ENR's Top 25 Newsmakers - The construction industry is filled with amazing leadership—people with the passion, drive and courage to tackle the most difficult challenges and make our world a better place. At the end of every year since 1964, Engineering News-Record editors look through the stories that have appeared in ENR and select individuals for special recognition.]]> https://www.enr.com/rss/851 en-us Inventing new technologies. Dreaming up more efficient processes. Solving seemingly insurmountable project and business challenges. Challenging the status quo. These were among achievements last year for those selected for construction industry recognition on April 9 .

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51038 Thu, 21 Jan 2021 10:00:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51038-the-top-25-newsmakers-of-2020 As COVID-19 upended daily work lives in a year like no other, current and future construction participants found new ways to get the job done]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51043 Thu, 21 Jan 2021 07:13:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51043-a-resilient-workforce-triumphs-through-a-tough-year ENR 2020 Top 25 Newsmakers At 5 a.m. on a very hot summer day in Sacramento last year, a socially distanced Hensel Phelps construction team had been pouring concrete for three hours on a state government building project. Project life under COVID-19 protocols had many challenges for industry participants. PHOTO BY MICHAEL O’CALLAHAN ENR 2020 Top 25 Newsmakers Emily Sullivan, a Clark Construction purchasing director, does her job remotely at home in San Mateo, Calif., while her son Edric, 6, attends virtual first grade at the dining room table that he shares with project blueprints belonging to dad, Adam, a Clark Construction executive. PHOTO COURTESY EMILY SULLIVAN Jim White’s experience was critical to the innovative construction approach that shaved six months off the schedule of Oxford Group’s $1-billion effort to transform the former St. John’s rail freight terminal on Manhattan’s West Side into the 1.3-million-sq-ft corporate hub that tech giant Google plans to occupy next year.

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51070 Thu, 21 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51070-james-white-borrowed-bridge-building-technique-to-expedite-high-rise-construction Jim White Jim White, Oxford vice president and head of construction, U.S. region.Photo courtesy of Oxford Properties Group constructing hardened elevator and stair cores White reassembled a design-build team to adapt a previous approach to build hardened elevator and stair cores, transforming a four-story terminal into Google’s 12-story, $1-billion Manhattan hub. Photo courtesy of Oxford Properties Group jriceenr@gmail.com (Justin Rice) Martin J. Walsh made national news long before President-elect Joe Biden nominated the mayor of Boston to serve as labor secretary.

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51069 Thu, 21 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51069-martin-j-walsh-first-mayor-of-major-city-to-halt-construction-after-covid-19-outbreak Sitting with his wife, Maureen, in 2015 in a booth at the Space Needle’s former SkyCity restaurant celebrating their shared birthday, Bob Vincent had just learned his longtime employer Hoffman Construction landed the contract of a lifetime: to renovate the iconic Seattle landmark. And he couldn’t say a word.

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51068 Thu, 21 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51068-bob-vincent-thinking-outside-the-jewel-box-for-seattle-space-needle-renovation Bob Vincent Bob Vincent stands on the deck of Seattle’s Space Needle during the Century Project, the landmark’s largest renovation since opening at the 1962 World’s Fair.Photo Courtesy of Hoffman Construction Seattle’s Space Needle renovation Bob Vincent stands on the deck of Seattle’s Space Needle during the Century Project, the landmark’s largest renovation since opening at the 1962 World’s Fair. Photo Courtesy of brandsafway choa@enr.com (Aileen Cho) Leading transportation agencies in pushing technology and partnerships

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51056 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 14:49:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51056-randell-iwasaki-leads-transportation-agencies-in-pushing-technology-and-partnerships postn@enr.com (Nadine M. Post) Filter that zaps the coronavirus and other airborne pathogens goes from brainstorm to deployment in warp speed

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51054 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 14:40:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51054-monzer-hourani-shepherded-filter-that-zaps-coronavirus-from-brainstorm-to-deployment Monzer Hourani Hourani’s crusade to reopen America began on March 27 with an idea for a filter that would use heat to kill the virus.  PHOTO COURTESY MEDISTAR Monzer Hourani Hourani’s crusade to reopen America began on March 27 with an idea for a filter that would use heat to kill the virus. By September, mobile units (above) were on their way to buildings. PHOTO COURTESY IVP rubenstonej@enr.com (Jeff Rubenstone) Developing AI-based visual-analysis tool for facade inspections, changing how buildings are maintained

