Know Boundaries From The Bearded Engineer Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/know-boundaries-from-the-bearded-engineer Conversations and rants about Civil Engineering with Denny Howell, P.E. © 2026 Denny L Howell II c235b08e-37cb-5f59-ac6b-ae04e13f3f21 yes en Tue, 26 May 2026 08:46:34 -0400 Tue, 26 May 2026 08:47:27 -0400 https://thebeardedengineer.com/ https://img.transistorcdn.com/wZ0ljqqJf9qs23p-TYsTW64RFPvzeMBz5jYuMeoMuvU/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9kYjBl/OWU0ZDdiYWQ1OThm/ZWRkMTA1NWFjNTA4/YzA2Yi5qcGc.jpg Know Boundaries From The Bearded Engineer https://thebeardedengineer.com/ episodic Denny L Howell II Conversations and rants about Civil Engineering with Denny Howell, P.E. Conversations and rants about Civil Engineering with Denny Howell, P.E.. Civil Engineer, Civil, Engineer, Engineering, Chester County Denny L Howell II podcast@knowhowell.com No No Ep. 14 - Building Community with Mike Zappitelli 14 14 Ep. 14 - Building Community with Mike Zappitelli full 786b02b7-2e02-45cf-9254-246a40b9b0f2 https://share.transistor.fm/s/a2dcbe14 This week on Know Boundaries, Denny sits down with Mike Zappitelli, owner of Zappitelli Homes and President of the Home Builders Association of Chester and Delaware Counties. Mike shares how growing up in the family business shaped his career and reflects on how the industry has evolved over the years.

]]> This week on Know Boundaries, Denny sits down with Mike Zappitelli, owner of Zappitelli Homes and President of the Home Builders Association of Chester and Delaware Counties. Mike shares how growing up in the family business shaped his career and reflects on how the industry has evolved over the years.

]]> Tue, 26 May 2026 08:46:34 -0400 Denny L Howell II Denny L Howell II 3259 This week on Know Boundaries, Denny sits down with Mike Zappitelli, owner of Zappitelli Homes and President of the Home Builders Association of Chester and Delaware Counties. Mike shares how growing up in the family business shaped his career and reflects on how the industry has evolved over the years.

]]> Civil Engineer, Civil, Engineer, Engineering, Chester County No Ep. 13 - Marketing Madness with Eric Smith 13 13 Ep. 13 - Marketing Madness with Eric Smith full 437c6468-1a35-407d-b117-d9c449295e74 https://share.transistor.fm/s/282ab1f6 On Episode 13 of Know Boundaries, Denny sits down with Eric Smith to talk about how their partnership first came together and evolved into Smith & Howell Design Co. Eric shares his early career journey, how he got his start in marketing and why strong marketing is essential for any business. 

They also dive into what the future might hold for marketing and engineering. No one has all the answers, but Denny and Eric have a few thoughts worth hearing.

]]> On Episode 13 of Know Boundaries, Denny sits down with Eric Smith to talk about how their partnership first came together and evolved into Smith & Howell Design Co. Eric shares his early career journey, how he got his start in marketing and why strong marketing is essential for any business. 

They also dive into what the future might hold for marketing and engineering. No one has all the answers, but Denny and Eric have a few thoughts worth hearing.

]]> Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:30:00 -0400 Denny L Howell II Denny L Howell II 2881 On Episode 13 of Know Boundaries, Denny sits down with Eric Smith to talk about how their partnership first came together and evolved into Smith & Howell Design Co. Eric shares his early career journey, how he got his start in marketing and why strong marketing is essential for any business. 

They also dive into what the future might hold for marketing and engineering. No one has all the answers, but Denny and Eric have a few thoughts worth hearing.

]]> Civil Engineer, Civil, Engineer, Engineering, Chester County No Ep. 12 - The Reality of Development Today with Dave Brown 12 12 Ep. 12 - The Reality of Development Today with Dave Brown full 6f26a167-0a2e-4e62-b066-1097ac83535a https://share.transistor.fm/s/11ed949a On this week’s episode of Know Boundaries, Denny sits down with Dave Brown, Vice President at CBG Building Company, for a conversation on the realities of development and construction today. They discuss what led Dave to his career at CBG, industry challenges like lengthy approval processes and rising construction costs, and the ongoing housing shortage—all while reflecting on what makes the Greater Philadelphia region such a desirable place to live.

