Palani founded Foresight Engineering & Design in early 2018 to fill a need for qualified, locally based engineering services on the Big Island’s west side.  Thanks to the mentorship and guidance of other long-standing members of the engineering community, including Steve Herbert and Nancy Burns, the business has grown in leaps and bounds from designing and permitting septic systems and small stone walls to entire subdivisions, multifamily affordable housing units, stormwater mitigation measures and municipal utilities for public and private clients alike.

 

Born and raised in Kailua Kona, Palani is a passionate supporter of community improvement projects and responsible land use.  He is a lifelong waterman and a proud graduate of Kealakehe High School and the Colorado School of Mines.

Born and raised in Honoka’a along the Big Island’s wild north coast, Winter’s passion for artistic expression and love for the ocean took him to Chapman University in southern California where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in film production.  His career in film editing and production eventually led him to Foresight where his artistic eye, deep focus, and attention to detail have made him an invaluable asset to the team as both a CAD draftsman and as engineering support across a multitude of project types.

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Before coming to work at Foresight, Winter helped to create and manage a productive Koa lumber salvage and milling operation on the slopes of Mauna Loa, restored historic structures in Kohala and developed a unique style of mosaic panel artwork using native Hawaiian hardwoods and traditional kapa cloth patterns, one of which won best in show at the 2024 Hawaii’s Wood Show in Honolulu.

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Originally hailing from Boston and graduating magna cum laude from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Nancy’s illustrious career as a civil engineer in Hawaii began in Hilo in 1989.  She rose quickly to become one of the Big Island’s best and her long list of career highlights as lead designer include everything from federal highway projects, subdivisions across the island in nearly every district, municipal water, sewer and storm drainage systems, and a multitude of affordable housing projects.  If you’ve been to the Big Island, you’ve used something Nancy helped to create. 

 

Nancy’s love of hiking and outdoor exploration led her to settle in Kona and her strong sense of duty and generosity toward the community that took her in continues to this day.  Nancy’s current focus is on master-planning affordable housing projects on the Big Island and lending her wisdom and experience to mentor the next generation of engineers at Foresight.  In her spare time, Nancy chairs the Transportation Committee of the NCEES Exam Board and travels to North Carolina four times a year to help write the national FE and PE exams.  Outside of the office, Nancy can be found most afternoons hiking in the forests of Kaloko mauka and petting any dog, big or small, that passes by.