Firms from Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico submitted entries to this year’s contest. The annual competition recognizes construction industry professionals who exhibit notable achievements in terms of career and industry leadership, community service and creating landmark projects for the region.

A team of independent industry judges reviewed this year’s entries, making sure not to score any applicants with whom they might have had a conflict of interest. Providing their time and expertise to serve as judges this year were Ali Fakih, chief executive at Sustainability Engineering Group, and Rob Walter, chief operating office at KHS&S Contractors.

Winners from each regional class will be put forward for consideration in the national round of judging to decide ENR’s 2024 Top 20 Under 40 class, the members of which will be announced online in February and showcased in the magazine's May 13 print edition.

Additionally, these national Top 20 Under 40 honorees will be celebrated at ENR’s annual conference—now the Emerging Leaders Forum—which will be held March 18-20 in New Orleans.

And while the construction industry continues to face a wide array of challenges, it’s reassuring to learn that such considerable talent—as represented here—is already at work across the Southwest.

Atefeh (Ati) Abad
Transportation specialist has worked internationally
35, ITS Analyst
Atkins
Henderson, Nev.

After spending the early years of her career in her native Iran—first as a road designer for a Dubai-based contractor and then joining Atkins while working on her master’s degree in urban planning at the American University of Sharjah—Abad transferred to the U.S. in 2017 to continue her work as part of the Atkins transportation team. Abad specializes in transportation systems management and operations program development, intelligent mobility, connected and autonomous vehicles, operations plans, programs development and intelligent transportation systems. Her landmark projects include the Nevada Dept. of Transportation’s $4-million Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment program management project. She has held board positions at the American Society of Civil Engineers Younger Member Forum, Intelligent Transportation Systems Nevada and the Institute of Transportation Engineers.

 

---

Valerie Ahyong
Oversees sports projects while also supporting business development
40, Associate
Lloyd Sports + Engineering
Tempe, Ariz.

After working for a local civil engineering firm as a marketing and business development coordinator, Ahyong decided to go back and pursue a master’s degree in landscape architecture from Arizona State University. Her work has spanned private and public projects, from health care and K-12 to public works, hospitality and others, both within the U.S. and internationally for SmithgroupJJR, Floor Associates and the city of Mesa. In her current position at Lloyd Sports + Engineering, Ahyong manages and designs sports engineering projects for K-12, higher education and public works clients while also supporting the firm in marketing and business development. Ahyong is an active member with the U.S. Green Building Council and the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association. In 2023, she completed her term as past chapter president of the Arizona chapter of ASLA. Her other service roles include studio reviewer and presenter at ASU’s local landscape architecture program and mentor to students through the ASU-ASLA and ACE mentor programs.

 

---

Brian Arbogast
Implemented new systems, policies that propelled company growth
37, Director of Preconstruction
Metcalf Builders Inc.
Carson City, Nev.

In 2005, Arbogast took on his first construction industry role as an assistant project engineer at Whiting-Turner while pursuing his degree in construction management at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He also served in assistant project manager positions with Taylor International Corp. in Las Vegas and with Zetian Systems on the Freedom Tower in New York City. After graduating, Arbogast rejoined Whiting-Turner and rose through the ranks while moving across the country. Among his landmark projects are the Palms Casino and Panorama Tower Condos in Las Vegas and City Hall in North Las Vegas. Arbogast joined Metcalf Builders as director of preconstruction in 2021 and went on to implement new policies, procedures and systems that resulted in triple-digit growth for the company and expansion throughout the Western region. He is actively involved with the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties and Associated General Contractors of America. He also devotes time to mentoring colleagues and industry peers and volunteers with the United Way and Habitat for Humanity.

 

---

Tyler Bonwell
Prioritizes creating opportunities for all company employees
36, President
MMC Contractors
Las Vegas

Upon graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in construction management in 2009, Bonwell joined MMC Contractors as a project engineer. After working as an operations manager, senior project manager and vice president/general manager, he was promoted to president in January 2023. Under his leadership, the company’s Las Vegas team completed more than $100 million in mechanical construction and service projects for its clients. Bonwell’s team was also awarded part of the mechanical scope of work for the upcoming Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix. One of Bonwell’s priorities is creating growth opportunities for all employees by ensuring they have the necessary tools and resources. He serves on the boards of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Las Vegas, the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association and the UA Local 525 Health and Pensions Funds. An active member of the Las Vegas community, Bonwell also serves as a board member for the nonprofit Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada.

