Geoff Stodola has been named CEO of Exxel Pacific, Bellingham, Wash., as part of a leadership succession plan that has the former CEO. Kevin DeVries continuing as chairman of the board of directors. Stodola continues as president, a role he has held for 12 years.
Michelle White has been promoted to CEO of Concord, California-based Harris & Associates. She has been chief operating officer and president of the consulting division since 2021, and joined the company in 2018 as chief people officer to lead human resources, learning and development and information technology.
Sound Transit’s board of directors has appointed Goran Sparrman as interim CEO of the agency for a period of one year. He was vice president and chief business development officer at HNTB and also served a stint as interim director of transportation for the Seattle Department of Transportation in 2018.
David Callispresident of Swinerton Inc., Concord, Calif., has been elected CEO, succeeding him Eric Foster, who has retired. Callis began his career at Swinerton Builders in 2001 as a senior project manager and has served as president since 2020. The contractor also raised Ray Haj to the Chief Operating Officer and the Executive Vice President. He was Senior Vice President and Regional Manager. Foster joined Swinerton Builders as a project engineer in 1982.
mike bieberpresident of Willdan Group Inc., Anaheim, Calif., has been named CEO following the retirement of Tom Brisbin. Brisbin is now chairman of the board and a part-time consultant. CFO Kim Early and general counsel Micah Chen both have been promoted to executive vice president.
Alex Llerena has joined Blach Construction, San Jose, Calif., as chief financial officer. Previously CFO of W. Bradley Electric, he has more than 30 years of experience leading financial and operational strategy, primarily in the construction industry.
Dahlin Architecture | Planning | Interiors, Pleasanton, California, has promoted Emily Bonato to the director of operations, Vanessa Yust to the marketing director and Gabriela Eaton to people’s heads
Dome Construction, San Francisco, has promoted Ralf Elsaesser to the director of operations and Mike Florence to the business director. Elsaesser, who joined the firm in 2000, will manage operations in California, while Firenze, who started as a summer intern in 1995, will align the firm’s departments with strategic goals.
Jeff Bellerud has been hired as director of operations at the Northwest Seaport Alliance in Washington, overseeing marine operations including rail, road, terminal, bulk operations and waterway management. Most recently, he served as Director of Intermodal and Port Operations at CN Rail.
Kevin Deters has joined SOLV Energy, San Diego, as COO. He was previously President of MYR Energy Services, an EPC services contractor in the renewable energy and utilities industry.
Brad Jeanneret has been named president and chief operating officer of Hensel Phelps. He has been with the firm for 27 years, most recently as executive vice president. Tom Diersbockwho most recently led its Pacific region, was promoted to executive vice president overseeing operations in the California and Pacific regions. Jon Tseu assumes the position of vice president of the Pacific region.
Hamdi Mohamed has been elected chair of the Port of Seattle Commission for the year 2024. She is the first woman of color and the first immigrant to be appointed to this position since the founding of the port in 1911. Mohamed has been a port commissioner since 2021 .He says the port passed its largest budget yet, with $5.6 billion in capital development spending planned over the next five years. Also, commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa will act as vice-chairman and commissioner of the commission Ryan Calkins as secretary of the commission.
Stephen Knobbe has been named president of the Northwest division of HNTB. He will oversee operations and strategic planning in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado. It is based in Denver. Amy Scarton has joined the company in Seattle as head of business development and vice president. She was Assistant Secretary of Transportation for the Washington State Department of Transportation.
TranSystems has promoted Ayman Salama to the executive vice president. He has been with the company for over a decade and is based in Santa Ana, California. The firm says Salama has been instrumental in its work for Caltrans and other Southern California clients.
Sue Kershaw has joined AECOM as senior vice president and executive of the company’s global program management business line in Los Angeles. She previously served as managing director of transport at Costain and had also been managing director of KPMG’s infrastructure advisory group and director of rail at CH2M.
Imad Feghali has been promoted to senior vice president of global program management at Jacobs, based in Irvine, California. He has more than 22 years of experience with the company, holding various leadership positions including Senior Vice President and Regional Director of Jacobs Buildings. and the infrastructure business in the Americas and vice president and regional director for the Middle East.
Kleinschmidt Associates has hired Paul Larson as Vice President of the Northwest Region. Based in Seattle, he will oversee strategic direction and leadership for the company’s regional business operations. Larson spent the past decade at Seattle City Light, most recently as director of engineering and operations.
Jeff Fisher has joined JE Dunn as vice president in Portland, Oregon. He brings nearly three decades of experience in managing large-scale construction projects.
Encinitas, Calif.-based Dudek has promoted Danielle Voss to the vice president of human resources. He has been with the firm for over eight years and has almost two decades of experience.
Jeffrey Heymann has been elevated to vice president of sales and marketing at Giroux Glass Inc., Los Angeles. He joined the contractor last September as senior director of major projects. Heymann had been at MiTek – Benson, where he held several senior positions.
SCS Engineers, Long Beach, Calif., has promoted Gabrielle Stephens to the vice president She is a project manager specializing in authorization and regulatory air compliance with more than 20 years of experience in environmental consulting.
Ken Kubacki has been promoted to vice president and regional manager of the Sundt Co. transportation group. in the Northwest region, based in Portland, Oregon. Mads Sargent also joined Portland as director of health, safety and environment for the Oregon industrial group.
Peyman Tobacco has joined risk consultant HKA’s forensic technical services practice as a director based in Los Angeles. He has over 20 years experience in civil geotechnics and has worked on a wide range of infrastructure, residential and commercial developments.
Environmental Science Associates (ESA), a consulting firm based in San Francisco, has announced the promotions of Barbra Calantas, Paul Schlinger i Sarah Spano. Calantas now leads the firm’s national biological resources and land management practice. Schlenger and Spano have new roles as regional business group directors, with the former named to lead the firm’s Pacific Northwest practice region and the latter leading the Southern California water group.
The Port of Los Angeles has appointed Chris Brown as chief port engineer, overseeing its engineering division. Most recently, he was the Port’s Deputy Chief Engineer. Brown gets it In Arian-Zahlanwho was recently promoted to executive assistant director of development.
James Sink has been promoted to higher education practice leader at HMC Architects, Los Angeles. He joined the firm in 2010. Christina Mannion i Eric Skiba Both have joined their higher education practice as principals in charge, with Mannion based in San Diego and Skiba in San Francisco.
Kitchell Corp. has appointed Rafael Martin as executive director of technical support services, based in Sacramento. Previously serving as director of technical services at Vanir, he now leads innovation in the construction company’s programs and controls division. Tony Mirenda has also been hired as the executive director of the contractor’s South Bay practice located in San Jose, California.
