Spalding DeDecker Associates, Rochester, Mich., a civil engineering, landscape architectural and surveying firm, acquired Coyle Engineering Inc. of San Antonio. Now known as Coyle SDA, it will continue to serve clients from its office in Northwest Bexar County. Beth G. Coyle will remain in her current capacity as CEO of the firm. H. Michael Coyle Jr. remains president.

Lindsey Stringer has been named association manager of the Texas Masonry Council. She previously served as executive marketing manager at Brazos Masonry. Stringer will manage the council's day-to-day operations, serve as a liaison to regional masonry associations and act as treasurer of its political action committee.

Hayward Baker, Little Elm, Texas, has consolidated its geotechnical construction business in Texas along geographical and service specialization lines. As part of this initiative, Craig Olden Inc. has become a division of the Pennsylvania-based firm. The consolidated entity continues to operate under the leadership of Art Pengelly, vice president.

The Cement Council of Texas was presented the American Concrete Institute's distinguished achievement award at the group's spring convention in Dallas on March 18. ACI cited the council "for sustained advocacy of the advancement of concrete technology in Texas." The group celebrated its 25th anniversary in March. Jan Prusinski serves as its executive director.

Obituary

John S. Chase, an architect who broke barriers in Texas, died March 29 in Houston after a long illness. He was 87 and served as CEO of John S. Chase Architect Inc., a firm he founded in 1952 after graduating from the University of Texas-Austin as its first black architecture student. He also was the first black architect to be licensed in Texas and the first admitted to the Texas Society of Architects and the American Institute of Architects. Chase collaborated on a number of local and national landmarks, was elected an AIA Fellow and co-founded the National Organization of Minority Architects.