CAD Masters, Inc.

Autodesk Gold Partner Since 1994

Meet Our Team

Our engineers, trainers, and specialists bring decades of hands-on experience across architecture, civil engineering, mechanical design, and GIS. We're here to help your team get the most out of Autodesk software.

Executives

Michelle Sipos

Michelle Sipos

Chief Executive Officer

32 years at CAD Masters

Michelle is a leader in all aspects of the industry. She has been on the cutting edge of Autodesk infrastructure technology since its inception. In addition to her experience as a trainer, programmer, engineer, and builder, Michelle brings the unique perspective of a business owner to the planning process. She has the ability to see through to the root of the matter and understands the overarching objectives of ROI, market positioning, business development, and resource management. She is an excellent communicator, both oral and written, and excels at moving an initiative forward to completion. Michelle has built many industry relationships and brings all available resources to bear on our projects.

Education
  • B.S., Civil Engineering, U.C. Berkeley, 1989
Registered Civil Engineer, Lic. #C52785Licensed General Contractor #793524
Mike Self

Mike Self

Chief Operating Officer

32 years at CAD Masters

Mike runs the show at CAD Masters. He manages daily operations, allocation of staff resources, and the IT, phone, and data backbone at all CAD locations. He has a passion for computer hardware and an intrinsic problem-solving ability. He gives his full attention to client issues and doesn't stop until a solution is found. Mike is knowledgeable in all aspects of the industry and can bring tremendous resources to bear on any project.

Education
  • B.A., Economics & Rhetoric, U.C. Berkeley, 1988

Senior Engineers

Drew Burgasser

Drew Burgasser

Senior Vice President

30 years at CAD Masters

Drew is the Senior VP at CAD Masters. He manages some of our more complicated projects including large scale BIM and GIS implementations, custom programming projects, and all varieties of building and civil engineering design projects. Drew is expert at Autodesk software implementation and has provided guidance to the largest engineering firms in the western United States as well as governments and utilities. His expertise in Autodesk technology, engineering, and project management makes him uniquely qualified to assist with planning and implementation of the most complex environments. His past experience as an instructor lends well to planning custom training programs and curriculum. His network, hardware, and server OS background gives him the knowledge necessary to consult on the setup of WANs, servers, deployments, and debugging of complex multi-faceted support issues. His extensive programming experience allows him to contribute to complex program development projects. Drew is a conscientious planner, very detail oriented, thorough and thoughtful, and a tremendous asset to our clients.

Education
  • B.A., Architecture, UC Berkeley, 1993
  • M.S., Structural Engineering, U.C. Berkeley, 1996
Registered Civil Engineer, Lic. #C60726Expert in Microsoft Networks, SQL and Oracle, ESRI, and AndroidExpert programming in Visual Lisp, VB.NET, C#FME Certified ProfessionalAutodesk Certified Instructor - Platinum
Matt Sparks

Matt Sparks

VP, Software and Training & Autodesk Certified Instructor

29 years at CAD Masters

Matt is both the VP of Software and Training at CMI and our most beloved instructor. He is largely responsible for CMI's reputation for outstanding quality training because of his own tremendous teaching skills as well as the mentorship of our training team. He has developed much of the CMI training curriculum, course materials, and video content. Matt teaches across disciplines including BIM, GIS, Civil, Architectural, MEP, and Process Plant. As a Registered Civil Engineer he also provides engineering design services. His reputation is for phenomenal speed and accuracy. He has been instrumental in Autodesk implementation programs for many of our private and public sector clients. Matt is an excellent communicator, establishing a comfortable rapport with students and managers alike. His depth of knowledge makes him an excellent contributor in the development of workflow and procedures, specifications and coding for custom applications, and custom training. Matt acts as project manager for our largest CAD Standardization projects.

