Leadership Team

Sandra Loy Bell
Chairman of the Board

As Skelly and Loy’s Chairman of the Board, Sandi is actively involved in the day-to-day operations of the firm, with a principal focus on corporate strategic planning and business development. Sandi joined the firm as a marketing assistant in 1984. In addition to playing a leadership role in the firm’s growth through the years, she has been actively dedicated to many professional, civic, and charitable organizations.
From 2002 to 2003, Sandi served as the first and, to date, only woman President of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Pennsylvania. She also has served in board leadership roles for the Pennsylvania State Board of Higher Education, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Capital Region, the Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) Harrisburg Section, and as a board member of the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, the Harrisburg YMCA, West Shore Country Club, and the Whitaker Center. Sandi was recognized in 2010 by the Central Penn Business Journal Woman of Influence, in 1999 by Governor Edward G. Rendell and Pennsylvania’s business journals as one of the 50 Best Women In Pennsylvania, and in 2002 by ASHE Harrisburg as its Member of the Year.

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John W. Gunnett, P.G.
President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer

John joined Skelly and Loy in 1973 and has worked in roles ranging from project engineer to project consultant and supervisory partner on assignments in the United States and abroad. His duties as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Operating Officer include oversight of corporate operations, serving as Corporate Quality Manager, overseeing the company’s human resources and health and safety programs, and leading marketing and business development activities in the federal and municipal government sectors.
John’s technical areas of expertise are geology, mineral processing, economic analysis, fuel supply assessments, and mining engineering. He has authored many papers and presented at conferences throughout the country on coal mining and mine reclamation topics. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Coal Association, the Society of Mining Engineers, and the Society of American Military Engineers. John was recognized in 1996 as a Centennial Fellow of the Pennsylvania State University’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology and a Master of Science degree in Mining Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University.

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Sandra K. Basehore
Executive Vice President
Environmental Services

Sandy is responsible for all aspects of personnel and project management, client satisfaction, and business development for environmental services company –wide. Sandy joined Skelly and Loy in 1990 and most recently served as Vice President in charge of Skelly and Loy’s Harrisburg Environmental Services Group. Her 35-year career has focused on environmental impacts assessment and the development of cost-effective and regulatory-compliant mitigation actions for numerous public and private sector projects, including roadways, highways, and bridges; transmission lines; pipelines; and railroads. Sandy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Resource Management from The Pennsylvania State University and is actively involved in the American Society of Highway Engineers, Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Professionals, and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Pennsylvania.

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Gerald W. Longenecker, P.E.
Executive Vice President
Engineering Services

Gerry has company-wide responsibility for personnel and project management, client satisfaction, and business development associated with Skelly and Loy’s engineering services. He joined Skelly and Loy in 1993 and most recently served as Vice President in charge of Skelly and Loy’s Environmental Engineering Services Group. Gerry has 37 years of engineering, design, and permitting experience involving stream restoration, watershed assessments, stormwater management, solid waste handling, industrial and sanitary wastewater treatment, dam safety, water resources engineering, and wetland-related evaluations. He is a registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Tennessee, and North Carolina and holds Master and Bachelor of Science degrees in Agricultural Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University.

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James T. France, C.P.A.
Executive Vice President
Chief Financial Officer

As Chief Financial Officer, Jim is responsible for the financial management and the daily activities of the accounting department. He also serves as project coordinator for the implementation of a dynamic Web-enabled and company-wide software solution allowing capture and assembly of data required to more efficiently bill project time and expenses. His specific responsibilities include strategic planning, budgeting, risk management, project control, cash management, banking relations, company audits, FAR compliance, and overall financial direction. Jim has more than 40 years of accounting and financial management experience, primarily associated with professional consulting engineering firms. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from Loyola College of Maryland and is a certified public accountant in Maryland.