Levi Langevin – Partner Engineering & Science Inc.

In a constantly evolving industry, staying agile and maintaining a focus on the human element of the work is not just an advantage; it is a necessity. For Levi Langevin, senior project manager at Partner Engineering and Science, Inc., that balance has defined both his career and the impact he brings to complex environmental challenges across the country. Raised in a blue-collar family that ran its own residential construction business, Langevin grew up with an early understanding of how things get built, how things fall apart, and how much people rely on the unseen infrastructure beneath their feet. Those lessons, combined with a geologist’s curiosity and a passion for problem-solving, have positioned him as a trusted voice in a field where uncertainty is constant, and stakes run high.

Partner Engineering and Science is an international consulting firm specializing in engineering, environmental, construction, appraisal and energy services. With its multi-disciplinary approach, the firm supports clients throughout the life cycle of an asset, from due diligence and development through optimization and disposition. The company is built around a simple principle: no matter the problem or the conditions, clients will have a responsible and capable partner. For Langevin, that mission aligns naturally with his own instinct to educate, guide and protect those who may not fully grasp the complexities unfolding beneath their properties.

Early foundations

Long before he took on major environmental projects for banks, health systems and large commercial portfolios, Langevin was simply learning the rhythms of construction. His father and grandfather ran a family business, and he spent his summers and weekends on residential and light commercial job sites. Blueprint reading, soil conditions, structural decisions and troubleshooting were all part of daily life. In high school, however, he discovered geology and found himself drawn to the science of how the earth itself worked. Encouraged by a teacher who became a mentor, he pursued the discipline in college, even imagining a life studying volcanoes or working on offshore drilling rigs.

After graduating, he made an unconventional stop: a year in Hawaii working in construction. Then it was back to New Jersey, where he began groundwater sampling, slowly bridging the gap between his academic training and the hands-on work he had always loved. Several years in environmental sampling led to a director-level role and ultimately to a career focused on environmental construction and impact solutions.

That intersection felt natural. He understood how to talk to contractors, how to dig beneath a property, how soils behave, and how environmental issues ripple outward to finances, timelines and people’s lives. When he joined Partner in 2018, he found a place that valued both expertise and relationships. By 2022, he had moved into his current role, managing major portfolios for diverse clients, including Fortune 500 companies, national banks, and healthcare systems.

The Wisconsin challenge

Among his most complex recent challenges was a bank branch office in Wisconsin, a 5,000-square-foot building that had been shut down due to mold issues. On the surface, the project looked simple. But because the branch served as a wealth management office, expectations were sky-high. Time was sensitive, optics were paramount, and the number of decision makers required constant communication.

The project landed on Langevin’s desk because of his reputation for diagnosing problems others cannot. Even so, the path forward was neither quick nor easy. Meetings piled up. Change orders multiplied. Every possible cause had to be researched and ruled out. Work had stalled for months, and the client was adamant that nothing could recur.

When Langevin’s team visited the site for the first time, he knew immediately that moisture was coming from the crawl space, rising through a dirt floor and creating perfect conditions for mold. But knowing the answer and proving the answer are two different tasks.

“In this line of work, being technically sound isn’t enough,” Langevin said. “You have to understand people, be ready to pivot, and be relentless in finding solutions as you partner closely with clients.”

For weeks, he worked with ownership groups, building managers and multiple vendors to conduct testing, evaluations and assessments that satisfied the branch’s concerns. The challenge was not simply the elimination of mold. It was an assurance. With a high-profile client at risk of disruption and reputational impact, the team could not afford blind spots.

Langevin’s philosophy is rooted in transparency and education. Many stakeholders, he said, focus on short-term savings without fully appreciating the long-term consequences.

“People say that health is the most important thing, but sometimes they have to be willing to back that up with their budget,” he said. “Trying to save money by not going all-in at the beginning to take care of the problem could wind up costing them more in the long run.”

The Wisconsin project, now in the home stretch after yet another round of assessments, underscores his patience and his ability to guide clients through layers of complexity and conflicting priorities.

Partnership and perseverance in Newark

If the Wisconsin project shows Langevin’s methodical side, a recent remediation project in New Jersey highlights his leadership, collaboration and problem-solving under pressure. This project involved a small family-owned gas station and automotive repair shop originally purchased in the 1970s by a couple who had emigrated from Italy. After shutting down their fuel system in the early 1990s, they believed they had fulfilled all environmental obligations. It was not until more than 25 years later that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection notified them of unresolved issues.

They tried again to do the right thing, hiring a consultant who, unfortunately, let compliance deadlines slip, leaving them exposed to possible fines and the threat of direct state oversight. By the time they were introduced to Langevin, they had spent tens of thousands of dollars and still faced the possibility of losing control of their project entirely.

Langevin knew immediately that this was a situation that demanded both technical rigor and human compassion. The family hoped to sell the property and pass financial security to their children after decades of hard work. Failure was not an option. He developed a plan, coordinated with NJDEP Enforcement to avoid an administrative order, and promised closure within 90 days.

As the on-site contractor, they opened the ground and discovered multiple additional underground tanks, contaminated soil, and shallow bedrock, all of which could have derailed the project. Instead, the team adapted and kept communicating with the client and regulators.

Langevin takes particular pride in what they achieved.

“We were able to pivot, maintain transparency and stay the course,” he said. “Being creative and compassionate from a regulatory and financial perspective was key throughout this process.”

Against expectations, they delivered. For Langevin, the project demonstrates how environmental work is not just about science or construction. It is about protecting people, preserving legacies and doing the right thing even when the obstacles multiply.

Building the future

Today, Langevin is transitioning into a new role as a major project and portfolio manager. When promotion opportunities were presented, Langevin declined because it would remove him from the hands-on problem-solving he loves. Instead, he is exploring opportunities to become a national resource on environmental issues, possibly building a specialized team to support Partner’s work across the country.

Outside the office, he is a family man with two teenage sons who both play soccer. He spends weekends at their games or at the lake house he purchased in central New York, a return to the rural landscapes he grew up exploring. He still collects rocks, still fixes cars as a self-taught mechanic, and still values the feeling of working with his hands.

His work at Partner, rooted in adaptability and service, reflects his belief that the best environmental consultants are translators and guides. They see what others miss. They solve what others fear. They help clients understand not just the forest or the trees, but the landscape beneath them.

And like the bedrock he studied in school, Langevin’s integrity and clarity provide the foundation for everything built above it.