Education
  • B.S., Civil Engineering, U.C. Davis, 1997
Registered Civil Engineer, Lic. #C62122Autodesk Specializations: AEC Building, Civil Infrastructure, MEP Systems, Process Plant and Product SupportExpert at Microsoft Networks, SQL and OracleExpert programming in Visual Lisp, VB.NET, and C#2023 Autodesk AEC Instructor of the YearAutodesk Certified Instructor - Platinum
Neil Bondy

Neil Bondy

VP of Technical Services

27 years at CAD Masters

Neil is the VP of Technical Services at CMI. He is expert in the use of Autodesk technology on real-world design projects and assists our clients as a Project Designer/Drafter. Neil has worked on a wide variety of engineering and architectural projects for a diverse group of clients. He has worked with some of these firms for over a dozen years and so has a deep understanding of their industry and their specific design problems. This, along with his superior skills with Autodesk technology, has guaranteed him a devoted clientele. Some of his past projects include an Autodesk GIS implementation for the City of Palo Alto Utilities, roadways in Guam, wetlands restoration work in the Sacramento Delta, and much more. Neil leverages his expertise in Autodesk technology to review efficiencies and improve processes and quality for his clients. They also appreciate his ability to help them meet new BIM and deliverable requirements, ensuring they are always able to bid on the most complex and profitable opportunities. Neil is generous with his time and so is a mentor to our new engineers as they learn to design and provide support to our customers.

Education
  • Civil and Environmental Engineering, San Francisco State University, 2000
Autodesk Specialization: Civil InfrastructureAutodesk Specialization: AEC BuildingAutodesk Certified Instructor - Platinum

Technical Specialists

Elizabeth Valerio

Elizabeth Valerio

Application Engineer & Autodesk Certified Instructor

12 years at CAD Masters

Before coming to CAD Masters, Elizabeth gained valuable design experience as a Civil Engineer-in-Training at BKF, a prestigious CA engineering firm. Her project expertise includes transportation, land planning, utility design, and CAD management. She then spent several years teaching math at a local high school, refining her ability to communicate and engage students. At CAD Masters, she has found the perfect home for her valuable combination of teaching and engineering expertise. Our students say that time in her classroom is time well spent. When not teaching, Elizabeth applies her engineering experience to our project assistance. Her tremendous CAD skills together with her project background make her an instant boost to the productivity of any project team. She can help your staff use the tools more efficiently and help to manage your project files and standards, all while lending a powerful hand to your project output and schedule. On the rare day when she can be found at her desk, Elizabeth is a valuable member of our technical support team.

Education
  • B.S., Civil Engineering, University of California, Davis, 2005
EIT Certification #121422Autodesk Certified Instructor - Standard
Ross McBeath

Ross McBeath

Application Engineer & Autodesk Certified Instructor

10 years at CAD Masters

Ross is a tenured instructor here at CAD Masters and a valuable contributor to our technical support team. By encouraging curiosity as part of a healthy learning process, Ross helps to make the process enjoyable and his lessons stick. Before coming to CAD Masters, Ross worked on the Structures team at Premier Engineering Corp, in Tempe, Arizona. There he did field work inspecting bridges, while learning the ins-and-outs of software systems such as Pontis and ADOT's remote desktop. Ross's other talents include building websites in JavaScript and HTML, writing hydrology and game algorithms in MATLAB, and teaching geography at summer camp in Sonora, Mexico. He rounded out his experience interning at Kern Aviation and volunteering as a Math Tutor.

Education
  • B.A., Psychology, UC Berkeley, 2012
  • B.S., Civil Engineering, Arizona State University, 2014
Autodesk Certified Instructor - Standard
John Dingwall

John Dingwall

Application Engineer & Autodesk Certified Instructor

9 years at CAD Masters

John has become a sought-after instructor and is a valuable contributor to our technical support team here at CAD Masters. His background in computer science makes him a great resource for IT support and programming. He has worked on several projects, for many months each, and doing project drafting with some of our best customers has honed his production skills. Before coming to CAD Masters, John gained experience as a business owner of a technology firm and as a math tutor. His enthusiasm in the classroom will keep you engaged and his fix-anything, solve-anything attitude can be leveraged on your most difficult issues.

