What started as an effort by Bob Nilsson, a U.S. Marine vet with a broken leg to help other Vietnam War wounded heal at a Navy hospital in Queens, N.Y., has grown decades later into a nationwide crusade to transition veterans, injured and not, into entrepreneurs in the construction sector—and beyond.
The Obama administration made construction careers for veterans a high-profile initiative, announced last year by First Lady Michele Obama, that asks industry firms to hire 100,000 vets in the next five years.
Related Links: Publicly Held Sterling Construction Eyes Transportation Boost To Reverse Results Slide VarelloSterling Construction has named as its permanent CEO, Paul J. Varello, who had been acting in the role since early February and has resigned as chairman. The firm, based in The Woodlands, said on March 9 that under Varello’s multi-year employment agreement, the one-time Fluor Corp. process sector president would receive an annual salary of $1 and 600,000 shares of restricted common stock. Varello, a Sterling board member since early 2014 and former chairman of oil-and-gas sector firm Commonwealth Engineering & Construction, replaces Peter MacKenna, who
Related Links: Engineering News-Record Architectural Record The Associated Builders and Contractors has hired Gregory E. Sizemore as vice president of environment, health, safety and workforce development for the 21,000-member national open-shop group. He was senior manager of craft development at Zachry Industrial. Gregory E. SizemoreGregory L. Sizemore, no relation, remains executive vice president of the Construction Users Roundtable, a Cincinnati-based owners group.Michael A. Shamma has joined engineer HAKS, New York City, as president. He was chief engineer of the New York State Thruway Authority/Canal Corp. and a regional state transportation director.AECOM has named Jess Yoder vice president in San Francisco
Abba G. Lichtenstein, 92, a noted bridge engineer who helped develop key national load-rating and inspection standards and techniques and who was an expert in repair of historic spans and related structures, died on March 13 in Washington, D.C., his family confirms.
Photo Courtesy Michael Graves Architecture & Design Populism Portland building (top) started postmodernism. Swan Hotel graces Walt Disney World. Photo Courtesy Michael Graves Architecture & Design Related Links: Michael Graves Architecture & Design Michael Graves, who more than 35 years ago kicked off the postmodern movement in architecture with his then-controversial design for the Portland Public Service Building, died of natural causes on March 12. He was 80.In 2001, when Graves won the American Institute of Architects' Gold Medal, he talked about "populist architecture" and his aim to delight the soul through buildings—from windows to washrooms."The livable city is the
University of Maryland Clark (right) with fellow engineer and University of Maryland benefactor Jeong H. Kim at 2007 engineering building dedication. Related Links: Clark Construction website: A. James Clark obituary University of Maryland Mourns Passing of A.James Clark In 1969, when he took over an old-line Washington, D.C.-area construction firm that now bears his name, A. James "Jim" Clark had a growth vision that differed sharply from its founder. Decades later, the successor set the foundation that propelled George Hyman Construction Co. to become today's national industry giant Clark Construction Group, and transformed Clark himself into a billionaire philanthropist. Clark
Related Links: Pritzker Architecture Prize Biography of Frei Otto Architect Frei Otto, a pioneer in lightweight tensile structures, died on March 9 at age 89, soon after he learned he had won the prestigious 2015 Pritzker Architecture Prize.Otto, born in Siegmar, Germany, on May 31, 1925, was an "architect, visionary, utopian, ecologist, pioneer of lightweight materials, protector of natural resources and a generous collaborator with architects, engineers, biologists, among others," says the Pritzker Architecture Prize, in a release. Otto is the 40th laureate of the honor, sponsored by the Hyatt Foundation.OTTOIn engineering circles, Otto was best known for his innovative
RTD Former Denver transit manager now will run third-largest US system. Related Links: ENR Newsmaker citiation: Reaching Higher, Reaching Out on FasTracks Program Former MTA chief expected to be named head of Metrolink commuter rail Phillip A. Washington, general manager of Denver’s Regional Transportation District since 2009, will leave the agency to become CEO of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the third-largest public transit system in the U.S., the L.A. agency said March 12. Washington has garnered national attention for taking over in 2009 what had been the district’s originally troubled $5.3-billion FasTracks transit construction program,
Photo by Tony Illia/ENR Brock gave a press conference at CONEXPO 2011, not long before he was diagnosed with cancer. Related Links: Smell of Green May Soon Replace Asphalt's Acrid Odor Warm-Mix Asphalt Heats Up In Construction Market J. Don Brock, chairman and former chief executive officer of Astec Industries Inc. died March 10 in Chattanooga, Tenn. He was 76 years old.For more than 40 years, Brock was the construction industry’s outspoken champion of hot-mix asphalt. In later years, he sought to make flexible pavements more environmentally friendly and recyclable.Brock—also known as Dr. Brock referring to his doctorate in mechanical
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