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51052 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 14:31:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51052-badri-hiriyur-developed-ai-based-visual-analysis-tool-for-facade-inspection postn@enr.com (Nadine M. Post) Fired up to develop the nation’s first mass-timber tower—the 284-ft-tall Ascent in Milwaukee

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51051 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 14:23:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51051-tim-gokhman-led-development-of-nations-first-mass-timber-tower Tim Gokhman Fired up to develop the nation’s first mass-timber tower—the 284-ft-tall Ascent in Milwaukee PHOTO TOP MONTAGE BY SCOTT HILLING/ENR, PHOTO COURTESY C.D. SMITH, RENDERING BY THORNTON TOMASETTI Tim Gokhman Tim (left) and Boris, with Raisa, wanted to use wood for Ascent’s residential portion to make a splash in the rental market. COURTESY TIM GOKHMAN Free webinars on coronavirus attracted top-tier participants to discuss the unknown ramifications of COVID-19 on industry

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51050 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 14:13:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51050-frank-giunta-developed-free-webinars-to-discuss-ramifications-of-covid-19-on-the-industry Frank Giunta A free webinar series on COVID-19-related problems was the brainchild of Frank Giunta (left foreground), shown here at the Panama Canal, where HKA provided project monitoring services, including risk assessment, during the expansion. PHOTOS COURTESY HKA Frank Giunta A free webinar series on COVID-19-related problems was the brainchild of Frank Giunta, shown here at the Panama Canal, where HKA provided project monitoring services, including risk assessment, during the expansion. choa@enr.com (Aileen Cho) Conceiving a solution that streamlines the exchange of construction materials

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51049 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 13:59:59 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51049-cliff-fetner-conceiving-a-solution-to-streamline-construction-material-exchange Cliff Fetner Fetner (right) and his son materialized a solution to match up people who need construction materials such as soil and aggregate with those who need to get rid of materials. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SOIL CONNECT Cliff Fetner Conceiving a solution that streamlines the exchange of construction materials judys@enr.com (Scott Judy) Architect and developer persisted to deliver a rural North Carolina county with a needed K-12 school at an ultra-low cost

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51048 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 13:50:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51048-robbie-ferris-persisted-to-deliver-a-rural-k-12-school-at-ultra-low-cost Robbie Ferris The Jones County K-12 School, which opened in August 2019, won ENR Southeast’s Best K-12 Education Award, presented in November 2020. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SFL+A ARCHITECTS Robbie Ferris The Jones County K-12 School, which opened in August 2019, won ENR Southeast’s Best K-12 Education Award, presented in November 2020. Providing vision and direction for a comprehensive flood model serving a variety of needs

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51047 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 13:45:49 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51047-matthew-eby-providing-vision-and-direction-for-a-comprehensive-flood-model postn@enr.com (Nadine M. Post) Laying the groundwork for all landscape architects to design sites that give back to the environment

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51046 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 13:39:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51046-pamela-conrad-laying-groundwork-for-designs-that-give-back-to-the-environment yodersj@enr.com (Jeff Yoders) Engineer of innovative sports structures led team that delivered first large-scale use of woven PTFE laminate mesh at Allianz Field

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51045 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 13:32:02 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51045-justin-barton-led-team-to-deliver-first-large-scale-pfte-mesh-installation-on-stadium Justin Barton Engineer of innovative sports structures led team that delivered first large-scale use of woven PTFE laminate mesh at Allianz Field PHOTOS COURTESY OF WALTER P MOORE AND JAMES EWING/POPULOUS Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minn. Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minn., has 88,000 sq ft of PTFE laminate mesh covering its upper structure and partial roof. Barton, a longtime soccer fan, brought ideas from Allianz Arena in Munich. choa@enr.com (Aileen Cho) Refining a collaborative and innovative solution that accelerated repairs of a crucial subway tunnel

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51044 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 13:25:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51044-jamey-barbas-advanced-solution-to-repair-critical-subway-tunnel rubind@enr.com (Debra K. Rubin) For Florida contractor Jennifer Todd, industry commitment to construction diversity and inclusion has to be more than a press release in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51064 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51064-jennifer-todd-black-woman-contractor-rises-above-exclusion-to-press-for-deeper-talent-reach yodersj@enr.com (Jeff Yoders) In March, Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, Chief of Engineers for the U.S. Army and 54th Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was getting ready for a well-deserved retirement. Then the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic came into focus. 

