California & Northwest People: Updates About Construction Professionals for February 2020
After serving as Ware Malcomb’s CEO for 28 years, Lawrence R. Armstrong has transitioned to chairman. Kenneth Wink, a 25-year company veteran, has been promoted to CEO from executive vice president. Jay Todisco assumes the role of president, while Matt Brady was promoted to executive vice president and Tobin Sloane to EVP/CFO from chief financial officer. Armstrong, Wink, Todisco, Brady and Sloane will continue to comprise the Ware Malcomb board of directors.
Wendy Crenshaw has joined Ware Malcomb as director of interior architecture and design at the firm’s headquarters in Irvine, Calif. Crenshaw will lead and manage the interior architecture and design studio and oversee interiors projects.
Moein El-Aarag joins HNTB Corp. as transportation structures department manager in the Bellevue, Wash., office. With 20 years’ experience in bridge design and construction in the Northwest, El-Aarag will continue design oversight of SDOT’s Lander Street Bridge. Also in Bellevue, Kimberly Proia joins as a project director and vice president serving as the deputy project manager for the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extension project. In HNTB’s Oakland, Calif., office, Bob Valenti joins the firm’s national tunnel practice as principal project engineer.
Thornton Tomasetti’s Joel Stout, a vice president in the firm’s sustainability practice achieved the rank of LEED Fellow, the highest distinction awarded by the Green Business Certification Inc. Based in San Francisco, he specializes in sustainable commercial, government, health care, transportation and education projects.
Swinerton has promoted Pete Ruiz and Besim Fejzagic to operations managers, overseeing $1 billion annually in the Orange County and Los Angeles (OCLA) offices. Fejzagic, who joined Swinerton in 2001, will focus on aviation, higher education, office and civic markets. Ruiz, with the firm since 2000, will work OCLA’s operations in high-rise residential/hospitality projects and work in downtown Los Angeles.
San Diego’s SCA Architecture has promoted Milos Makaric to director of design. Makaric joined the firm in 2013, serving as the lead designer and project architect and will now lead design direction for the firm.
Gafcon Inc. has promoted Marty Glaske to senior vice president of business development. In his new role, Glaske will direct business development strategies for Gafcon’s broader portfolio, including project management, technology, labor relations, expert witness, outreach and preconstruction. He previously led the firm’s labor relations as vice president for 15 years.
TranSystems has promoted Lynne Marie Whately, based in Berkeley, Calif., to vice president and senior associate. With high-speed rail experience, she works with Federal Railroad Administration contracts and builds planning and environmental capabilities teams.
Poonam Joshi has joined Burns & McDonnell’s Portland, Ore., office as a transmission and distribution project manager. She leads an engineering and construction team that works to increase reliability and resiliency in utilities and mission-critical facilities. Poonam specializes in design for protection and control solutions.
Obituary
Lou Loujano, masonry division general field superintendent at Largo Concrete, passed away Jan. 18, surrounded by family. Known to deliver quality service with integrity and warmth, Loujano served Largo for a decade, first as a superintendent and working his way to chief superintendent. Colleagues called him a “true craftsman,” passionate for each project no matter the size or scope.