]]> On this week’s episode of Know Boundaries, Denny sits down with Dave Brown, Vice President at CBG Building Company, for a conversation on the realities of development and construction today. They discuss what led Dave to his career at CBG, industry challenges like lengthy approval processes and rising construction costs, and the ongoing housing shortage—all while reflecting on what makes the Greater Philadelphia region such a desirable place to live.

]]> Mon, 23 Mar 2026 06:00:00 -0400 Denny L Howell II Denny L Howell II 2730 On this week’s episode of Know Boundaries, Denny sits down with Dave Brown, Vice President at CBG Building Company, for a conversation on the realities of development and construction today. They discuss what led Dave to his career at CBG, industry challenges like lengthy approval processes and rising construction costs, and the ongoing housing shortage—all while reflecting on what makes the Greater Philadelphia region such a desirable place to live.

]]> Civil Engineer, Civil, Engineer, Engineering, Chester County No Ep. 11 - Chasing the Dream with Chase Gallagher 11 11 Ep. 11 - Chasing the Dream with Chase Gallagher full e90457a6-4730-400f-9362-c8790ce883ee https://share.transistor.fm/s/4877ea82 On this episode of Know Boundaries, Denny sits down with Chase Gallagher, President and Owner of CMG Landscaping. Chase shares his big-picture goals for the future, and the two dive into the civil engineering process, perspectives on owning versus renting a home and where they each hope to be in the next 5-10 years. 

Be sure to check out Chase’s YouTube channel for more of his content: https://www.youtube.com/@Chasegallagher

]]> On this episode of Know Boundaries, Denny sits down with Chase Gallagher, President and Owner of CMG Landscaping. Chase shares his big-picture goals for the future, and the two dive into the civil engineering process, perspectives on owning versus renting a home and where they each hope to be in the next 5-10 years. 

Be sure to check out Chase’s YouTube channel for more of his content: https://www.youtube.com/@Chasegallagher

]]> Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:00:00 -0500 Denny L Howell II Denny L Howell II 2389 On this episode of Know Boundaries, Denny sits down with Chase Gallagher, President and Owner of CMG Landscaping. Chase shares his big-picture goals for the future, and the two dive into the civil engineering process, perspectives on owning versus renting a home and where they each hope to be in the next 5-10 years. 

Be sure to check out Chase’s YouTube channel for more of his content: https://www.youtube.com/@Chasegallagher

]]> Civil Engineer, Civil, Engineer, Engineering, Chester County No Ep. 10 - Keeping Up With Coatesville with James Logan 10 10 Ep. 10 - Keeping Up With Coatesville with James Logan full ca17f0c7-dca5-4ab9-956c-3cfb701f91b1 https://share.transistor.fm/s/bb812e7a On this episode of Know Boundaries, Denny and City Manager James Logan talk about Coatesville's ongoing revitalization. New restaurants and local businesses, efforts to attract jobs and the initiatives underway to help Coatesville grow and thrive again. There’s a lot to be excited about right now!

]]> On this episode of Know Boundaries, Denny and City Manager James Logan talk about Coatesville's ongoing revitalization. New restaurants and local businesses, efforts to attract jobs and the initiatives underway to help Coatesville grow and thrive again. There’s a lot to be excited about right now!

]]> Mon, 19 Jan 2026 08:30:00 -0500 Denny L Howell II Denny L Howell II 3461 On this episode of Know Boundaries, Denny and City Manager James Logan talk about Coatesville's ongoing revitalization. New restaurants and local businesses, efforts to attract jobs and the initiatives underway to help Coatesville grow and thrive again. There’s a lot to be excited about right now!

]]> Civil Engineer, Civil, Engineer, Engineering, Chester County No Ep. 9 - Land Use with Lou Colagreco 9 9 Ep. 9 - Land Use with Lou Colagreco full ae2c4c89-9f64-492d-8fcb-939c2dc8126f https://share.transistor.fm/s/106e5c70 On this episode of Know Boundaries, Denny sits down with Lou Colagreco, whose name needs no introduction in land use circles. As President and Chair of the Land Use Practice at Riley Riper Hollin & Colagreco, Lou has earned widespread respect, with a reputation that precedes him. 