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51062 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51062-todd-semonite-commanding-general-of-us-army-corps-of-engineers-led-covid-19-response Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, Chief of Engineers for the U.S. Army and 54th Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Photos courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers McCormick Place alternate care facility Thanks to a rapid HVAC and medical gas system upgrade overseen by the USACE, the McCormick Place alternate care facility had three separate halls to handle patients with low, moderate and more serious symptoms of COVID-19. Photos courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers postn@enr.com (Nadine M. Post) For Schwer, the project is the culmination of a strong commitment to minimize negative environmental impacts.

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51061 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51061-paul-schwer-masterminding-worlds-largest-most-sustainable-and-most-quake-resistant-living-office-building shawm@enr.com (Mark Shaw) Paralympic swimmer and design consultant Ileana Rodriguez is passionate about the freedom of movement.

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51060 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51060-ileana-rodriguez-pushing-for-better-accessibility-design-for-all-public-places Ileana Rodriguez Rodriguez is a passionate advocate for improving disabled access to buildings, infrastructure and recreation spaces worldwide.Image courtesy of I Design Access LLC wheelchair access As a sports design consultant, she helps to solve issues for disabled athletes such as doors to courts and other venues not being wide enough for many wheelchairs.Image courtesy of I Design Access LLC postn@enr.com (Nadine M. Post) http://www.enr.com/articles/51058 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51058-todd-miller-proving-collaborative-design-build-model-on-overhaul-of-landmark-portland-building choa@enr.com (Aileen Cho) Thomas J. McGuinness has spent three decades on projects with agencies such as the New York State Dept. of Transportation building mostly highways and bridges.

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51057 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51057-thomas-mcguinness-transportation-veteran-applied-his-know-how-to-advance-26b-rail-project With COVID-19 cases rising across the country last spring, Philadelphia health care providers braced for horror.

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51055 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51055-kevin-mahoney-drove-team-to-finish-15b-hospital-rebuild-early-to-meet-covid-19-capacity-demands Kevin Mahoney A year after the Pennsylvania Health System named him chief executive, Kevin Mahoney called on his integrated project delivery team to speed non-acute patient rooms. Photo courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Health System University of Pennsylvania's West Philadelphia campus A year after the Pennsylvania Health System named him chief executive, Kevin Mahoney called on his integrated project delivery team to speed non-acute patient rooms. Photos courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Health System rubenstonej@enr.com (Jeff Rubenstone) New technologies are offered up to the construction industry every day, but actually stitching them together into a usable workflow is the real challenge.

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51053 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51053-eric-law-mixed-robots-reality-capture-and-data-analysis-for-better-work-progress-tracking reina@btinternet.com (Peter Reina) Years of working on prominent, fast-track projects in Africa equipped Italian engineer Claudio Lautizi to manage the speedy replacement of Genoa’s 1.1-km-long collapsed Polcevera viaduct in full public glare.

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51042 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51042-claudio-lautizi-assembled-team-and-managed-quick-rebuild-of-collapsed-genoa-bridge San Giorgio bridge Crews with PerGenova built the San Giorgio bridge in just over one year. Photo Courtesy PerGenova Polcevera viaduct in Genoa, Italy The structure replaces the 1.1-km-long Polcevera viaduct in Genoa, Italy, which collapsed in August 2018, killing 43 people. Photo by Nicola Marfisi/Avalon.red/Newscom postn@enr.com (Nadine M. Post) Family by choice is a great way to describe Greg Knutson’s close ties to Mortenson, his only employer—ever. 

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51040 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51040-greg-knutson-brought-coherence-to-a-4d-constructibility-puzzle-for-a-seattle-arena-rebuild The residential tower with the striking surface built above New York City’s Museum of Modern Art was incredibly challenging to build.

]]> http://www.enr.com/articles/51039 Wed, 20 Jan 2021 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.enr.com/articles/51039-william-kell-coordinated-cast-in-place-concrete-exoskeleton-for-87-story-nyc-tower