DFI Announces New Board of Trustee Members

Hawthorne, N.J.—DFI’s membership voted to elect two new members to the DFI Board of Trustees. Their terms begin on January 1, 2026. The newly elected trustees are Luca Barison, Nicholson Construction Company, and Tanner Blackburn, Ph.D., P.E., Keller.

Luca Barison is the senior vice president of strategy and business development for the Major Projects Group at Nicholson Construction Company, based in Centennial, Colorado. He is a senior executive and civil engineer with more than 30 years of experience in the heavy civil and geotechnical construction industry. Barison brings deep expertise in foundation and geotechnical engineering, including deep foundations, shoring systems and ground improvement techniques. He leads the company’s national strategy for acquiring and delivering large-scale, technically complex infrastructure projects across private, public and federal markets. He holds a master’s degree in civil engineering from the Polytechnic University of Milan and is a licensed Professional Engineer on the Official Roll of the “Order of Engineers” – Monza e Brianza (Italy). 

Tanner Blackburn is vice president – engineering of Keller North America. Working with a team of engineers across the U.S. and Canada, he actively contributes to Keller’s design-build practice, focusing on technical risk management, engineering design competency, quality management and innovation. Blackburn is licensed in several states and has been the designer of record and project manager for many ground improvement, grouting, piling and earth retention projects. An active member of DFI, he served as chair of the Ground Improvement Committee from 2015–2019. Blackburn received his bachelor’s degree in physics from Middlebury College and his master’s and doctorate in civil engineering from Northwestern University. 

The two trustees who were re-elected to serve another term are Peter Faust, Dipl.-Ing., Malcolm Drilling, and Franz-Werner Gerressen, Dipl.-Ing., Bauer Maschinen.

DFI is appreciative of the support and service of outgoing trustees David Paul, P.E., Paul GeoTek Engineering, and Howard Perko, Ph.D., P.E., Magnum Piering. 

About the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI)

DFI is an international association of contractors, engineers, manufacturers, suppliers, academics and owners in the deep foundations industry. Our multidisciplinary membership creates a consensus voice and a common vision for continual improvement in the planning, design and construction of deep foundations and excavations. We bring together members for networking, education, communication and collaboration. With our members, we promote the advancement of the deep foundations industry through technical committees, educational programs and conferences, publications, research, government relations and outreach. DFI has more than 4,000 members worldwide.