Olin Brown
Civil engineer helped found group supporting ALS research
33, Vice President
Bohannan Huston Inc.
Albuquerque

While working on a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at the University of Colorado-Boulder, Brown served as a lab assistant in theoretical hydraulic mechanics and interned at Los Alamos National Laboratory, gaining valuable early experience in sustainability. He joined Bohannan Huston as an engineering intern and progressed to lead design engineer, project manager and then vice president within a decade. He leads multidisciplinary teams on design and planning projects, such as the Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle Community School in Bloomfield, N.M.; four separate schools across New Mexico; and the Tuba City Regional Healthcare Facility. He actively supports a number of organizations, including the Urban Land Institute, Associated General Contractors, American Society of Civil Engineers, Environment New Mexico and NAIOP Developing Young Professionals. He also helped found the Jensen Merritt Brown Endowment Fund as part of the Santa Fe Community Foundation to support initiatives important to his late brother. The fund contributes money to ALS research, teen suicide prevention, a local adaptive ski program, inclusion programs for developmentally challenged youth and adults as well as other programs.

 

---

Zachary Byard
Focuses on higher education, K-12 and health care projects
34, Director of Operations
Adolfson & Peterson Construction
Tempe, Ariz.

Byard quickly moved up through the ranks at Adolfson & Peterson Construction after graduating from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in construction science and management. He has overseen a wide range of projects, but has been particularly involved in higher education, health care and K-12 projects that total a combined $312 million. Among the most noteworthy is the $97-million Natrona County High School in Casper, Wyo., where he served as assistant superintendent. This four-year, six-phase project involved the meticulous renovation of a historic high school originally built in 1924. Byard oversees AP’s intern program in the Southwest region, where he tackles recruitment, curriculum development and more. He is a graduate of the Arizona Builders Alliance Leadership Development Forum and serves as a board member and instructor for the ABA’s supervisory training program.

 

---

Joey Ganser
Leads by showing unwavering dedication to team, projects
39, Principal of Engineering
PK Electrical
Reno, Nev.

Ganser earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology and has served in a variety of roles including engineering operations manager and principal of engineering since joining PK Electrical in 2007. Ganser has a reputation for unwavering dedication to his team and projects. In addition, he is known for leading by example, for sharing best practices and for teaching new designers along the way. Given his commitment to advancing sustainable initiatives in design and electrical usage, Ganser is also focused on sustainable systems, including photovoltaic and electric vehicle charging design. His proficiency in managing and operating firm project management software (Ajera) has helped streamline project delivery and improved efficiency across the company. Ganser is a member of the Leadership Reno Sparks Executive Committee for the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce, and he is responsible for planning and running their youth program.

Mindy Haffke
Born into a family of engineers, she leads a team of 32 designers
38, Principal/Client Executive
IMEG
Las Vegas

Inspired by the engineers in her family, Haffke pursued mechanical engineering, earning both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s from the University of Nevada, Reno. She joined IMEG in 2019 and shortly after decided to pursue her master’s degree. Upon completion, she took on her current role as a principal and client executive in IMEG’s Las Vegas office, where she leads a team of 32 engineers and designers. Haffke is one of IMEG’s youngest client executives. Some of her landmark projects include the city of Las Vegas Municipal Courthouse and the Renown Health Primary Care and Pediatrics Center in Reno, Nev. Haffke is an AIA Allied Member, a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers and the Order of the Engineer. She is an alumni ambassador for the University of Nevada, Reno’s EMBA program. Haffke recently joined the ACE mentoring program and led her first team of students in fall 2023.

 

---

Philip Hensley
Works to improve overall quality of contractor's products, services
31, Project Manager
JE Dunn Construction
Temple, Ariz.

Hensley earned a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University in construction management in 2014. He worked for Kitchell before joining JE Dunn Construction in 2017, where he quickly moved into project management roles. His portfolio includes notable projects such as the Scottsdale Airport Terminal Redevelopment, the Roosevelt Dam Water Feature and Papago Office Park, the Atlantic Aviation Scottsdale Hangar and most recently the Scottsdale Memorial for the Fallen, a veterans monument located just outside Scottsdale City Hall. Hensley leads JE Dunn’s ASU recruiting team and recently hosted an onsite class at JE Dunn’s Phoenix office for ASU’s construction marketing class, where he and other team leaders shared why marketing is vital to the construction industry. As a leader with JE Dunn’s project engineer peer group, Hensley works to standardize processes and improve overall quality of the company’s products and services. In addition to his professional leadership roles, Hensley is an active participant with charities, including the American Heart Association, St. Joseph the Worker and NourishPHX.

