HARRIS
Obituary
John A. Harris, a pioneer in commercial development, died on Nov. 8 at age 76. Harris spent 42 years at Hines, Houston. He began a conceptual construction group that offers predevelopment services, and was involved with more than 130 million sq ft of Class A space. Calling him a great negotiator, Gerald D. Hines says Harris “captured the respect of major architects,” among them Philip Johnson, Robert A.M. Stern and Frank Gehry. Harris was born on Aug. 26, 1932. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1954 with a B.S. in civil engineering. After college, he served in the U.S. Army, until 1956. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Patricia, seven children and nine grandchildren.
At its Chicago convention in October, the Water Environment Federation, Alexandria, Va., named Rebecca West, director of technical services for the Spartanburg, S.C., sanitary sewer district, as its president for 2008-2009.
WALKER
Larry D. Walker has been named president of The Louis Berger Group Inc., the Morristown, N.J.-based global engineer. He was vice president of its global infrastructure services group and replaces Michel Jichlinski, who has retired. Walker was firm principal for infrastructure reconstruction work in Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq and the Philippines for the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Stan Christopher, president and CEO of Archer Engineers, Lee’s Summit, Mo., is named senior vice president at HDR, Omaha, following its acquisition of Archer. He will also direct HDR’s water business practice in Kansas and Missouri. Michael Kalis is named a vice president and water-section manager for those two states.
Todd Fagen, president and CEO of Land Strategies Inc., a Chicago engineering firm, becomes vice president and general manager in that city for New York City-based Sam Schwartz Engineering, following an acquisition.
Correction
In an obituary, the name of John F. Mahon Sr., former senior vice president and human-resources director for HOK, St. Louis, was incorrect.