Trent E Latta, PE, SE
Principal
Mr. Latta has over 15 years of experience designing structures of all construction types throughout the U.S. He founded Latta Structural Engineers after serving as Chief Operating Officer for an international structural engineering company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. He has served as Project Manager and Structural Engineer of Record for large healthcare projects located in hurricane-prone regions and high-seismic regions throughout the country. As Principal-in-Charge, he oversees all of the firm’s projects.
Mr. Latta received his B.S. degree in Engineering from The University of Tennessee at Martin and his M.S. degree in Structural Engineering with a concentration in structural dynamics and earthquake engineering, from Auburn University. He is a licensed Structural Engineer in California, Arizona, and Illinois, a licensed Professional Engineer in 24 states and the District of Columbia, and holds the Model Law Structural Engineer designation by the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors.
Mr. Latta stays abreast with the latest developments in the field of structural engineering through professional affiliations with the American Institute of Steel Construction, American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Middle Tennessee Structural Engineers Association (MTSEA). He is a member of the Structural Engineer Emergency Response (SEER) committee of the MTSEA and a member of the TNSAVE coalition. Mr. Latta is trained in the FEMA procedures for evaluating structures in post-disaster events such as earthquakes, floods, and wind storms and he is a registered emergency respondent with the State of California’s Safety Assessment Program.
J Kirk Hodge, PE, SE
Structural Engineer
Mr. Hodge joined Latta Structural Engineers, LLC in October 2010 and is responsible for the structural design and documentation of building projects. He has assisted with multiple projects including several medical office buildings, warehouse foundation designs, and renovations of schools. Prior to joining Latta Structural Engineers Mr. Hodge worked in Haiti alongside two hundred Haitian engineers employed by the Government of Haiti’s Ministry of Public Works in assessing earthquake damage after the January 2010 earthquake. In Haiti, he supported the Haitian engineers through capacity-building of earthquake engineering knowledge.
Mr. Hodge began his engineering career in California working in Los Angeles on civic and commercial buildings. He has also completed the structural design for multiple residential properties in the Tahoe area of California prior to moving to Tennessee. Mr. Hodge has also worked for a Nashville-based structural engineering firm for four years providing structural engineering for healthcare facilities.
Johnny E Neely
Structural Technician
Mr. Neely has over 15 years of experience detailing and drafting in the structural engineering industry. He is involved in the production of projects from preliminary design to final approval. Mr. Neely has extensive knowledge of cad software and practices including BIM experience utilizing Revit Structure. He has experience detailing and drafting all types of structural systems and drawings including existing site conditions, demolition plans, new plans, and detail sheets.