Denny and Lou dig into best practices for mentoring young engineers and attorneys, the importance of effective client relationships and why you don’t always need to “win” an argument to succeed.

]]> On this episode of Know Boundaries, Denny sits down with Lou Colagreco, whose name needs no introduction in land use circles. As President and Chair of the Land Use Practice at Riley Riper Hollin & Colagreco, Lou has earned widespread respect, with a reputation that precedes him. 


Denny and Lou dig into best practices for mentoring young engineers and attorneys, the importance of effective client relationships and why you don’t always need to “win” an argument to succeed.

]]> Mon, 05 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0500 Denny L Howell II Denny L Howell II 2804 On this episode of Know Boundaries, Denny sits down with Lou Colagreco, whose name needs no introduction in land use circles. As President and Chair of the Land Use Practice at Riley Riper Hollin & Colagreco, Lou has earned widespread respect, with a reputation that precedes him. 


Denny and Lou dig into best practices for mentoring young engineers and attorneys, the importance of effective client relationships and why you don’t always need to “win” an argument to succeed.

]]> Civil Engineer, Civil, Engineer, Engineering, Chester County No Ep. 8 - Putting the Technical in GeoTechnical with Nick Calvanese 8 8 Ep. 8 - Putting the Technical in GeoTechnical with Nick Calvanese full 25b4885d-0a1e-467d-855b-fe5f48225587 https://share.transistor.fm/s/3909a6d2 In this episode, it’s all about digging, drilling and the data that follows as Denny welcomes PE Nick Calvanese, head of Howell’s Geotechnical efforts. After more than two years with Howell, Nick is getting the lay of the land by managing his crew in the field, keeping clients happy and maybe even dreaming about bigger drills, bigger designs and bigger budgets (the finance department will love that).

]]> In this episode, it’s all about digging, drilling and the data that follows as Denny welcomes PE Nick Calvanese, head of Howell’s Geotechnical efforts. After more than two years with Howell, Nick is getting the lay of the land by managing his crew in the field, keeping clients happy and maybe even dreaming about bigger drills, bigger designs and bigger budgets (the finance department will love that).

]]> Mon, 22 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0500 Denny L Howell II Denny L Howell II 2193 In this episode, it’s all about digging, drilling and the data that follows as Denny welcomes PE Nick Calvanese, head of Howell’s Geotechnical efforts. After more than two years with Howell, Nick is getting the lay of the land by managing his crew in the field, keeping clients happy and maybe even dreaming about bigger drills, bigger designs and bigger budgets (the finance department will love that).

]]> Civil Engineer, Civil, Engineer, Engineering, Chester County No Ep. 7 - Market Street Grill and More with Christian Greco 7 7 Ep. 7 - Market Street Grill and More with Christian Greco full 84c9c29d-eb8f-400e-9645-e01abfad6164 https://share.transistor.fm/s/8079adbc This week on Know Boundaries, Denny welcomes Christian Greco, owner of his all-time favorite breakfast spot—Market Street Grill. They chat about Denny’s surprising Birds fandom, their shared love of West Chester and the alternate career path Denny might have taken if the 2008 market crash had gone differently.

]]> This week on Know Boundaries, Denny welcomes Christian Greco, owner of his all-time favorite breakfast spot—Market Street Grill. They chat about Denny’s surprising Birds fandom, their shared love of West Chester and the alternate career path Denny might have taken if the 2008 market crash had gone differently.

]]> Mon, 08 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0500 Denny L Howell II Denny L Howell II 2053 This week on Know Boundaries, Denny welcomes Christian Greco, owner of his all-time favorite breakfast spot—Market Street Grill. They chat about Denny’s surprising Birds fandom, their shared love of West Chester and the alternate career path Denny might have taken if the 2008 market crash had gone differently.

]]> Civil Engineer, Civil, Engineer, Engineering, Chester County No Ep. 6 - Land Law & Order with Brian Nagle 6 6 Ep. 6 - Land Law & Order with Brian Nagle full ab02752c-da34-4676-8520-6df9740c936e https://share.transistor.fm/s/7ac4ad93 On this episode of The Bearded Engineer, Denny sits down with Brian Nagle — an attorney specializing in land use and zoning law, former semi-pro hockey player and yes… an archaeologist. They dig into why building a house somehow takes longer than growing a human, the ordinances that make engineers question everything and whether stenographers might be the true unsung heroes of township meetings.