Education
  • B.S., Electrical Engineering w/ minor in Computer Science, UC Davis, 2017
Autodesk Specialization: AEC Industry CollectionAutodesk Specialization: Product SupportAutodesk Certified Instructor - Standard
Adrian Baccelli

Adrian Baccelli

Application Engineer & Autodesk Certified Instructor

4 years at CAD Masters

Adrian Baccelli is our newest instructor and engineer-in-training at CAD Masters. He is a UC Davis graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, and an Associate's Degree in Mathematics, Physics, Science, and Electrical Engineering from American River College. With strong people skills and work ethic, Adrian approaches his responsibilities with determination. Previously, Adrian had been working as a Brewing Instructor at Hop Hero Homebrew Supply in Sacramento, where he taught classes in various styles of brewing, curated ingredients for recipes, and fielded questions about brewing and winemaking.

Education
  • B.S., Chemical Engineering, U.C. Davis, 2022
  • A.S., Mathematics, Physics, Science, and Electrical Engineering, American River College, 2020
Autodesk Certified Instructor - Standard
Diana Podnebesnyy

Diana Podnebesnyy

Application Engineer & Drafter

4 years at CAD Masters

Diana Podnebesnyy is a CAD drafter with CAD Masters who also helps our customers with technical support issues in AutoCAD and Civil 3D. Diana is currently completing her Mechanical Engineering degree at Sacramento State University. For the last few years, Diana has been working as an insurance clerk at a dental office, where she has honed her organizational and customer service skills. Prior to that, Diana worked as a medical assistant at an ophthalmology clinic. Diana's diverse background and skills make her an excellent team member. She is a quick learner, a skilled communicator, and has strong attention to detail.

Education
  • A.S., Mechanical Engineering, Sacramento State University, ongoing

Account Specialists

Dwayne Tindall

Dwayne Tindall

Account Specialist

26 years at CAD Masters

Dwayne is our most tenured account manager. He has a unique depth of knowledge of every Autodesk product and its evolution that lends well to providing expert advice to his customers. Dwayne has excellent people skills and attention to detail. He has worked hard to build long-term relationships with his clients and attributes these relationships to the reason he enjoys his work so much. Dwayne also has a superb technical knowledge of Autodesk licensing that allows him to tackle the most difficult deployments.

Lynnette Ferro

Lynnette Ferro

Account Specialist

19 years at CAD Masters

Lynnette is both an experienced account manager for CAD Masters and the manager for our Authorized Training Center. Her professionalism and courtesy are an asset to CAD Masters. She provides our customers with the highest quality experience whether in training or purchasing software. Whatever your needs, Lynnette is here to help.

Eloise Mondfrans

Eloise Mondfrans

Account Specialist

14 years at CAD Masters

Eloise is an account manager for CAD Masters with several years of experience in the construction industry as well as past experience working with a sole engineer and an interior design firm. Her people skills and her willingness to go the extra mile to help people are a tremendous asset to our team.

Krysta Wood

Krysta Wood

Account Specialist

8 years at CAD Masters

Krysta is an account manager at CAD Masters with several years of experience in technical sales. She's a fast learner which lends well to the ever-changing Autodesk marketplace. Her energy and willingness to help are a tremendous asset to our team and to our clients.

Megan Self

Megan Self

Account Specialist

3 years at CAD Masters

Megan is the newest account manager to join the staff. She is eager and dedicated to learning all things Autodesk. She is excited to use her business degree and 5 years of management experience to assist customers with anything they need.

IT Specialists

Aaron Callagher

Aaron Callagher

Webmaster & Marketing Specialist

10 years at CAD Masters

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Mike Carr

Mike Carr

IT Specialist

17 years at CAD Masters

Mike has extensive experience planning, implementing, and maintaining complex IT systems, including MS Windows networks and servers, IP phone systems, MS Exchange email servers, web servers, and individual workstations. He is expert at the installation and configuration of all Autodesk products and license servers. In addition to providing quality service and support to our customers, Mike takes care of all of CAD Masters' internal IT needs and manages our state-of-the-art computer training centers.

Ryan Hui

Ryan Hui

IT Specialist

6 years at CAD Masters

Ryan is an IT Specialist at CAD Masters who designs and builds all CMI workstations. He has extensive experience installing and configuring Autodesk products and license servers, and troubleshooting complex software, hardware, and network issues. Additionally, he performs on-site maintenance for our computers and provides offsite computer maintenance for customers.