BORRAS

Rafael Borras was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 15 to the post of undersecretary for management at the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS), according to an announcement by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He has been in that role for a year under a congressional recess appointment that did not require confirmation. An online report in Federal Times says there were questions initially about Borras� qualifications, but his confirmation vote was unanimous. He is a former U.S. Commerce Dept. assistant secretary for administration and General Services Administration regional administrator. Borras also is a former URS Corp. vice president. In his current role, Borras manages the department�s contracting and acquisition processes.

MCMORROW

Parsons Corp., Pasadena, Calif., has realigned executive staff. The contractor said April 6 that Jeffrey F. Squires now is senior executive vice president and director of strategic planning and regional management, focused on the firm�s domestic U.S. business. His title was undisclosed when the firm named him last December to its corporate strategy group. Squires had been founding president of its Middle East, North Africa and northern Mediterranean region (MENA+) business unit. Guy Mehula has been named president. Formerly senior vice president of the firm�s buildings division, he replaces Maj. Gen. (ret.) Earnest O. Robbins in the role and is based in Abu Dhabi. Robbins, who had previously served as corporate executive vice president, has retired from the company.

Parsons also announced two leaders of its new Parsons Enterprises unit, which will develop concession-based businesses, public-private partnerships and other project finance ventures. Named unit president is Dean Harwood, who was formerly corporate vice president of strategy and development. Ruth McMorrow joins as executive vice president. She was managing director of global infrastructure finance at Canada-based Scotia Capital, where she spearheaded its investment expansion efforts into the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific-Australia, says Parsons.

PETERS

The Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC), Washington, D.C., a key source of labor-related research and consulting on construction costs, contract terms, safety and related issues, has named Carey L. Peters executive director. He replaces Robert M. Gasperow, who has retired after 32 years. Peters is formerly program manager of bargaining unit compensation at Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation�s largest public power company. While there, he conducted market studies on wages, salaries and benefits and led all compensation-related negotiations with construction trades. Gasperow, who had headed the council since its formation in 1979, was cited by ENR in 1980 and in 1988 for his contributions to industry. He remains a CLRC consultant through October. Ten employer associations support the group.