June 2008 Virginia Engineers on the Move

June 2008 Virginia Engineers on the Move
 

Sherry L. Penley, has joined MMM Design Group as an architectural intern. Daniel C. Hyer, E.I.T. has joined the firm as a civil engineer, and Karen M. Hermansky has rejoined the firm’s professional staff as an interior designer.
Ms. Penley has more than 13 years of experience with a wide variety of private, municipal, federal and primary and secondary education clients. Her experience includes space programming, client interviews, construction documents, cost estimating, detailing and specifications. She also is a LEED® accredited professional. Previously, Ms. Penley was an architectural intern at Waller, Todd and Sadler.
Ms. Hermansky, an interior design graduate of Virginia Tech, rejoined the firm in January. She brings more than eight years of interior design experience in government, corporate, university and showroom design. She has specialized experience in Kitchen and Bath design, systems furniture and office layouts, furniture specifications and procurement, furnishings and interior finishes. Her most recent work experience included serving as a kitchen and bath showroom designer for Ferguson Enterprises.
Mr. Hyer will be working in MMM’s Charlottesville office. He holds a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Central Florida. He is also a LEED® accredited professional. Mr. Hyer specializes in civil site work including grading, utility layout, roadways, and drainage design. His professional experience includes a concentration in site civil and utility analysis as well as design in support of residential and commercial development projects.

Environmental Alliance, Inc. has recently welcomed James Bernard as Senior Geologist to their Virginia office. Mr. Bernard will lead the company’s Brownfields and Voluntary Remediation efforts in Virginia.

Hankins and Anderson, Inc., is pleased to announce that Maureen Drullard, E.I.T., of the firm’s Mechanical Department, has been promoted to the position of Sustainable Design Manager. Ms. Drullard’s current experience includes design review and credit documentation for the firm’s design of additions to the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Headquarters, which was designed for LEED Gold Certification, and preparation of LEED credit documentation in the design of five new U.S. Embassy Compounds. As the firm’s Sustainable Design Manager, she will work with the project team to confirm the building’s total economic and environmental impact and performance meets LEED® criteria for sustainability; evaluate systems for maximum sustainability and future flexibility; and monitor quality of the design solution for compatibility with project sustainability goals. Ms. Drullard is also responsible for in-house education of sustainable design practices including preparation courses for the LEED® Accredited Professional examination. Ms. Drullard has worked with the LEED rating system and application of LEED design criteria to projects for four years.
Hankins and Anderson, Inc., has also announced the following new employees:
Michael J. Bentley, Sr. has joined the firm’s Civil Department. Mr. Bentley was formerly with Bay Design Group PC. Jeff Bew has joined the firm’s Mechanical Department. Prior to joining Hankins & Anderson, Mr. Bew was with HKA Enterprises. Jason Wells has joined the firm’s Electrical Department. Mr. Wells was formerly with Henkels & McCoy, Inc. Michael Hopkins has joined the firm’s Electrical Department. Mr. Hopkins was formerly with Belks Engineering Associates. Patricia G. Beasley, PHR has joined the Human Resources Department as the Human Resources Manager. Mrs. Beasley was formerly with Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc. Heather L. Graves has joined the Administrative Department. Mrs. Graves was formerly with Cox Transportation Services Inc. Michael McCaffrey has joined the firm’s Administrative Department. Mr. McCaffrey was formerly with Virginia Farm Bureau. Holly L. Hanner has joined the Administrative Department as Administrative Assistant. Mrs. Hanner was formerly with Hickman’s Termite & Pest Control.

Draper Aden Associates is pleased to announce that William E. Boettger, Jr. has joined the firm as a Field Engineer on the Geotechnical Team in the Richmond office. Mr. Boettger has extensive work experience in construction QA/QC. He has an M.S. degree in Biology from Old Dominion University.
The firm is also pleased to announce that John W. Hurford, P.E., has been selected to assume the position of Solid Waste Team Leader for the Richmond office. Mr. Hurford earned his B.S. degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Florida. He brings over 10 years of national engineering experience as a technical expert, experienced manager, and seasoned design engineer within the field of municipal solid waste management consulting to the firm.
Scott R. Canfield, E.I.T., has recently joined the firm as a Project Engineer for the Richmond Structural Team. Mr. Canfield has experience in structural analysis of concrete structures including bridges and parking structures. In his new position, he will be responsible for the overall management of designated projects within the team. He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Draper Aden Associates is pleased to announce that Kimberly S. Kitts has joined the firm as a Project Administrator on the Site Planning and Engineering Team in the Blacksburg office. Her duties include facilitation of project scheduling, budgeting and planning. Ms. Kitts holds a B.B.A. in Finance from Radford University.
Draper Aden Associates is pleased to announce Brett Sprouse has been hired as a Computer Support Specialist on the IT Team in the Richmond office. Mr. Sprouse’s responsibilities include help desk support, software and hardware troubleshooting and assistance to the Network Administrator. He is a graduate of ECPI Technical College in Richmond with an Associates Degree in Computer and Information Sciences.

