Southwest

ENR Southwest's 2011 Top 20 Under 40

By Scott Blair, Editor-in-Chief

ENR Southwest's Top 20 Under 40 — Though Fontainebleau Garage and Convention Center in Las Vegas fell victim to the recession and ceased construction, project manager Doug Rounds with Lochsa Engineering created a unique design to meet the challenges of carrying heavy loads across large open spaces in the 2,800,000-sq-ft steel-framed structure.

Image courtesy Lochsa Engineering

EDENFIELD

Kari J. Edenfield
A water engineer open to new materials and methods
34, Regional Manager
Souder, Miller and Associates, Santa Fe, N.M.

A meticulous and professional engineer and project manager, Edenfield has assisted her clients in securing more than $20 million in funding for water and wastewater projects—along with planning, designing and administration—directly improving the health and quality of life of more than 10,000 residents in small communities in Northern New Mexico. At her firm, she works to improve technical specifications and challenge design methods in favor of newer construction methods and materials. In 2010 Edenfield travelled to Bolivia on behalf of Water Engineers for the Americas to perform water systems engineering and promote community-based self-help projects for clean drinking water.

ENYART

Lance Enyart
Designed the nation's first LEED- Platinum certified fire station
34, Design Architect
LEA-Architects LLC, Phoenix

As a native to the Phoenix area, Enyart has an appreciation for the unique character of the desert Southwest and aims to create architecture that is not only contextually and environmentally appropriate, but that also fits the client. "In order for a project to be truly successful, it is critical that the architect have a deep understanding of who the client is and what it is they do," Enyart says. "In this way I feel fortunate, as with each new client comes a new learning opportunity for me both personally and professionally." Focusing on sustainable urban infill and adaptive reuse, he has served as the design architect and project manager for numerous government buildings, including the first LEED-Platinum fire station in the U.S., Scottsdale Fire Station No. 2. He currently serves as a director on the AIA Phoenix Metro Board.

GARRA

Robert J. Garra Jr.
Registered engineer in eight states who mentors other young designers
34, Vice President
Cannon Design, Phoenix

Growing up as the son of an electrician, Garra is now a registered professional engineer in eight states due to the encouragement and guidance of his father to attend college and strive for more. After gaining a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology, Garra began his career at Cannon Design in 1999 and immediately showed his strong leadership potential. After leaving the firm for a time, he was asked to help grow Cannon's Phoenix office. He now helps lead the Phoenix office and the firm's national science and technology and sports and recreation teams. Recent projects include the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert, Ariz., and the $79.1-million Northern Arizona University Health and Learning Center in Flagstaff. He has served as an electrician for Habitat for Humanity and was a board member for a nonprofit in Buffalo, N.Y., that raises money to aid families struggling with medical expenses.

KEYWORDS: Southwest Top Young Professionals

Blair leads day-to-day operations of the ENR editorial team to ensure brand quality and further best practices. He spearheads ENR's various competitions, including Best Projects and the Award of Excellence, and organizes editorial content at events including the Top Young Professionals conference. A Jesse H. Neal, Construction Media Alliance and AZBEES-award-winning writer and videographer, Blair frequently contributes to ENR’s burgeoning video channel with project tour videos and interviews with industry leaders. He is also a frequent speaker and moderator on topics such as diversity and inclusion, design and jobsite technology, construction means and methods and marketing.