Midwest People: July 2026

Chicago-based McHugh Construction has hired Alec Miller as its general counsel. With more than 20 years of experience as a construction attorney across in-house and private practice roles, Miller will lead the firm’s legal, risk management and compliance functions. Miller will oversee financings and transactions, regulatory compliance, labor negotiations and litigation and dispute resolution while partnering with project teams and leadership to proactively manage risk across McHugh’s project portfolio. Miller most recently served as general counsel at Premier Design+Build Group, where he was the primary legal adviser for the national industrial construction firm.
Chris Jann has been hired by Minneapolis-based Wold Architects and Engineers as a health care business development leader in the company’s Minneapolis office. Previously, he served in senior roles at Introba, HDR and Ellerbe Becket. Jann is expected to help Wold deliver tailored, insight-driven solutions for health care clients navigating an increasingly complex landscape.
The Boldt Group has appointed Stacy Robben to its board of directors for a term to last through May 2028. Robben currently serves as the company’s chief marketing officer and executive vice president. The appointment allows Boldt to continue to benefit from Robben’s perspective and counsel beyond her planned year-end retirement while also strengthening the board with her deep institutional knowledge and industry expertise, the company says.
Burns & McDonnell has named Jason Schmid as manager of the firm’s global facilities group in the Great Lakes region, which includes offices in Chicago; Downers Grove, Ill.; Lexington, Ky; Southfield, Mich.; and Madison, Wis. Schmid brings more than two decades of experience in manufacturing, engineering and construction, with a focus on food and beverage and process-intensive industries. Schmid previously served at Burns & McDonnell as a business development leader and project manager within the global facilities group, later becoming the food and beverage business line manager in the Great Lakes region. Schmid will lead strategy and growth for global facilities, supporting multiple business lines, including mission critical, consumer products, aerospace, industrial and life sciences.
Tom Evers has been hired as district engineer for the Missouri Dept. of Transportation’s St. Louis District. Evers will take over leadership of the five-county region from Tom Blair, who retired in May. Evers has spent 27 years with the district, most recently as the assistant district engineer overseeing program delivery. He has contributed to numerous major initiatives, including the I-70 Westbound Blanchette Bridge over the Missouri River and the Route 364 – Page Extension projects.
Chicago-based McHugh Construction has announced three new hires: Eric Engstrom as project executive, Grant Peoples as director of risk management and Amit Patel as project manager. Engstrom will lead delivery of commercial developments. Peoples will oversee strategic risk planning and claims management. Patel will oversee project execution and field coordination.
Engineering firm Syska Hennessy Group has promoted Paul Mazzoni to associate partner in the Chicago office. Mazzoni is a senior BIM development supervisor with 18 years of experience.
