MidAtlantic People: Construction business updates for October 2018
Dewberry named Darren Conner president of Dewberry Engineers Inc., the Fairfax, Va.-based firm’s engineering practice. Conner will oversee the operations of more than 50 offices nationwide for services that include environmental, site and civil work, structural, mechanical and electrical, energy and transportation engineering. He succeeds Dan M. Pleasant, who will continue to serve as the parent firm’s chief operating officer.
A civil engineer, Conner previously was president of Dewberry’s Southeast division, directing a workforce of about 500 in 24 offices. Conner led the company’s corporate accounts initiative, which the firm says significantly increased private-sector business.
Dewberry also promoted Steve Kuntz to transportation business unit manager in its Fairfax office. Kuntz is now responsible for managing the transportation service line across the MidAtlantic region.
Audrey Copeland has been named the next president and chief executive of the Lanham, Md.-based National Asphalt Pavement Association. She will assume the new role at the NAPA 2019 Annual Meeting in January. Copeland succeeds Mike Acott, who has been NAPA president since 1992. During the transition period, Copeland will be NAPA’s chief operating officer.
Copeland previously was NAPA vice president for engineering, research and technology. Besides expanding the association’s engineering team and developing relationships with several other state and national associations and industry professionals and partners, Copeland was the technical leader for more than $2 million in industry-funded research projects. She also helped create a cooperative agreement with the Federal Highway Administration, an arrangement that has resulted in more than $2 million in government funding to advance asphalt technologies.
Nathan J. Beil has replaced Terry Neimeyer as KCI Technologies Inc.’s chief executive. Neimeyer remains chairman of the board for the Sparks, Md., engineering firm. Beil has been KCI’s president since 2006. From 2006 to 2017, Beil helped the firm more than double its sales, to $231 million, and helped to nearly quadruple its stock value, the firm says. Beil started KCI’s water-resources division, one of its best-performing units. He was promoted to vice president in 1994 and senior vice president the following year. He also led the firm’s environmental group from 1995 to 2001. In that role he added two new service lines: public utilities (now called communications design and utility services practices) and subsurface utility engineering.
Construction and engineering firm Keller Group plc has named James Hind divisional president for Keller North America. Hind, formerly the firm’s London-based finance director, has relocated to the Hanover, Md. office. He succeeds John Rubright. Hind, who remains a member of Keller’s board and executive committee, was succeeded by Michael Speakman, who most recently served as chief financial officer at industrial services provider Cape plc.
Eric Drooff has assumed the chief operating officer role for Keller North America. He previously was president of Hayward Baker, Keller’s largest North American business unit. Drooff also has joined Keller’s executive committee.
Design firm Leo A Daly has hired Leslie L. Shepherd to lead the firm’s General Services Administration (GSA) market sector. Shepherd, based in Washington, D.C., previously was director of planning at EYP. Before that, he was chief architect at the GSA’s Public Building Service (PBS). In that job, he was responsible for GSA’s Design Excellence program and oversaw $10.5 billion in active projects and $1.5 billion in new projects a year. Shepherd also served as senior adviser to the GSA administrator and PBS commissioner and provided national leadership for GSA on design and construction policy, quality and innovation. Shepherd is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and a recipient of AIA’s 2010 Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture.
Daly also has hired Debra R. Crafter to lead small business engagement for its federal business development team. Crafter, based in Washington, D.C., will work with small businesses that work with Daly on federal design projects and contracts. Crafter previously worked at CenturyLink Government, where she led strategic sourcing and small business programs.
Skanska USA named Dale Kopnitsky executive vice president and general manager for the Washington, D.C., area. Kopnitsky had been Skanska’s vice president of preconstruction services. His portfolio includes projects for colleges and universities, federal buildings, health care facilities, sports arenas, residential buildings, office complexes and data centers.
Also in the D.C. region, Skanska promoted Pamela Murray Johnson to account manager and Tony Pereira to executive director of preconstruction.
Barbara Mellema joined design firm Kahler Slater’s Richmond office as project leader for the health care sector. She has experience in health care planning and project management.
