Chantell J. Cornett

• PHONE: (602) 628-5188
• E-MAIL: chantell@wardcornett.com

Chantell Cornett is a Principal, Engineer, and General Contractor at Ward Cornett & Associates, where her contributions over more than a decade have shaped the firm into a recognized leader in forensic engineering and construction consulting. She is a doctoral candidate at the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering at Arizona State University, with anticipated completion of her Ph.D. in structural engineering — focused on concrete materials, prestress behavior, and failure mechanisms — in 2026. She will sit for her Professional Engineer (P.E.)¹ examinations following conferral of her degree.

In 2025, Chantell was named a National Science Foundation Fellowship recipient, an honor that brought her to Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, where she spent three months conducting concrete research alongside faculty and researchers there — work that expanded both her technical depth and her perspective on international engineering practice.

Chantell holds KB-2 Dual General Contractor licenses in Arizona, Oregon, and Washington, with licensure applications pending in Utah and Nevada. She has completed over 800 hours of OSHA and job site safety training and holds certifications as an OSHA Authorized Trainer, Certified Safety & Health Official (CSHO), and Certified Accident Investigator. Additional credentials include Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI), PTI Certified Slab-on-Ground Inspector and Installer, Certified Tribometrist, and National Ready Mixed Concrete (NRMCA) Certified Concrete Plant and Fleet Inspector.

Chantell serves as Secretary of the Post-Tensioning Institute's DC 10.5 Committee on PT Slab-on-Ground design and is a Governor-appointed member of the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration. She participates in national standards development through ASTM committees on Forensic Engineering, Pedestrian/Walkway Safety, and Building Performance; ASCE committees on Structural Condition Assessment and Forensic Practices; and the American Concrete Institute's committee on Durability of Concrete. She is currently engaged in the 2030 building code development cycle.

Before transitioning into engineering and construction consulting, Chantell spent nearly a decade in construction and insurance defense law, working as a law clerk across firms specializing in contractor representation, construction defect litigation, and premises liability. That foundation — in contract interpretation, claims evaluation, dispute resolution, and litigation procedure — has directly informed the rigor and precision she brings to forensic practice. She joined the forensic consulting field in 2005, co-founded Ward Cornett & Associates in January 2012, and became a named Principal partner in January 2022.

Her forensic practice spans construction defect, premises liability, materials failure, jobsite safety, ethical engineering, and OSHA compliance matters. She regularly serves as a testifying expert on residential, commercial, and institutional projects, applying field construction experience, engineering analysis, and familiarity with applicable codes and standards of care.

Chantell is a frequent presenter to engineering, legal, and safety audiences on the intersection of artificial intelligence and professional engineering practice. Her work in this area is grounded in a straightforward conviction: AI is a powerful analytical tool, but it does not hold an engineering license, bear professional responsibility, or carry a duty to the public. The engineer does. Her presentations — delivered before organizations including the National Society of Professional Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the UT-Austin Forensic Engineering Conference, and the American Society of Safety Professional Engineers — focus on how engineers can engage with AI thoughtfully and productively while preserving the independent judgment, technical foundation, and ethical obligations that define the profession. The first canon of the NSPE Code of Ethics — holding paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public — is the fixed point around which all of that work turns.

When she is not in the field, the lab, or the classroom, Chantell can be found riding horses, surfing, skiing, fishing, boxing, or training her new Standard Poodle Puppy Willie Nelson. She travels whenever possible — always with a cribbage board — and never misses a University of Washington football game. Go Dawgs!

¹ Reflecting education, training, and technical background in engineering. Ms. Cornett does not currently hold a Professional Engineering license and does not offer or perform services requiring licensure under Arizona law. Technical opinions are provided within the scope of the author's expertise and in a manner consistent with recognized forensic engineering standards and practices.