“As the senior member of the AME team I find it invigorating working with the younger engineers. An important part of my role at AME is to mentor the younger staff but when I address their insightful questions and observe their professionalism I often feel that I am learning more from them than they are from me.”

John W. Gaythwaite, PE, D.PE, D.CE - Chief Engineer

As Chief Engineer at AME with an impressive 50+ years of experience, John has been involved in the design of over $100 million in waterfront infrastructure improvements for the federal government as both project manager and peer reviewer. His lengthy experience has been instrumental in providing valuable guidance and direction to other AME project managers and mentoring junior staff on best engineering practices.  

John is a widely published author and respected engineer in the ports, marine, and coastal engineering fields. His publications include Design of Marine Facilities, Editions 1, 2 and 3; and Marine Environment and Structural Design. He also serves as Committee Chairman and Editor of the ASCE Practice Manual No. 129, “Mooring of Ships to Piers and Wharves”; and numerous technical papers covering a diverse range of topics including floating breakwaters, coastal zone construction and shore protection, waterfront rehabilitation, design of an offshore research platform, and arctic port structure restoration.

John is also an award-winning engineer as the 2010 recipient of the prestigious ASCE/COPRI; John G. Moffatt-Frank E. Nichol Harbor & Coastal Engineering Award. He was cited for his contributions to expanding the civil engineering community’s knowledge of the marine environment, for producing the standard texts in the industry, and for his dedication to the civil engineering profession. He has also appeared as a guest lecturer at several universities and at many professional meetings.

John is a life member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); an Honorary Life member of the ASCE/COPRI Ports & Harbors technical committee; and Life member of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers where he served on the editorial board of the Journal of Civil Engineering Practice for 24 years. He is also a long-time member of the Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses and the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. He is a board-certified Diplomate in coastal (D.CE) and in port engineering (D.PE) of the COPRI Academy of Coastal, Ocean, Port & Navigation Engineers.

John is a registered professional engineer in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Did You Know? John is an avid offshore and coastal cruising sailor and maintained a 100 Ton USCG Masters License for many years. “Spending time at sea has given me a sense of the oceans moods, the power of the waves and the beauty and fragility of the marine environment that I feel has made me a better marine civil engineer.”