Paul E. Diggs, PE

Paul Diggs answered a posting in the University of Virginia’s Thornton Hall for a summer internship at Schnabel’s Richmond lab in 1983 and has been with the firm ever since. He spent the next several years learning the craft of geotechnical engineering from an extraordinary cadre of mentors inside and outside the firm. After several years of managing projects, he moved into leadership roles. These ranged from Department Leader for Construction Services to Branch Leader of our three offices along the I-64 corridor (Charlottesville, Richmond, and Newport News, Virginia). He spent several years on the firm’s ESOP Trustee Board and three years on the Board of Directors. In 2021 Paul assumed a regional leadership role as the Executive Vice President for the southern offices of Schnabel’s Geotechnical Business Unit. That region includes the I-64 corridor offices and those in Blacksburg, Virginia; Knoxville, Tennessee; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Columbia, South Carolina.

Paul enjoys working collaboratively with clients, designers, and contractors to find practical and innovative solutions to the challenges presented by connecting projects to the earth. He is proud of the long-standing relationships he has built with a broad range of clients. He has been, or is currently, the Client Manager for municipalities, universities, industries, developers, AEs and contractors. He brings a perspective built on decades of experience, but he is most proud of the Schnabel team of smart, hardworking professionals that can be mobilized to solve our clients’ problems.

Some of his favorite things include family outings with his wife and four children, watching and coaching his twin girls’ soccer team, playing golf, being on or in the water, UVA sports, reading, and learning.