Carollo Engineers expands stormwater service offerings with leadership hires
Carollo Engineers announced on July 23, 2025, the expansion of its stormwater service offering with leadership appointments across two major markets. The firm recently welcomed Millicent Cowley-Crawford as vice president and California stormwater lead, joining Vice President Stephen Costello, who leads stormwater efforts in Texas, strengthening the company’s ability to deliver comprehensive stormwater management solutions across these critical regions.
The strategic hires reflect the company’s commitment to addressing the increasing demand for sustainable stormwater infrastructure as communities throughout North America face growing challenges from extreme weather events, aging infrastructure, and evolving regulations.
“These appointments represent our ongoing investment in growing our stormwater capabilities,” said Caroline Burger, vice president and national stormwater lead at Carollo, in a press release. “With enhanced regional leadership in California and Texas – two of the nation’s largest and most complex water markets – we’re positioned to better serve our clients’ stormwater management needs while advancing innovative, resilient infrastructure solutions.”
Carollo’s investment in its stormwater capabilities comes as municipalities and industrial clients increasingly seek integrated stormwater solutions to address regulatory compliance, flood mitigation and water quality protection. This approach reflects the growing adoption of a One Water philosophy in which stormwater plays a critical role. California’s stringent stormwater regulations and changing weather patterns, along with Texas’s rapid urban development, create substantial opportunities for specialized engineering services.
Enhanced regional expertise
Leading stormwater efforts across California and Hawaii, Millicent Cowley-Crawford brings over 25 years of specialized experience in stormwater and flood control planning, compliance, design, and construction across both state government and private practice. She has managed projects of varying size and complexity, including storm drain and flood control master plans, watershed and riverine studies, and multi-benefit stormwater capture projects. Cowley-Crawford holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Humboldt State University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in California, as well as a Certified Floodplain Manager and Executive Board Member of the Floodplain Management Association of California, Nevada, and Hawaii.
Stephen Costello brings an exceptional 47-year career focused exclusively on Texas stormwater management, regional flood mitigation, and urban drainage improvements to the role of Texas stormwater lead. His career began as a civilian with the US Army Corps of Engineers, where he worked in the hydrology and hydraulic branch developing local floodplain maps and designing coastal hydraulic erosion control structures. Costello built Costello, Inc. from the ground up, growing the Houston-based civil engineering firm to 110 employees while earning repeated recognition from the Houston Business Journal as one of the “Best Places to Work” before it was acquired in 2023. In 2010 he was elected as an At-Large City Council Member and later transitioned to city administration following the completion of his council term. Post Hurricane Harvey, Costello assumed the position of the City of Houston Chief Recovery Officer – widely known as the “Flood Czar” – coordinating over $400 million in federal- and state-funded flood mitigation projects. He holds a Master of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas.
These appointments significantly expand Carollo’s ability to serve clients across the full spectrum of stormwater challenges. Crawford brings deep knowledge of California’s regulatory environment and proven success in securing grant funding for multi-benefit projects. Costello’s extensive agency relationships and experience managing large-scale post-disaster recovery projects will provide clients with strategic advantages in project approval and emergency response planning.
Together, they enhance Carollo’s ability to deliver comprehensive solutions from watershed-scale planning and flood mitigation to green infrastructure and stormwater capture projects.
