving our team the tools they need to become impactful members of the community. Our team delivers efficient solutions to every client with the utmost integrity and professionalism, making our community and world a better place.
Emmanuel Tuombe, PE
President
ABES Contracting founder and CEO Emmanuel Tuombe grew up in Rwanda, Africa, following the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Having lived with the realities of a crumbling infrastructure and lack of basic needs, Emmanuel understands that infrastructure can mean the difference between life and death. After a successful career with Bechtel, one of the largest engineering, procurement, and construction companies in the world, Emmanuel is now dedicated to using his lifelong experiences to build the best engineering and contracting Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) firms in Memphis.
Emmanuel holds a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering from South Dakota Mines. As a professional engineer, he is registered in Tennessee (TN), Georgia (GA), Mississippi (MS), Texas (TX), California (CA), Missouri (MO), Washington (WA), Pennsylvania (PA), and Illinois (IL). Emmanuel has provided full construction document design, reviewed bid documents, and conducted field inspection for projects in the United States and Africa. He has worked primarily in program and design management and has acted as a client representative in overseeing contractor’s work in preparing the water supply master plan, housing development, and infrastructure projects.
Emmanuel speaks six languages and has over 15 years of experience in civil, drainage and water systems as a designer, supervisor, project manager, and an infrastructure policy advisor.
Brad Davis, PE, Assoc DBIA, STSC
Vice President
Brad Davis is a Memphis native. He joined ABES Engineering in January 2021 after serving as the Deputy Program Manager of SARP10 ‒ the city of Memphis’ sewer assessment and rehabilitation program ‒ with Black & Veatch. As the SARP10 manager, Brad managed a $50 million annual budget.
Like ABES CEO Emmanuel Tuombe, P.E., Brad has been involved with Engineers Without Borders USA throughout his career and has a strong belief that engineering is more than an occupation, but a way to make communities stronger. Both Brad and Emmanuel have a passion for seeing more minority-owned businesses thrive in Memphis.
In addition to being a licensed engineer, Mr. Davis is also an Associate with the Design Build Institute of America (BDIA) and a Safety Trained Supervisor for Construction (STSC) with the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP).
Brad says one of the biggest reasons for joining the ABES team is his desire to use his engineering and construction experience and skills to make his community stronger.
ABES Engineering’s Technical Team
ABES Engineering currently has a team of five Professional Engineers with a combined 108 years of engineering experience. We specialize in civil design, stormwater design (H&H), sanitary design, and roadway design.
ABES Construction Engineering Inspection Team
ABES Engineering has inspectors with TDOT Certifications. Our Inspectors have experience inspecting sanitary sewer lines, stormwater infrastructure and TDOT roadway and bridge projects.
Advisory Board Bio
John Blom
P.E., CEO of HECO Engineers
John is an experienced board president with a demonstrated history of working in the civil engineering industry and a commitment to servant leadership. He is skilled in Municipal Engineering, Sanitary Engineering, Project Management, Cost Estimating, and Strategic Planning. He is a strong business development professional with a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) focused in Business Administration and Management, General from Boise State University.
Kathryn S. Ware
P.E., Former Owner of KSWA
After a hugely rewarding 33-year career in consulting engineering in Tampa, Jacksonville, and Nashville, Kathy has moved into a role at RPI providing real estate and land development expertise. She remains very active in several engineering organizations – past president of ACEC of Tennessee and past board member of SAME, Nashville Post. She graduated from Clemson University in 1985 (Go Tigers!) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. In 2000, she was named Young Engineer of the Year by TSPE, and in 2015, she was honored as Engineer of the Year by TSPE. She finds Tennessee to be a great place to live, work, and contribute one’s talents!
Christopher Lee
President & CEO, Think Inspired
Christopher Lee is a strategic communications and marketing specialist who creates valuable partnerships, makes connections with those in the know, and keeps himself educated on trends as well as traditions related to marketing and branding. In particular, he has a focus on strategies and tactics related to multicultural marketing. He is an agent of change and a 27-year business innovator.