July 2021 California & Northwest People
Kleinfelder has hired Diane Sanzone, based in San Diego, as the West division’s senior program manager, vice president of environment. Sanzone will lead technical teams to expand Kleinfelder’s portfolio of work on complex, high-profile projects. With a doctoral degree in ecology and three decades of experience, she has conducted scientific and technical studies and managed large programs in marine and onshore ecosystems for major oil and gas, energy, industrial and technology clients. Sanzone supported major projects by interpreting environmental regulatory requirements, drafting review, monitoring and mitigation plans, and conducted extensive scientific and technical studies.
Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc. promoted Timothy Schmidt to vice president. Schmidt, who has 37 years of experience in the rail and transit industry, leads LAN’s transit sector in California. He has successfully managed numerous light rail, commuter rail and bus rapid transit projects. He is especially sought after by clients for his expertise in the construction management and general contractor delivery method. Some of his signature projects include the BART Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension in San Jose, Calif.; the South Corridor Phase 2 Extension in Sacramento, Calif.; the storage and maintenance facility for San Bernardino County Transportation Authority’s Redlands Passenger Rail Project; the DCTA A-Train in Denton, Texas; and DART’s Phase 3 Blue Line Extension in Dallas.
Burns & McDonnell promoted John Hofman to distribution modernization section manager in California. He has nearly 11 years of experience in electrical distribution planning and design, field engineering, underground secondary networks and application of grid technologies. In this role, he will lead a team to provide utilities and communities with reliable and resilient power infrastructure.
Karen Conrod, based in Sacramento, Calif., joins Herrero Builders as a project executive, responsible for the UCSF New Hospital at Parnassus Heights campus, a 10-year megaproject to be built by tri-venture general contractor team Herrero Boldt Webcor. Conrod’s 20 years of construction industry experience have encompassed areas of lean, integrated project delivery, risk management, finance, business operations, strategic growth, project management and executive leadership.
The American Council of Engineering Companies of California named Miranda Patton as president for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Patton is the first African American to lead the organization and the third female to hold the post in the group’s 60-plus-year history. As a principal at Santa Barbara’s MNS Engineers, Patton uses her knowledge of project delivery to advocate for the engineering profession and municipal infrastructure.
Lendlease has hired Sara Neff as its head of sustainability for the Americas region. Neff will be based out of Lendlease’s Los Angeles office. Neff will manage the region’s functional team and support high-yield sustainability strategies and processes. She also will guide, support, mentor and build capability to ensure the global sustainability framework and targets are aligned with replicable and cost-effective solutions. She previously worked as a senior vice president for sustainability at Kilroy Realty Corp., where she oversaw the company’s sustainability initiatives, including achieving carbon neutral operations by 2020.
Rebuild SoCal Partnership appointed Jon Switalski as its new executive director. The nonprofit works with elected officials and educates the public in Southern California on the need for infrastructure funding and workforce development. Switalski has more than 20 years of public policy experience, including as an elected official in Michigan. Since moving to Southern California in 2015, he most recently served as principal at Spring Street Consulting and as the director of external affairs at River LA.
Affiliated Engineers Inc. has hired Margot Kenney as director of business development for its San Francisco office. A champion of sustainability in the built environment, Kenney is passionate about the electrification and decarbonization movement driving infrastructure improvements throughout California. She serves as co-facilitator for the San Francisco Bay Area’s International Living Future Institute as well as serving on the Urban Land Institute’s Sustainability Committee, CoreNet NorCal’s Mentorship Committee and as a board member for Friends of Casa Generación.
AECOM has hired Donna Clandening in its buildings + places practice in Southern California as vice president and managing principal, responsible for driving growth, design excellence and innovation for the group. Clandening’s experience includes engineering, project management, marketing and business development. Most recently, she served as principal and chief strategy officer at AC Martin, driving development and strategy across various markets.
Coffman Engineers Inc. promoted Matt Stielstra to principal and structural department manager at the Anchorage office. Stielstra is a licensed civil engineer in Alaska, a licensed structural engineer in Alaska and Hawaii and a licensed building systems engineer in Washington. Stielstra’s previous work incudes structures for industrial, oil and gas, commercial and government clients with projects ranging from steel-framed modules on Alaska’s North Slope to wood-framed rural schools and concrete warehouses in Guam.
