West People: August 2025
On July 1, Dina El-Tawansy was sworn in as the 35th director of the California Dept. of Transportation (Caltrans). She will manage a nearly $20-billion budget and more than 22,000 employees who oversee the state’s 50,000 lane miles of highway, 20,000 bridges and more than 400 public-use airports. El-Tawansy was previously the Bay Area District 4 director, and she was the first woman to hold that position. She has been with Caltrans for three decades.
Skanska has expanded its Portland leadership team with the promotions of Mark Engleking to vice president, account manager, and Matt Richardson to vice president, preconstruction. Engleking, a 28-year company veteran returning from the Seattle office, will oversee strategic client relationships and lead projects for Portland Public Schools, Washington School for the Deaf, Oregon Health & Science University and Columbia Memorial Hospital. Richardson, with nearly 20 years of industry experience, will manage preconstruction strategy for the firm.
Everett, Wash.-based Fluke Corp. recently appointed Parker Burke as president and group president of Fortive’s Connected Reliability Group, effective July 7. In this dual role, Burke will lead Fluke and Fluke Reliability in delivering technology and services that help customers around the world reduce downtime, increase safety and unlock operational resilience. Burke brings 15 years of leadership experience across Fortive businesses. Most recently, he served as group president of Fortive’s environmental health and safety group, where he advanced mission-driven innovation in connected safety and environmental health and safety software.
John Fisher has been promoted to California regional executive at WSP, overseeing business performance and client engagement across 19 offices. With more than 25 years of experience, he will also continue as California transportation regional leader until a successor is named. Fisher joined WSP in 2008 and brings strong expertise in government relations and infrastructure. He aims to grow the firm’s presence in water resources, renewable energy and sustainable design.
Scott Kuebler has been chosen as Seattle-based KPFF’s president and CEO, succeeding John Gavan, who filled the role for 14 years and now will serve as executive chair to ensure a smooth transition. With 27 years at KPFF and leadership of the special projects group, Kuebler is a seasoned structural engineer known for innovation and empowering teams. He emphasizes collaboration and continuing KPFF’s legacy of engineering excellence.
Tyler Kautz has been named vice president for data centers at PCL Construction, leading the mission critical center of excellence amid booming digital infrastructure demand. A 20-year PCL veteran, Kautz will drive national strategy from Seattle, building on his success expanding PCL’s Northwest presence. Andrew Fernandez succeeds him as Seattle district manager, overseeing major regional projects.
Emily Cohen will become CEO of United Contractors (UCON) on Jan. 1, 2026, succeeding Mark Breslin, who has led the organization for more than 40 years. Currently UCON’s executive vice president, Cohen has driven membership growth, expanded political influence and led leadership initiatives. The transition begins immediately to ensure a seamless handoff. Cohen is recognized for her strategic vision and strong advocacy within California’s construction industry.
Citrus Heights, Calif.-based Deacon Construction has named Rebecca Freeman its new CFO, bringing over 20 years of finance and public accounting experience to the role. Previously CFO at Chordline Health, Freeman will oversee financial operations from the Sacramento office and collaborate with leadership to ensure a smooth transition and support ongoing company growth.
Ankrom Moisan has appointed Murray Jenkins as president, succeeding Dave Heater. With 25 years at the Portland, Ore.-based firm, Jenkins will lead the growth in housing, sustainability and innovation while maintaining the firm’s collaborative culture. Heater transitions to business development, supporting Ankrom Moisan’s long-term leadership plan.
Parametrix has named Nicole Mackie vice president of growth and strategy. With more than 25 years in AEC marketing and 17 years at Parametrix, she will lead strategic marketing and business development in Washington, focusing on expanding the firm’s market presence and strengthening client relationships across multiple business lines and regions.
Peter Wijsman has joined BKF as business sector leader for water resources, based in Oakland, Calif. He brings 20 years of experience and is a leader in infrastructure and urban innovation, having led high-impact, multiyear projects across the U.S., including many in California. Originally from the Netherlands, Wijsman began his career in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, contributing his expertise in levee and flood protection to support U.S. recovery efforts. He spent the last 19 years at a global engineering firm, where he most recently served in a regional strategy leadership role.
Mitra Memari has been hired as regional director for community in the Americas West Region at HKS. Based in Los Angeles, Memari will lead strategic growth and regional coordination efforts for the company’s health, education and life science practices. Memari, a licensed architect, joins HKS with more than three decades of experience delivering work across health care, higher education, life sciences and civic markets.
Swinerton recently announced two leadership promotions. Chris Chany, based in San Diego, has been promoted to lead national markets, while Derek Jaschke, based in Seattle, has been named director of national accounts, succeeding Chany. Under Chany’s leadership, the national accounts sales model grew from $350 million to more than $1 billion in just four years. Jaschke, a 22-year Swinerton veteran with nearly 40 years in the construction industry, has overseen account management, development management processes and operational excellence for major clients.
BEI Construction has promoted Michael C. Kramer to director of Health Care Technologies after more than a decade of leadership and contributions to the company’s growing health care portfolio. Kramer, based in Alameda, Calif., has led complex projects for Bay Area institutions such as Stanford Health Care and the University of California at San Francisco, delivering secure fiber optic networks, structured cabling, robust data centers and integrated access control systems. In his new role, Kramer will continue to expand BEI’s health care capabilities, focusing on custom, reliable technology infrastructure that supports innovation in patient care, medical research and hospital operations.
Irvine, Calif.-based Ware Malcomb has hired Daniel Gehman as director of multifamily. He will focus on expanding the firm’s architectural presence in the multifamily sector along the West Coast, working closely with leadership to advance opportunities for large-scale architecture projects. For the past 27 years, Gehman served as a principal, studio director and senior designer at various Southern California firms, focusing almost exclusively on residential infill and semi-urban, urban and transit-oriented multifamily projects.
Dewberry has promoted Maxwell Hardy to regional market segment leader for its Northern California water practice. In this role, Hardy will continue to manage the water/wastewater structural engineering group in Northern California and will lead water-related marketing efforts. He currently serves as Dewberry’s lead structural engineer on a new wastewater treatment facility at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif.