 

---

Tim Hyde
Helped team lead numerous zero-defect projects
37, Senior Project Manager
DPR Construction
Tucson

Hyde joined DPR in 2009 after earning a bachelor’s degree in building construction management technology at Purdue University, and he has spent most of his career with the firm’s special services group, which focuses on hospital renovations. With more than 14 years of experience working on complex health care renovations and build-outs on active campuses, Hyde helped the Tucson team deliver five zero-defect projects in 2022 and more than a dozen others in recent years. His landmark projects include Banner Health MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert, Ariz., and the University of Arizona’s Health Sciences Education Building in Phoenix. In the Arizona business unit, Hyde led community initiatives for seven years and is the Southwest community initiatives lead. He is a coach to five DPR employees, helping to support their growth and advancement. Hyde also developed the DPR School of Construction community initiatives event to host 100 at-risk youth at a construction workshop at the DPR office.

Carolina Lamartine
Helped lead Penta’s internship effort and chartered Ambassador Program
29, Project Manager
The PENTA Building Group
Las Vegas

While studying at the Universidade Veiga de Almeida in Rio de Janeiro, Lamartine received the opportunity to participate with Brazil’s Science Without Borders (SwB) program. She spent a year studying construction management at Northern Arizona University and joined PENTA’s internship program as a BIM intern before returning to Brazil to complete her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. She rejoined PENTA as a project engineer in 2018, returning to the U.S. to pursue her career and a master’s degree in business administration from United States University in San Diego. Since then, Lamartine has worked on a variety of standout projects, including T-Mobile Arena, Lucky Dragon and Caesars Forum. She has organized project engineer summits and training programs and volunteers with nonprofits through the PENTA CARES Foundation. In addition to participating with the ACE Mentor Program, Lamartine has led elements of PENTA’s high school internship program and chartered PENTA’s Ambassador Program in 2021.

 

---

David McLane
Helped build Burns & McDonnell's mining group from the ground up
34, Mining Dept. Manager
Burns & McDonnell
Phoenix

After earning a bachelor’s degree in mining and mineral engineering from the University of Kentucky in 2012, McLane pursued residencies in Argentina, Peru, Mexico, Chile, Canada, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo. McLane built Burns & McDonnell’s Phoenix mining team from the ground up, hiring five senior-level team members who each helped bring in $12 million in revenue over the past three years. In 2021, he earned a master’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University. McLane hopes to change the narrative associated with the mining industry. He mentors colleagues and educates others regarding opportunities in mining. He also volunteers at high schools and Native American reservations to educate students about careers in the mining industry.

 

---

Lindsay Penzenstadler
Former intern helped found Sundt’s DEI initiative
33, Project Manager
Sundt Construction Inc.
Temple, Ariz.

Penzenstadler began working for Sundt Construction as an intern while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering from Arizona State University. After graduating in 2014, she joined the firm full time and works on infrastructure improvement projects across the state. Penzenstadler has been in leadership roles on several private and public projects in Arizona, including a fast-paced design-build project in Goodyear, Ariz., with a six-month turnaround. Other notable jobs include Banner University Medical Center Tucson and Harrah’s Ak-Chin Hotel and Casino Expansion. She is a founding member of the committee for Sundt’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiative, a member of Sundt’s government affairs committee and served two years on Sundt’s sustainability committee. She is a member of the Associated General Contractors Young Constructors forum and WTS International (Advancing Women in Transportation). She recently joined the WTS scholarship committee—having been a scholarship recipient herself—and has been giving to the Sundt Foundation throughout her career.

Michaela Rempkowski
First director to serve on firm's water services leadership team
33, Director of Design Integration
McCarthy Building Cos.
Phoenix

First-generation university graduate Rempkowski earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in 2013. After stints with CDM Smith and Burns & McDonnell, she joined McCarthy as a master integrator on collaborative delivery projects. Within 18 months, she was promoted from manager of design integration to director, making her the first director invited to serve on McCarthy’s national water services leadership team. Rempkowski was state chapter president of the National Society of Professional Engineers from 2022-23. She’s also involved with the Design-Build Institute of America and the Water Collaborative Delivery Association and is a board member for McCarthy Partnership for Women in the Southwest and sponsors an early career professionals group for the firm.

 

---

Raybeau Richardson
Structural engineer has worked on demanding projects across the globe
36, Structural Engineering III
AECOM
Albuquerque

Richardson joined AECOM as a structural engineer after earning a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of New Mexico. He has worked on the structural design and radiation shielding for Australia’s ANSTO nuclear medicine facility in Sydney, served as the lead structural engineer for a new 12,000-sq-ft headworks facility at a wastewater treatment facility in Salt Lake City and worked as the structural engineer for a 16,000-sq-ft terminal expansion at Lea County Regional Airport in Hobbs, N.M. In Albuquerque, Richardson managed engineering on a new hangar for the New Mexico State Police and provided ladder inspections and recommendations for water reservoirs and SCADA towers. He previously served as the Albuquerque office safety officer and is currently the local quality manager for AECOM’s offices in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and El Paso, Texas. He participates with the Shine Partnership, which equips churches to develop long-term, committed relationships with schools in their neighborhood.

