Home > On the Rise

Awards, promotions, and new hires

Awards, promotions, and new hires

Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA) announced the following principal promotions: Farshad Berahman, Ph.D., CEng, MIStructE, the leader of MKA’s High-Rise Structures Technical Specialist Team, has 20 years of design and structural engineering experience managing large, complex projects. Sean Clifton, P.E., S.E., LEED AP, is a key member of MKA’s Residential and Hotel Specialist Group with extensive experience across the country and internationally in residential, hospitality, and large mixed-use developments. Danya Mohr, P.E., S.E., is a key member of MKA’s Retail/Mixed-Use Specialist Group with a wide range of experience in retail, mixed-use, and hospitality markets globally.

Freese and Nichols, Inc., welcomed Krista Bethune Melnar, P.E., an accomplished project manager, as the firm’s new stormwater practice leader. She also will manage the Central Texas Stormwater Group, including the Austin and San Marcos offices.

Pennoni announced that Daniel Barbato, P.E., will serve as the firm’s Newark, Del., office director, and Brian L. Fischbach, P.E., LEED AP, will serve as the firm’s Pittsburgh office director. Barbato previously served as the firm’s regional practice leader, division manager, and senior engineer in the municipal engineering division. Fischbach previously worked as division manager and senior engineer in Pennoni’s civil/site division.

Georgia Trend named Sam McCachern, P.E., president and CEO of Thomas & Hutton, a 2019 Notable Georgian, recognizing his service on community organizations.

Raths, Raths & Johnson, Inc. (RRJ) promoted George R. Mulholland, S.E., P.E., Sarah K. Flock, NCARB, BECxP, CxA+BE, and Patrick E. Reicher, S.E., REWC, REWO, CCS, CCCA, to principals. Mulholland’s forensic structural engineering career spans more than 30 years at RRJ and has provided project leadership and management of structural and building enclosure evaluation, field investigation and testing, and remediation design. During Flock’s 16-year architectural career at RRJ, she has developed recognized expertise in exterior wall systems’ water leakage, condensation, and moisture intrusion investigation and resolution. Reicher has more than 14 years of experience as a project manager of building enclosure and structural forensic investigations, evaluations, and repair design programs.

Castle Contracting, LLC expanded its in-house civil design expertise with the hiring of James Parks, P.E., as senior design manager and Amy Huller, P.E., as design manager. Parks has a broad range of expertise, including civil engineering, design and consulting, geotechnical engineering and materials testing, general contracting, construction management, estimating, and project management. An experienced design engineer, project manager, and GIS specialist, Huller’s expertise includes design of residential, condominium, and subdivision sites; commercial sites; and industrial sites and subdivisions.

GPI named James M. Bazata, P.E., ENV SP, vice president and director of civil engineering for its Babylon, N.Y., office. He has more than 28 years of experience in civil engineering and transportation planning/design for major infrastructure improvement projects.

HDR welcomed Brian Buchanan to the firm’s transit practice as a transit principal project manager and transit section manager. Based in San Antonio, Texas, he will focus on planning, directing, and monitoring multidiscipline transit programs.

Mark Niemuth, Ph.D., associate III for Wiss, Janney, Elstner in Northbrook, Ill., was honored with the Bryant Mather Award by ASTM International’s committee on cement (C01).

Dewberry hired Carol Holland, P.E., LEED AP, in the firm’s Baltimore office as an associate vice president and market segment leader in Maryland and Washington, D.C. She has more than two decades of experience of technical and executive management in the AEC industry for federal, public, and private-sector clients. Christian Volz, P.E., LEED AP, joined Dewberry as a senior project manager to help grow its Charlotte-area water practice. Angela Chambers, P.E., joined the firm as a senior project manager in its Orlando, Fla., office. Chambers’ background includes government and private utility experience in water, wastewater, natural gas, and liquefied natural gas. Dewberry hired Alan Zhao, P.E., as a senior project manager in its New York City office. Zhao has more than 20 years of experience in management and design of large-scale, multidiscipline infrastructure and municipal projects in both the public and private sectors.