Mr. Bennett is a Principal Engineer of Building and Structures with Exponent. He is a licensed civil engineer in 19 states and a licensed general contractor who has 20 years of experience in the design and construction industry. Mr. Bennett has a diverse background in Civil, Mechanical, and Architectural Engineering as those disciplines apply to buildings and infrastructure. He has hands-on construction experience working in the construction trades, including framing, excavation, concrete, adhered masonry veneer, construction of water resistive building envelopes, flooring, roofing, plumbing, mechanical, and finish carpentry. As an engineer, he has experience in the structural and architectural design of new buildings and the repair design of damaged structures. Mr. Bennett has experience in the building code development process and has expertise in interpreting and applying building codes. He has investigated structural and architectural damage induced by expansive soils, hail, wind, tornadoes, seismic events, fires and explosions, rain, progressive ponding, construction vibrations, and snow events, as well as failures caused by design or construction defects. Mr. Bennett has investigated building envelope failures caused by defects in flashing, stucco, exterior insulating finish systems (EIFSs), windows/doors, cladding, roofing, water-resistive barriers, and plaza deck failures. He has conducted hundreds of investigations of both steep and low-slope roofing systems for damage caused by snow, hail, wind, and construction errors. Mr. Bennett has performed building product research on engineered wood products (such as OSB and plywood) and the effects moisture has on the strength and moisture transmission properties of those materials. He has experience in investigating building product failures for such products, spray foam insulation (SPF), engineered wood, roofing products, and fiber cement siding. Mr. Bennett has experience in investigating window and door performance and manufacturing problems. He has investigated window wall, curtain wall, and storefront glass systems in high rise and commercial buildings as well as typical residential windows . Mr. Bennett is a member of the ASTM E06.51 Subcommittee on Performance of Windows, Doors, Skylights and Curtain Walls. He has an understanding of building physics, hydrothermal analysis, and diagnosing moisture and condensation problems in buildings. Mr. Bennett has investigated HVAC system problems and their impact on the indoor environment as well as occupant thermal comfort complaints. With experience as a General Contractor, expertise in the building codes, and having designed architectural and structural repairs for structures, he has evaluated and performed damage cost estimates and cost allocation reports for damaged structures. Mr. Bennett has offered opinions regarding the Standard of Care of the General Contractor and the Engineer of Record. As a civil engineer He has experience in design of grading, drainage, transportation, and utility system infrastructure. Mr. Bennett has experience in site design for commercial, industrial, mixed-use, single family, and multi-family projects. He has investigated several personal injury cases that occurred in and around structures including slip, trip, and fall incidents With his hands on experience in construction job site safety and an OSHA 30 certificate, he has investigated numerous incidents with construction related injuries.

Ms. Fust received a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Minnesota and went on to work at an Architecture firm in Minneapolis for nearly 10 years, progressing from a draftsperson to a project manager with several national clients. She worked on projects throughout the country from the design phase through construction administration and closeout. Working with many jurisdictions all over the country gave her an interest and appreciation for building codes and code enforcement. She moved back to Billings, Montana, where she was born and raised, in 2014. Ms. Fust started her job with the City of Billings in 2015 as a senior plans examiner. Her career with the City of Billings progressed from senior plans examiner, to deputy building official, to facilities manager, and finally building official. She has been in the building official role for three years and manages a staff of nine inspectors, four plans examiners, and three administrative staff. Ms. Fust also completed a Masters of Public Administration through the University of Montana in 2021. She has been involved in the Montana Chapter of the International Code Council, serving as the secretary/treasurer, and the vice-president. She has also been involved with state code development by submitting proposed code revisions and testifying at hearings. Billings is the largest city in Montana and has seen tremendous growth over the past several years.