ENR Southeast's 2013 Top 20 Under 40: Building for the Future

2013's Top 20 Under 40: Building for the Future

Jay Smith has grown up in the construction business. He started with Ajax Building Corp., Tallahassee, Fla., as a laborer, and after graduation served as a project engineer. As director of business development and now a vice president and company owner, Smith has overseen much of the company's expansion, which now includes 10 Southeast offices.

Photo courtesy Jay Smith

Joel Figueroa-Vallines, principal with Structural Engineering Partnership, Orlando, has founded two companies, and served as structural engineer for a building hardened to withstand winds in excess of 220 mph. Currently, he is working on a project in Haiti where he plans to put to the test his patent-pending structural system he designed to speed multistory construction.

Photo courtesy Joel Figuerosa-Vallines

The construction of cold-storage facilities may not often receive broad industry attention in the U.S., but Matthew Hirsch knows that these facilities can prove critical to developing countries. A vice president with Primus Builders, Hirsch is now working with the U.S. Trade and Development Agency and the Global Cold Chain Alliance to help develop integrated cold-chain networks that nations can use to prevent spoilage of harvested food crops. He has also become involved in a $280-million project to develop cold-chain infrastructure in Pakistan.

Photo courtesy Matthew Hirsch

Since joining Parsons Corp., Jay Grantham has participated in numerous corporate leadership efforts, including the Parsons high-potential employee program. In addition to being one of the youngest employees to complete some of these programs, he also served on the company's leadership council.

Photo courtesy Jay Grantham

In 2001, Kyle Abney was the nation's first person to earn a master's degree in building construction with a concentration in sustainability. Today, as owner of Abney + Abney Green Solutions, he is active in the Florida Green Building Coalition and served as president of the South Florida chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. He is a veteran speaker on sustainability.

Photo courtesy Kyle Abney

Kevin Friedman, a senior engineer with AECOM Technology Corp., Orlando, uses his industry expertise to assist the South Central Florida Professional Chapter of Engineers Without Borders, which is currently working to bring drinking water, sanitation facilities and hygiene education to a Haitian community.

Photo courtesy Kevin Friedman

Personal experience as a medical patient with a chronic disease fuels Tammy Thompson's advocacy of compassionate health care design and prompted her to create the Institute for Patient-Centered Design to bring patients' needs to the design table.

Photo courtesy Tammy Thompson

As a 10-year veteran of Skanska USA Building in Tampa, O.T. Delancy has earned a solid reputation as a company leader�so much so that the contractor sponsored his acceptance into Harvard Business School's High Potential Leadership Program.

Photo courtesy O.T. Delancy

With both architecture and law degrees, Josh Flowers works within the hospitality design practice at Hnedak Bobo Group, Memphis, Tenn. Last year, as a director for the five-state American Institute of Architects Gulf States Regional Council, Flowers organized Redefining Design, a symposium that educated students and young architects about the positive social impacts of design.

Photo courtesy Josh Flowers

Just 29, Matthew Widmaier, a project manager with Manhattan Construction, already has made a big impact. He recently managed the $1.2-billion Maynard H. Jackson International Terminal at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. He is active in the Urban Land Institute.

Photo courtesy Matthew Widmaier

A project manager with exp US Services, Brandon Lemonier has served as president, vice president and manager of the Central Florida chapter of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, where he worked to help improve planning and process improvement on an industry-wide basis. He also has served as a director of the Themed Entertainment Association's eastern board.

Photo courtesy Brandon Lemonier

Early in his career, Eric Rothrock worked as a vice president for a concrete contractor and became the youngest-ever president of the North Carolina Concrete Finishers Association. Now at Samet Corp., Rothrock is working to develop a version of integrated project delivery that could be more easily utilized by different size contractors.

Photo courtesy Eric Rothrock

After serving as one of the team leaders investigating a crane collapse at Milwaukee's Miller Park project, Jonathan Sigman began mentoring younger staff. He's since taught classes at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Washington University. Now in Charleston, S.C., he's still reaching out to educate, this time by serving as the sole structural engineer mentor for the local ACE Mentor Program.

Photo courtesy Jonathan Sigman

This year's Top 20 Under 40 class includes inspiring young leaders from the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Puerto Rico.

Image by McGraw-Hill Construction

Francisco Carlos Perez-Brown serves as architectural leader in the San Juan offices of CRB Caribe Engineers and Architects, where he oversees a staff of 12 architects and drafters. After assisting with the local office's adoption of BIM technology, Perez-Brown has been named to a national group of employees who will work to foster greater company-wide use of emerging technology.

Photo courtesy Francisco Carlos Perez-Brown

Mike Schilling, a civil engineering graduate of Auburn University, co-founded Structor Group six years ago as a general contracting firm specializing in interior construction for health care, education and commercial projects. Since then, the firm has grown considerably�doubling its staff on a nearly annual basis.

Photo courtesy Mike Schilling

In addition to managing preconstruction and estimating services for Brasfield & Gorrie's Atlanta, Raleigh and Dallas offices, Greg Hunsberger leads the firm's virtual design and construction group. As a result, the company has adopted preconstruction technology such as BIM-assisted takeoffs and 4D BIM scheduling.

Photo courtesy Greg Hunsberger

Jennifer Sturgis, a vice president with SEMCO Construction, Bartow, Fla., earned a master's degree in business administration with a thesis addressing the best-value proposition for construction management. She is active with community groups, and was recognized by the local chamber of commerce as an Emerging Leader for Polk County.

Photo courtesy Jennifer Sturgis

To earn her master's degree from the University of Tennessee, Mary French authored her thesis on Increasing the Structural Engineer's Influence Over Sustainability by Using Integrated Design Teams. She also put these thoughts into action, by helping to prompt the university's College of Architecture and Design to collaborate with the school's engineering students. French now serves as a part-time instructor at the college.

Photo courtesy Mary French

During his 14 years as a mechanical engineer, Lucien Richard has gained global experience, including working on projects in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, while with Black & Veatch, he spent three months in Thailand, where he trained engineers on work processes and the technical requirements of stress analysis. Today, he is with PegasusTSI in Tampa, where he is a member of the firm's leadership team.

Photo courtesy Lucien Richard

A senior director with Starr Electric Co., Raleigh, N.C., David Evans excels with relationships. His ability to build teams is remarkable, and many of the best contractors and engineers in the Southeast depend upon him for his knowledge and expertise, said his nominator, Ryan Wathen of Rodgers Builders, a previous Top 20 Under 40 recipient.

Photo courtesy David Evans