If you’ve ever wondered why your dream home is stuck in permit purgatory, this episode breaks it all down.

]]> On this episode of The Bearded Engineer, Denny sits down with Brian Nagle — an attorney specializing in land use and zoning law, former semi-pro hockey player and yes… an archaeologist. They dig into why building a house somehow takes longer than growing a human, the ordinances that make engineers question everything and whether stenographers might be the true unsung heroes of township meetings.


If you’ve ever wondered why your dream home is stuck in permit purgatory, this episode breaks it all down.

]]> Mon, 24 Nov 2025 07:00:00 -0500 Denny L Howell II Denny L Howell II 1739 On this episode of The Bearded Engineer, Denny sits down with Brian Nagle — an attorney specializing in land use and zoning law, former semi-pro hockey player and yes… an archaeologist. They dig into why building a house somehow takes longer than growing a human, the ordinances that make engineers question everything and whether stenographers might be the true unsung heroes of township meetings.


If you’ve ever wondered why your dream home is stuck in permit purgatory, this episode breaks it all down.

]]> Civil Engineer, Civil, Engineer, Engineering, Chester County No Ep. 5 - Finding Great Talent with Toni Evgenidis 5 5 Ep. 5 - Finding Great Talent with Toni Evgenidis full eb9243bc-4109-437b-a59b-9258483d6c81 https://share.transistor.fm/s/07db085c In the fifth episode of the Know Boundaries podcast, Denny sits down with Howell’s Talent Acquisition Manager, Toni Evgenidis, to talk about what it takes to proactively attract and retain top talent in a competitive, ever-evolving industry. Tune in as they discuss how Howell stays ahead as a niche company within a niche market where finding the right people makes all the difference. 

]]> In the fifth episode of the Know Boundaries podcast, Denny sits down with Howell’s Talent Acquisition Manager, Toni Evgenidis, to talk about what it takes to proactively attract and retain top talent in a competitive, ever-evolving industry. Tune in as they discuss how Howell stays ahead as a niche company within a niche market where finding the right people makes all the difference. 

]]> Mon, 03 Nov 2025 10:04:24 -0500 Denny L Howell II Denny L Howell II 1640 In the fifth episode of the Know Boundaries podcast, Denny sits down with Howell’s Talent Acquisition Manager, Toni Evgenidis, to talk about what it takes to proactively attract and retain top talent in a competitive, ever-evolving industry. Tune in as they discuss how Howell stays ahead as a niche company within a niche market where finding the right people makes all the difference. 

]]> Civil Engineer, Civil, Engineer, Engineering, Chester County No Ep. 4 - Enter the Realtor - Chuck Swope 4 4 Ep. 4 - Enter the Realtor - Chuck Swope full 0b3c3254-0858-4efa-9352-98a247701134 https://share.transistor.fm/s/b94a0670 Four episodes in and hitting our stride! This week Denny sits down with Chuck Swope, CEO and Broker of Record at Swope Lees Commercial Real Estate! Long time friends, Denny and Chuck discuss using tech and AI as supplements to human wisdom and creativity. Each opportunity and hurdle in the current commercial climate requires a new approach. Hear their honest views for repurposing and redevelopment, and their suggestions for a path to affordable housing.

]]> Four episodes in and hitting our stride! This week Denny sits down with Chuck Swope, CEO and Broker of Record at Swope Lees Commercial Real Estate! Long time friends, Denny and Chuck discuss using tech and AI as supplements to human wisdom and creativity. Each opportunity and hurdle in the current commercial climate requires a new approach. Hear their honest views for repurposing and redevelopment, and their suggestions for a path to affordable housing.

]]> Mon, 20 Oct 2025 07:55:00 -0400 Denny L Howell II Denny L Howell II 2116 Four episodes in and hitting our stride! This week Denny sits down with Chuck Swope, CEO and Broker of Record at Swope Lees Commercial Real Estate! Long time friends, Denny and Chuck discuss using tech and AI as supplements to human wisdom and creativity. Each opportunity and hurdle in the current commercial climate requires a new approach. Hear their honest views for repurposing and redevelopment, and their suggestions for a path to affordable housing.

