We Are Bayer Becker

Etta Reed has built a remarkable career in the engineering industry, establishing herself as a trailblazer in transportation engineering and a respected leader within her profession. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Etta joined Bayer Becker in 1994. A licensed engineer, she developed the transportation engineering department within the firm and played a pivotal role in opening the Oxford, OH office. In 2000, she was named a principal and has served as the vice president of transportation engineering since then. 

Today, as president of Bayer Becker, Etta Reed exemplifies what it means to be a true champion for her profession, her team, and her community. Her career is a testament to the power of mentorship, dedication, and visionary leadership. Etta is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the states of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. She currently serves as a Governor's Appointee to the Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission and is on the Stephen T. Badin High School Advisory Board, as well as the Board of the Oxford Rotary Club.

Jay Bayer has been working in the Civil Engineering field since 1977, where he began as a member of a Land Surveying Crew. He has successfully filled many roles within the company, including Survey Crew Rodman, Instrument Man, Crew Chief, Draftsman, Designer, Licensed Land Surveyor, Licensed Engineer, Project Manager, and Office Manager. In 1987, he was named a Principal of the firm and in 2002 became the President of Bayer Becker.

Jay has a broad range of technical expertise including utility design, municipal engineering, bridge and highway design, hydraulics and hydrology, land surveying and land development. His experience ranges from planning and design to final construction. He has designed and supervised staff responsible for multi-million dollar residential, commercial and industrial land development projects and public infrastructure projects.

As a Principal with Bayer Becker, Jay has played an integral role in the continuing success of the firm. He has been directly involved in the growth of the business from a staff of four in 1981 to over 65 employees today. As a Principal, he shares the responsibility for corporate strategic planning, client development, financial management, staff development and technical excellence within the firm.

Jay is a Licensed Professional Engineer and Surveyor in Ohio and Kentucky. He is a member of the National Professional Society of Professional Engineers, Northern Kentucky Builders Industry Association, Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers, City Engineer of Park Hills, Kentucky Chairman of Northern Kentucky University Construction Management Advisory Board, and Notre Dame Academy Facilities Committee. Jay was also the recipient of the Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers "Young Engineer of the Year Award" in 1994.

John returned to Cincinnati from Chicago in 2017 and joined the Bayer Becker team, bringing experience in design and permitting of complex, multi-phase projects. In 2020, John was named to the Associates leadership team and then in 2025 joined the Principals team. Known for his forward-thinking leadership style and ability to inspire collaboration, John has proven his capacity to lead diverse teams to success.

He excels at site design, grading, utility design, stormwater management and earthwork analysis. This combined with his prior work in surveying, make John a well-rounded professional who can realize his client’s vision. Known for his clear and open communication style, clients enjoy working with John, as he champions collaboration within the whole project team to bring the highest quality product in an efficient and timely manner. John is committed to saving clients’ time and effort by providing an inclusive land design development team.

Tim Bayer brings over three decades of leadership and operational expertise to Bayer Becker. Since joining the firm in 1999, following a distinguished 13-year career with General Electric Aviation, Tim has been instrumental in shaping the company’s strategic direction and operational excellence. In 2003, he was named Principal, Officer, and Director of the Board, and currently serves as Chief Financial Officer.

As CFO, Tim oversees Bayer Becker’s corporate business operations, including finance, legal, human resources, benefits, marketing, risk management, and administration. His leadership is defined by a strong focus on continuous improvement, driving innovation and efficiency across all facets of the organization. Tim plays a key role in the firm’s long-term success, contributing to strategic business planning, client development, financial stewardship, and staff development. His collaborative approach and forward-thinking mindset have helped position Bayer Becker as a leader in its industry.

Beyond his professional responsibilities, Tim is deeply committed to community service. He has served as a Cincinnati Rotarian and as a board member for Easter Seals of Southwest Ohio. Since 2016, he has continued his service as a Vincentian with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Cincinnati.

As principal and director of landscape architecture, John is responsible for client interaction, staff & resource allocation, providing quality control for projects of varying scales and complexity, and managing multi-disciplinary design teams. His design experience includes civic spaces, streetscapes, parks and recreation, mixed-use developments, higher education, and healthcare campuses. 

John’s passion resides in bringing his client’s vision to life, while being a good steward of the environment. Successful projects consider and respond to potential impacts of design upon nature, balancing the interaction between the built environment and natural systems. Finding this balance is a challenge that John embraces.

John joined Bayer Becker in 1991 as a Civil Engineer and through the years has worked on commercial site development, residential subdivisions and public works improvements projects leading clients through the design and regulatory processes.  In 2006, he became a Principal at Bayer Becker and is currently the Vice President of Civil Engineering in our Mason, Ohio office leading the department’s production activities and design initiatives.  He enjoys the iterative design process of civil engineering, finding the most efficient and functional design for our clients and collaborating with them to meet their project goals.

John is a licensed Professional Engineer in the states of Ohio, Indiana, and West Virginia, a LEED Accredited Professional and was elected to the Ohio Valley Development Council’s Board of Directors in 2006 where he served as Board President in 2013.  He is a member of the Cincinnati Homebuilders Association and a graduate of Leadership Warren County (2013). Currently, John serves on the Board of Supervisors for the Butler County Soil & Water Conservation District.

Mike started with Bayer Becker after graduating from University of Dayton’s School of Engineering in May of 2003. He serves on the leadership team as a Principal and manages the civil engineering operations for Bayer Becker’s Over the Rhine office. Mike’s team specializes in urban infill/re-development projects, as well as campus improvement projects for colleges and universities. Mike is also very involved with the Cincinnati chapter of the Urban Land Institute, having led and served on several committees since joining in 2011.

Rob joined Bayer Becker as a co-op in 1990, and then full-time in 1995 and currently works in our Kentucky office as Principal and Senior Project Manager.  He has grown with Bayer Becker from using mechanical pens, mutoh machines and “real blueprints” to the Civil 3D design world and serving on the leadership team as an Associate.  In his role, Rob provides design services for both large scale commercial and industrial development projects and public sector municipal and infrastructure projects.  His service and commitment to his work and clients combined with his experience taking a project from conception to completion successfully have enabled Rob to complete some of largest projects in Bayer Becker’s history.  As a project manager he still enjoys the design process and seeing it come out of the ground.