Wiley & Wilson, Inc. is pleased to make the following staff announcements:
Matthew V. Hoang, E.I.T., LEED® AP and Anne E. Burkhardt, E.I.T., LEED® AP are now certified by the United States Green Building Council as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional (AP).
Mr. Hoang, a member of the firm’s Electrical Engineering Team, focuses on electrical lighting and power systems design for buildings. He received his B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.
Ms. Burkhardt, a member of the firm’s Civil Engineering Team, focuses on site and civil design. She received a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Clemson University.
Wiley & Wilson, Inc. is also pleased to announce:
Jason T. Burger, AIA was promoted to Architect in the Architectural Department. His duties include developing schematic designs into construction documents for local, state, and federal clients. Mr. Burger received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Virginia Tech and was recently licensed as an Architect in Virginia.
G. Keith Thompson, Jr., P.E. has been promoted to the position of Project Engineer in the firm’s Civil Engineering Department. Mr. Thompson focuses on the design of water, wastewater, and storm sewer systems. He received his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering Technology from Old Dominion University.

Anderson & Associates, Inc. is pleased to make the following staff announcements:
Stephen M. Steele, P.E. has been named Vice President of Municipal Engineering. Mr. Steele joined Anderson & Associates in 2001 and has had a successful career as a Project Manager on the municipal team. He has designed and managed a variety of projects and regularly provides funding assistance to numerous clients. He received his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering and A.S. degree in Architectural Engineering from Bluefield State College, and his B.S. degree in Business Management from Emory and Henry College. As VP of Municipal Engineering, Mr. Steele will work closely with Project Managers on the municipal team, and he will provide senior project management leadership and advice.
Catherine Van Noy has been named Vice President of Business Development. Ms. Van Noy joins Anderson & Associates following a successful 25-year career in professional services marketing and business development. She received her B.A. degree from The Ohio State University, and received her Master of Liberal Studies from Hollins University in May of 2008. Ms. Van Noy will utilize her marketing and business development skills to focus on developing and implementing new marketing strategies and initiatives.
Anderson & Associates, Inc. would also like to welcome Andrew Koser, P.E., as Blacksburg Assistant Project Manager. The firm also congratulates Laura Matney on passing her Certified Professional Services Marketing Exam (CPSM). Congratulations also to Carrie Cranwill, EIT, CLA; and Rodger Hoke on receiving their certification for Stormwater BMP Inspection and Maintenance.