]]> Civil Engineer, Civil, Engineer, Engineering, Chester County No Ep. 3 - The First Employee - Joe Russella 3 3 Ep. 3 - The First Employee - Joe Russella full 9635a38c-124c-463c-97e7-e491d0d9d02c https://share.transistor.fm/s/8ebc4b77 He's cool, calm, and collected, he's the Duke of Delco, it's Joe Russella in today's episode! Joe talks at length on this one about how he and the other cavemen invented fire first, then drafting with stone and rock. Joe and Denny talk about the early days of Howell, drafting, and how the business has changed in the past few decades.

]]> He's cool, calm, and collected, he's the Duke of Delco, it's Joe Russella in today's episode! Joe talks at length on this one about how he and the other cavemen invented fire first, then drafting with stone and rock. Joe and Denny talk about the early days of Howell, drafting, and how the business has changed in the past few decades.

]]> Fri, 03 Oct 2025 11:29:10 -0400 Denny L Howell II Denny L Howell II 1935 He's cool, calm, and collected, he's the Duke of Delco, it's Joe Russella in today's episode! Joe talks at length on this one about how he and the other cavemen invented fire first, then drafting with stone and rock. Joe and Denny talk about the early days of Howell, drafting, and how the business has changed in the past few decades.

]]> Civil Engineer, Civil, Engineer, Engineering, Chester County No Ep. 2 - Landscape Architecture with Kenzie Howell 2 2 Ep. 2 - Landscape Architecture with Kenzie Howell full 9a92dd6b-42d4-44b4-aa97-7276903341f4 https://share.transistor.fm/s/039bfe58 Mackenzie (Kenzie) Howell joins Denny Howell talking about her recent graduation from the University of Delaware with a degree in Landscape Architecture. Kenzie talks about her time at UD, her Senior Project, and working at Howell doing both Civil drafting as well as Landscape design. Denny's one proud dad in this one!

]]> Mackenzie (Kenzie) Howell joins Denny Howell talking about her recent graduation from the University of Delaware with a degree in Landscape Architecture. Kenzie talks about her time at UD, her Senior Project, and working at Howell doing both Civil drafting as well as Landscape design. Denny's one proud dad in this one!

]]> Fri, 03 Oct 2025 11:28:50 -0400 Denny L Howell II Denny L Howell II 1125 Mackenzie (Kenzie) Howell joins Denny Howell talking about her recent graduation from the University of Delaware with a degree in Landscape Architecture. Kenzie talks about her time at UD, her Senior Project, and working at Howell doing both Civil drafting as well as Landscape design. Denny's one proud dad in this one!

]]> Civil Engineer, Civil, Engineer, Engineering, Chester County No Ep. 1 - Between Two Dennys 1 1 Ep. 1 - Between Two Dennys full 51bf946c-613f-47a1-b078-4070a0df4ad3 https://share.transistor.fm/s/e3503e53 Welcome to the first episode of Know Boundaries from the Bearded Engineer! Covering rants, ravings, conversations, and more about Civil Engineering. In the inaugural episode, D2 and D3 talk about the changes in Civil Engineering between generations, D3 getting licensed as a Professional Engineer (PE), AND some other things as well! D1 would be proud. Apologies for the subpar audio, still a work in progress!

]]> Welcome to the first episode of Know Boundaries from the Bearded Engineer! Covering rants, ravings, conversations, and more about Civil Engineering. In the inaugural episode, D2 and D3 talk about the changes in Civil Engineering between generations, D3 getting licensed as a Professional Engineer (PE), AND some other things as well! D1 would be proud. Apologies for the subpar audio, still a work in progress!

]]> Fri, 03 Oct 2025 11:18:55 -0400 Denny L Howell II Denny L Howell II 1784 Welcome to the first episode of Know Boundaries from the Bearded Engineer! Covering rants, ravings, conversations, and more about Civil Engineering. In the inaugural episode, D2 and D3 talk about the changes in Civil Engineering between generations, D3 getting licensed as a Professional Engineer (PE), AND some other things as well! D1 would be proud. Apologies for the subpar audio, still a work in progress!

]]> Civil Engineer, Civil, Engineer, Engineering, Chester County No