ENR recently announced a new configuration, consolidating its eight regions into five. Mountain States and Southwest have been combined to form ENR Mountain States & Southwest, which will cover construction news in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
As we introduce this new region, ENR Mountain States & Southwest is pleased to also announce the winners of this year’s Legacy Awards. They are Jim Johnson, CEO of GE Johnson for Colorado/Wyoming; Doug Watts, CEO of Watts Construction for the Intermountain area of Utah, Idaho and Montana; and Steve Chanen, president and CEO of Chanen Construction for the Southwest states Arizona and New Mexico.
A story profiling their accomplishments will appear in the March 3 issue of the magazine.
The Legacy Awards are presented annually to individuals who have achieved a lifetime legacy of service in design and construction, and who have offered their time and expertise in giving back to the profession and to the communities in which they live.
Congratulations to all three Legacy Award winners from across the region!
Jim Johnson

As CEO of GE Johnson Construction Co., Jim Johnson is credited with building, expanding or renovating some of the highest profile structures in Colorado Springs, including The Broadmoor, World Arena, Pikes Peak Center, Pikes Peak Community College, Fountain Valley School, Air Force Academy, Penrose Hospital and El Paso County Justice Center. He began his career with GEJ as a laborer in 1976, eventually serving in the role of vice president before becoming president and CEO in 1997. Jim’s passion for community service has included serving as a board member of the Colorado Community College System, in several leadership roles for Kansas State University, and on the boards of YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region, Colorado Business Committee for the Arts and Discover Goodwill of Southern and Western Colorado. He was named Business Citizen of the Year by the Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance and has also received the Colorado Governor’s Citizenship Medal.
Doug Watts

Doug Watts retired in 2023 as CEO of Watts Construction, St. George, Utah. Watts Construction is one of the largest contractors in southern Utah and builds projects throughout southern Utah, Arizona and Nevada. Doug joined his father in the family business in 1985 and took the helm in 2010. He was instrumental in the company’s steady growth and the primary force behind some of the most notable projects in Washington County and Iron County, including the Washington City Community Center, many Genpak expansions and the Washington County Justice Center. He has served as a board member and chairman for both the Washington County Economic Development Council and the Associated General Contractors of Utah.
Steve Chanen

Steve Chanen also followed in the footsteps of his father, who founded Chanen Construction Co. in 1955 with a borrowed $1,000. After joining the firm in 1989, Steve became company president in 1991 and has been CEO and majority owner since 2004. In its almost 70 years of operation, the contractor has built key projects for high-profile clients, including Intel Corp., American Airlines, Howard Hughes, McDonnell Douglas/Boeing Helicopter Company, Warner Bros. and Phoenix Newspapers. During his tenure, Steve has served on more than 40 nonprofit boards and commissions, received appointments from five Arizona governors and was appointed to the board of trustees of two universities––Midwestern University in Glendale, Ariz. and Claremont Lincoln University, one of the first U.S. online-only graduate universities, based in Claremont, Calif. Additionally, in 2004, Steve led Maricopa Community Colleges, the largest community college system in the country, in a successful $961 million bond funding.