Christopher Cornelius has been named associate director for research of Virginia Tech’s Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science. He will serve as chief technical officer and advisor to institute director Roop Mahajan, and will share responsibilities for technical administration, setting strategic directions, and allocating resources on behalf of the institute. In his new position, Dr. Cornelius will continue as an active researcher in synthetics and materials. Dr. Cornelius comes to Virginia Tech from Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), a National Laboratory operated for the U. S. Department of Energy by Sandia Corporation. He has served as a member of the American Indian Science Engineering Society, an associate member of the American Chemical Society Committee on Minority Affairs, and as outreach co-chair for the American Indian Outreach Committee at Sandia National Laboratories. Additionally, he has served as adjunct professor in the chemistry department at Clemson University and in the chemical engineering department at the University of New Mexico, teaching and mentoring Ph.D. students. He earned a Ph.D. and M.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech and a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Montana State University.
James B. “J.B.” Jones is the recipient of the 2008 William H. Ruffner Medal, Virginia Tech’s most prestigious honor. Dr. Jones, a 1944 graduate in Mechanical Engineering, was a student leader while studying at the university and an outstanding teacher and mentor after returning there as a professor in 1964. He earned his Master’s degree and Ph.D. from Purdue University. In 1964, he returned to Blacksburg to teach and mentor Virginia Tech engineering students. Dr. Jones has received numerous awards and honors in his field. He served on the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology, as well as its board of directors and executive committee. He was vice president for education for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and co-chaired The National Research Council Committee on Engineering Design Theory and Methodology. In 1991, three years after his retirement, Dr. Jones earned national recognition when the American Society of Mechanical Engineers presented him the James Harry Potter Gold Medal for contributions in thermodynamics.
Peizhen Kathy Lu, assistant professor of materials science and engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, is the 2008 recipient of the Karl Schwartzwalder-Professional achievement in Ceramic Engineering Award. Dr. Lu directs Virginia Tech’s Innovative Particulate Materials Laboratory. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Ceramics from Tianjin University, China, in 1990 and in 1993, respectively. She obtained a second Master’s degree and her Doctorate in Materials Science and Engineering from Ohio State University in 1999 and 2000. From 1989 to 1993, Prof. Lu served as a research associate for the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Tianjin University. From 1993 to 1996, she was employed as an assistant professor in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing, China. She was also a research associate at Ohio State University in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering from 1996 to 2000. At Pennsylvania State University, Prof. Lu worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Center for Innovative Sintered Products.
Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering has honored nine of its most distinguished alumni with induction into its Academy of Engineering, and named its 2008 Outstanding Young Alumnus. Membership in the academy is reserved in general for individuals holding an engineering degree from Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering and who have made sustained and meritorious engineering and/or leadership contributions during their careers. The nine academy honorees, in alphabetical order, and the outstanding alumna, and brief biographical information, are:
The late John Coli of Ashland, N.C., received his undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering in 1941, 1949, and 1949, respectively. He spent most of his career with Allied Chemical, American Enka, and Akzo America. For his work in the business arena, he received the Virginia Press Association’s Virginian of the Year Award in 1968, and the chair of the American Chemical Society in 1957.
William G. Grossmann who splits his time between Hampton, Va., and Berlin, Germany, earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering from Virginia Tech in 1958, 1961, and 1964, respectively. Since June of 2005, Mr. Grossman has served as the director of business development for Science Applications International Corporation Services, responsible for its operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Grossmann is also now working with the NASA Langley spin-off organization, the National Institute of Aerospace.
Ray Martin of Ashland, Va., received his undergraduate and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Virginia Tech in 1964 and in 1968, respectively. He spent most of his career with Schnabel Engineering. Mr. Martin is a former president of the Virginia Society of Professional Engineers, which presented him with its Distinguished Service Award in 1982. He has been inducted into Tau Beta Pi and Chi Epsilon, and is a member and a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers. In recognition of his service to Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering, it presented him with the Distinguished Service Award in 1993 and it’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2003.
Harold Martin of Kernersville, N.C., earned his doctoral degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech in 1980. In 2000 he was promoted to its chief administrator and chancellor, a position he remained in until 2006 when he became the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of North Carolina, a multi-campus university. At Virginia Tech, Martin has served as chair of both the college and the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Advisory Boards.
E. George Middleton earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech in 1950. He spent eight years on the Norfolk City School Board at the height of integration, and in 1977, he left that board to become chairman of the Sentara Healthcare Board for 20 years. Mr. Middleton has earned three Norfolk city awards: Citation for Outstanding Service in 1977, Business Appreciation Award in 1990, and First Citizen of Norfolk Award in 2002. In 1997, he received Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering Outstanding Service Award.