 

---

Cassie Robertson
Found a passion for construction in college, now recruits others
38, Regional Prefabrication Manager
DPR Construction
Phoenix

When Robertson first enrolled at Arizona State University, construction wasn’t on her radar. After she learned about possible career paths in the industry from a family friend, she changed her degree plan to construction management. That experience changed her life and as a result, ignited her passion for introducing construction careers to high school students. Although she first joined DPR Construction as an intern, it wasn’t long before she rose into project management roles. As preconstruction and design integration manager, she helped influence projects earlier in the process, applying her expertise gained in the field to provide valuable solutions without sacrificing design integrity. In her role as Southwest prefabrication lead for DPR’s Newport Beach, Pasadena, Phoenix, San Diego and Tucson offices, Robertson works with project teams to transition from field construction to offsite manufacturing and assembly. Throughout her career, she has completed more than $750 million worth of projects across a range of sectors. A career highlight was serving as the design-build project lead on DPR’s new Phoenix office—the first certified net-zero energy building on the West Coast.

Kathryn Robinson
Civil, environmental engineer leads team across multiple offices
39, Highway Engineering Technical Manager
Atkins
Henderson, Nev.

After moving to the U.S. from the Philippines at age 20, Robinson not only had to take the GED to attend university but also worked while attending school full time to earn her bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her experience includes civil and roadway design, cost estimation, plan preparation, data collection and specifications. In her current role as highway engineering technical manager, Robinson manages 15 people across two offices and manages four projects ranging from $3 million to $10 million. She is the roadway lead on multiple multidisciplinary projects as well, including the $130-million Reimagine Boulder Highway Project that is transforming the most dangerous highway in Nevada. Robinson has been elected president of both local YMF and ASCE chapters and is part of Atkins’ internship program efforts.

 

---

Cassy Smith
Dedicates time to overseeing ACE Mentor groups on a weekly basis
31, Project Manager
The PENTA Building Group
Las Vegas

As the first female superintendent at the PENTA Building Group, Smith has been able to bring distinctive insights to her industry peers. She is currently the sole project manager on a three-story, 360,000-sq-ft mixed-use retail project on the Las Vegas Strip. Other local experience includes the Caesars Palace front entry remodel, the Wynn South Convention Center expansion and the Palace Station renovation and expansion. Smith attended Arizona State University through a PENTA-provided scholarship, earning a bachelor’s degree in construction management. She is involved in Southern Nevada’s ACE Mentor Program, where she oversees weekly sessions with 70 students and 20 mentors and leads the recruitment, scholarship and internship efforts. A mother of two, Smith advocates for women in the industry, who face unique challenges in work-life balance.

 

---

Janene Thomas
College internship at Sundt led her to join the firm after graduation
37, Senior Project Manager
Sundt Construction Inc.
Tempe, Ariz.

In 2004, Thomas began her studies at Arizona State University on a full-ride scholarship. She interned with Sundt and immediately took to both the company and industry. Continuing to work at Sundt throughout her undergrad career, she earned a bachelor’s degree in construction management in 2008, then joined the company full time. Thomas has worked on projects spanning multiple markets and geographies, including Arizona Dept. of Transportation highway projects such as the SR 202 Red Mountain Widening and the Sky Harbor Salt River Bank Extension and Runway Safety Area. She spent time in El Paso, Texas, as a project engineer from 2010-2013, working on infrastructure for a future hospital at Fort Bliss for the Army Corp of Engineers, and she recently completed the Northwest Phoenix Water and Wastewater Development project. She was also project manager on a city of Phoenix master plan project that won awards for its contribution to the city.

 

---

Mina Wassef
Leadership focused on collaboration led to appointment as GM in 2022
38, General Manager
The Weitz Co.
Phoenix

After earning a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering from The American University in Cairo in 2008, Wassef worked in management and consulting before going on to complete his master’s degree in business administration at Harvard Business School in 2013. He joined Weitz’s parent company, Orascom Construction, as a business development manager and created a new department with the goal of creating cross collaboration between Orascom and Weitz, following Orascom’s acquisition of Weitz in 2012. In 2022, he was appointed general manager of the Weitz Southwest office. Wassef approaches projects by capitalizing on local involvement with SDBE businesses and emphasizing local partnerships. Locally, he has led transportation, energy and data center projects and commercial developments. Abroad, his projects include the New Capital Power Plant in New Cairo, Egypt, one of the world's largest power plants.

 

---

h (Ati) Aba