Jackson, Miss. (March 26, 2026) — Neel-Schaffer is pleased to announce the addition of two team members to its West Point office, strengthening the firm’s ability to support clients across the Golden Triangle area of north Mississippi.

Leslie Sofferin, PE, joins the firm as a Project Manager supporting water and wastewater design for municipal clients. She brings experience from the Department of the Navy, where she served in multiple roles including Construction Manager and Supervisory General Engineer. Most recently, she managed a team of six construction managers on the Navy’s $3.4 billion Dry Dock Replacement project at Pearl Harbor.

Sam Sofferin joins as a Graduate Engineer and will support construction engineering and inspection services for roadway and site development projects. His experience includes major transportation and aviation projects, including a $39.7 million highway resurfacing project in Honolulu, a $34.4 million runway rehabilitation at Kosrae International Airport, and a $155 million runway relocation project at Lihue Airport.

Together, the Sofferins expand Neel-Schaffer’s ability to provide both design and construction-phase services to clients in North Mississippi, supporting continued growth in the region.

“Leslie and Sam are great additions for the Golden Triangle area,” said Kevin Stafford, PE, the firm’s North Mississippi Area Manager. “Leslie’s talents and experience are a perfect match for our culture, and she will help build momentum with our numerous clients in West Point and the surrounding areas. Our first interview with Leslie led us to Sam, and we quickly realized he has the skillsets and growth mindset we are seeking, so we look forward to expanding the construction engineering and inspection services we can offer to our clients through him.”

The Sofferins recently relocated from Hawaii after six years of working on large-scale infrastructure projects. Their move to Mississippi reflects both a professional opportunity and a desire to be part of a close-knit community.

“I am very happy to be back in Mississippi,” said Sam Sofferin, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Mississippi State University. “My time at Mississippi State was so rewarding and filled with great memories. I have been looking forward to this return ever since graduating and having Leslie and our daughter here only makes things better.”

“This move is very important for our family and is driven by our daughter,” shared Leslie Sofferin. “Having both grown up in a small town in North Carolina, we wanted her to have that same experience of community and culture that we both enjoyed. The Golden Triangle has been the perfect spot, and we are excited to be here.”

“It is great to see families return to Mississippi and especially to the Golden Triangle area,” said John Cunningham, PE, the West Point Office Engineer Manager. “Leslie and Sam are a great fit our team, and we are very fortunate to have engineers with their experience and skillsets join our team in West Point.”

Leslie Sofferin earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University and is a registered Professional Engineer.