Helen Reed of College Station, Texas earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering mechanics from Virginia Tech in 1980 and 1981, respectively. When President Ronald Reagan signed the authorization for the first year of National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator (NSF PYI) awards, her name was on the list of the inaugural recipients. In 2004, she assumed the aerospace department head’s position at Texas A&M.
B. Fielding Rolston of Kingsport, Tenn., earned his undergraduate degree in industrial engineering from Virginia Tech in 1964. He went to work for Eastman Chemical, a decision that paved his professional career for almost 40 years. In 2003, Mr. Rolston retired from Eastman as senior vice president of human resources and communications.
Tom Rust earned his undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Virginia Tech in 1965. In 1969, he joined the independent firm of Patton Harris and Ford, a professional engineering and land surveying operation with about 25 employees. He was tasked with a number of challenging projects, and when Ford stepped down, the principals asked him to become a partner. In the almost 40 years that Mr. Rust has now worked at the Chantilly-based firm, the name has changed to Patton Harris Rust and Associates, it grew to a corporation with about 40 stockholders, and 400 employees in 18 offices throughout the mid-Atlantic region.
Edgar Starke Jr., earned his undergraduate degree in metallurgical engineering from Virginia Tech in 1960. He pursued his master’s degree, again in metallurgical engineering, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne, earning it in a mere ten months. After a brief stint at the Savannah River Laboratory, he was off to the University of Florida where he again made record academic speed, earning his Ph.D. in metallurgical engineering in two years. In 1984, he was asked to be the Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Virginia.
Also honored during the Academy of Engineering Excellence induction dinner was Celine Mahieux, selected as Virginia Tech’s Outstanding Young Engineering Alum for 2008. After earning her undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the Universite of Technologie of Compiegne, France, she enrolled as a graduate student at Virginia Tech, receiving a master’s degree in materials science and engineering in 1996, and a Ph.D. in materials engineering science in 1999. In 2004, she was placed in her current position with Alstom’s power systems sector, a 20,000-employee group. She is in charge of forming the corporate response to new developments in technology and market shifts, to multi-business projects sponsored by the sector.
Virginia Tech announces ICTAS Doctoral Scholars for 2008. Ten exceptional Ph.D. candidates, representing five colleges and nine departments, are selected as the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science(ICTAS) Doctoral Scholars for fall 2008. The 2008 ICTAS Doctoral Scholars are:
Adam Bowman of Lebanon, Va., a doctoral candidate in the Department of Mathematics in the College of Science; Mehdi Ghommem of Tunis, Tunisia, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics in the College of Engineering; Matthew MacInnis of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada , a doctoral candidate in the Department of GeoSciences in the College of Science; Syed Mazahir of Delhi, India, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Chemical Engineering in the College of Engineering; Su-Wan Myung of Seoul, South Korea , a doctoral candidate in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Karthik Pillai of Kottayam, India, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Wood Science and Forest Products in the College of Natural Resources; Thomas Rogers-Cotrone of Drakes Branch, Va., a doctoral candidate in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine; Noppadon Sathitsuksanoh of Bangkok, Thailand, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Myuao Shen of Shanghai, China, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Science; and Xiaoyue Zhang of Beijing, China, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Industrial Systems Engineering in the College of Engineering.
The ICTAS Doctoral Scholars Program award provides full graduate tuition support plus a graduate student stipend award and associated benefits for the entire period of Ph.D. pursuit to a maximum of four years for each selected honoree.
Dan Inman, director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Intelligent Material Systems and Structures and the holder of the George Goodson Professorship of Mechanical Engineering, is Michigan State University’s Distinguished Alumnus in mechanical engineering for 2008. Established in 2004, this award honors an alumnus of Michigan State’s Mechanical Engineering Department who has a minimum of 15 years of professional experience in engineering or an engineering-related field. Mr. Inman is a fellow, the highest professional honor within a technical society, of the American Academy of Mechanics, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the International Institute of Acoustics and Vibration, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and the National Institute of Aerospace. He is a founding member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers Adaptive Structures and Material Systems Technical Committee and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Adaptive Structures Technical Committee. Mr. Inman earned his bachelor’s degree in physics at Grand Valley State College in 1970. While teaching high school in Grand Rapids, Mich., he earned a master’s in physics from Michigan State in 1975. He then enrolled as a full time doctoral student in physics, but was persuaded to transfer to mechanical engineering. He obtained his Ph.D. in 1980.
Pavan Balaji of Argonne National Laboratory and Wu Feng of the Department of Computer Science in Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering led an international team of researchers that received the International Supercomputing Conference 2008 Distinguished Paper Award. The paper, “Distributed I/O with ParaMEDIC: Experiences with a Worldwide Supercomputer,” takes a new and non-traditional approach to what has been considered an elusive holy grail in high performance computing. I/O stands for “Input/Output” in a computing system.

