When John Hillman’s cell phone rings, out comes the tune of “Tom Sawyer,” released by the rock band Rush in 1981. The song is not just a favorite of Hillman’s—it comes as close to summing up his philosophy and personality as any one song could.
STONE Dewberry, an engineer-architect based in Fairfax, Va., has named Donald E. Stone Jr. as its new CEO. He had been chief operating officer and infrastructure engineering services practice-area leader. Additionally, Dan M. Pleasant, president of Dewberry’s Southeast division, has been promoted to replace him. Environmental engineer Tetra Tech, Pasadena, Calif., has appointed Daniel L. Johnson as vice president, based in its Golden, Colo., office. He is previously vice president and principal with GEI Consultants. David LaFrance has been named executive director of the Denver-based American Water Works Association, effective on May 3. He had been the finance director for
Grace Lai’s interest in construction began right where the bus would drop her off hours before class at Chicago’s American Academy of Art. Starting out as a sidewalk sketcher, Lai was soon invited inside the project gate to become a celebrated “on-site” artist, earning commissions from contractors and building developers, as well as tradespeople’s nods of approval. As an artist, Lai was a late bloomer, going to art school and taking up painting in her late 50s after her husband, Harry, died in 1985. Previously, she was an assistant in his art studio. Lai’s art was her personal therapy, but
WILTON James L. Wilton, former chairman and president of San Francisco engineering firm Jacobs Associates and an expert in excavation design of deep cut-and-cover structures, died on March 16 in Woodside, Calif., of lung cancer. He was 83. Wilton, who joined the firm in 1957, was named president in 1974 and chairman in 1985. He served in those posts until his 1992 retirement. Wilton worked on numerous large global projects, including rapid transit systems in San Francisco, New York City, Boston and Washington, D.C., Venezuela’s Yacambu irrigation tunnel, the Arenal power tunnel in Costa Rica and the Victoria Arts Center
MAGGIO FISHMAN Robert E. Fishman has joined nuclear and alternative-energy firm AREVA Inc., Bethesa, Md., as president and CEO of its new global solar business unit. He had been chairman and CEO of solar-power-generator developer Ausra, Mountain View, Calif., which AREVA acquired on Feb. 8. Fishman will be based in Mountain View to lead the unit, the name of which will be announced in late March, says an Ausra spokeswoman. The acquisition reflects AREVA’s intention “to be the world leader in concentrated solar power and to further strengthen and diversify its renewables portfolio,” says the firm. Charles Maggio has joined
GRAHAM Bruce J. Graham, a nearly 30-year partner of Chicago architecture giant Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and a driver of high-rise designs that now define the Windy City’s skyline, died on March 6 in Hobe Sound, Fla., at age 84. The cause was complication of Alzheimer’s disease, say published reports. Graham, degreed in both architecture and civil engineering, led design of Chicago’s first two buildings to reach or exceed 100 stories: the John Hancock Center in 1970 and the Sears Tower in 1974. Graham, who joined SOM in 1951 and was partner from 1960 until he left in 1989, pushed
BONCHER John Boncher has been promoted to CEO of Cupertino Electric Inc., a San Jose, Calif., electrical contractor, effective in April. The 21-year company veteran remains president and had been chief operating officer. In his new role, Boncher replaces James Ryley, who retires next month as CEO but remains chairman. Ryley joined Cupertino in 1959 as an apprentice electrician and became CEO in 1997. Insurance broker and risk consultant Marsh, New York City, has named Mark Reagan, a 40-year industry veteran, chairman of its global construction practice. He had been managing director of the construction services group at insurance broker
McKIM KUESEL Thomas R. Kuesel, a noted bridge and tunnel engineer and former partner at Parsons Brinckerhoff, New York City, died on Feb. 17 in Connecticut after a long illness. He was 83. Kuesel, whose PB career spanned 43 years, contributed as project manager or engineer to more than 270 transportation structures and systems in the U.S. and abroad. He was named chairman of PB’s U.S. transportation design unit in 1984, retiring in 1990. Kuesel, who was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1977, was co-editor of the Tunnel Engineering Handbook, a standard reference manual used worldwide, and
REAGAN Insurance broker Marsh, New York City, has named Mark Reagan, a 40-year industry veteran, chairman of its global construction practice, which includes 600 professionals, the company says. He joins the firm from a previous role as managing director of the construction services group at Aon. Reagan also served as construction practice chairman at insurance broker Willis, and held management positions at AIG and Seaboard Surety Co. Marsh has also named Todd Vandenhaak to lead a new specialty construction and engineering consulting practice in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). He is relocating from Seattle to London, to lead
KUESEL Thomas R. Kuesel, a noted bridge and tunnel engineer and former partner at Parsons Brinckerhoff, New York City, died on Feb. 17 in Connecticut after a long illness. He was 83. Kuesel, whose PB career spanned 43 years, contributed to design as project manager or engineer of more than 270 transportation structures and systems in the U.S. and abroad. As an engineering manager on the Bay Area Rapid Transit system in California, he directed design of 20 miles of subways, 25 miles of aerial structures, two hard-rock tunnels and a 3.6-mile immersed-tube tunnel under San Francisco Bay. Kuesel earned