Froehling and Robertson Inc. has recently announced that Scott Brown is a metals inspector; Steve Dickinson is a project inspector; and Paul Burch is construction materials testing manager.

Clark Nexsen, an award-winning, architectural, engineering, planning, and interior design firm, is pleased to announce that Peter J. Aranyi, AIA and Gregory J. Hall, PE, RCDD, LEED AP have been elected to the Clark Nexsen Board of Directors. As two of the eight members of the Board of Directors, they will be responsible for setting strategy and policy, and establishing and updating the firm’s business plan. Mr. Aranyi and Mr. Hall will participate in determining future direction and goals of the firm for the long and short term. Mr. Aranyi is the Principal-in-Charge of the Charlotte, North Carolina office of Clark Nexsen. Mr. Aranyi received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Hampton University in Hampton, VA. Mr. Hall is the Principal-in-Charge for the Raleigh, North Carolina office of Clark Nexsen. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, VA.

McDonough Bolyard Peck, Inc. (MBP) is pleased to announce the appointment of Anna Hoge as Regional Marketing Manager for MBP’s Columbia, Maryland office. Ms. Hoge will be supporting business development and marketing activities in the Baltimore-Washington area and throughout the Northeast US. She has more than 15 years experience in the A/E/C industry, specifically marketing, communications and business development and has previously worked for architectural firms, A/E firms, and construction management firms. She holds a B.S. degree in Corporate Communication from the University of Baltimore.

Battelle recently announced the selection of Jeffrey Wadsworth as its next President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Wadsworth will succeed Carl Kohrt when he retires at the end of this year. Dr. Wadsworth will assume the position on January 1st, 2009, as part of a structured, multi-year, succession-planning effort. Dr. Wadsworth possesses an admirable combination of commercialization experience and scientific expertise. He began his career at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company in 1980 where he directed research activity and funding for the Metallurgy division. He joined Battelle in 2002 after 10 years of senior leadership responsibilities at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. During his tenure as Deputy Director for Science and Technology, he significantly increased interactions and collaborations with industry. Dr. Wadsworth holds B.Met., Ph.D., D.Met., and D. Eng. (honorary) degrees from Sheffield University.

Halcrow, an independent, international consulting firm, welcomes Dave Pryor as their new regional operations manager for the Norfolk-Hampton Roads area in southern Virginia. He will be responsible for continuing the growth of our operations in this region. Mr. Pryor brings over 26 years experience in ship building, ship yard facilities support and engineering diving to Halcrow. Previously, Mr. Pryor served as manager, hull design and engineering for AMSEC LLC a subsidiary of Northrup Grumman. There he was responsible for the planning and overall direction of approximately 90 engineers, technicians, designers and drafters working to support the Norfolk Naval shipyard. Mr. Pryor has a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a M.S. degree in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University, and is a licensed P.E. in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Power Distribution Inc. (PDI) is pleased to announce Tim Cortes as Chief Technical Officer replacing John Kammeter. In his position as CTO, Mr. Cortes assumes responsibility for leading the R&D and product development organizations. Mr. Kammeter will continue to provide ongoing technical support to PDI in a new role as Senior Technical Consultant.
Mr. Cortes comes to PDI with over eighteen years of power experience. As Director of Engineering at ESS Technologies, Tim successfully built and managed the company’s product development organization. As part of his role, he was deeply involved in the implementation of the product development process as well as the development of product and technology roadmaps. Mr. Cortes possesses a strong combination of skills in product and process development, technology development, and general management. Combined with extensive experience as a supplier of power-based solutions, he will bring substantial leadership and experience to PDI, its partners, and its customers.

Two Navy engineers have been selected to receive the Department of the Navy’s (DON) 2007 Top Scientist and Engineers of the Year Award for their work in developing the Port Security Barrier — Type T (PSB-T). Laurence G. Nixon and William N. Seelig were recognized for their role in creating this low-cost, lightweight floating barrier which will protect high value Navy assets in port. Mr. Nixon and Mr. Seelig received their awards at the second annual Top Navy Scientist and Engineers of the Year Award Ceremony held Thursday, May 29th, 2008 at the Pentagon.
Mr. Nixon has been an engineer with the Engineering Service Center since its inception in 1993. Previously, he worked in the Amphibious Systems Division at the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory, a predecessor to NAVFAC ESC, for nine years. Mr. Nixon is responsible for a wide number of vital naval projects, including ship-to-shore logistics support systems/bulk liquid transfer, expeditionary shelter systems, enhancements to the USMC raids and reconnaissance small craft program, waterfront barriers and security systems. He is currently acting as the waterfront barrier team lead under Seelig, who is the Capability Area Coordinator (CAC) for waterfront security systems. Mr. Nixon received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 1982.
Mr. Seelig began his federal career with the U.S. Army Coastal Engineering Research Center in 1969 before joining NAVFAC in 1981. He is the Capability Area Coordinator for Waterfront Protection ATFP equipment and the NAVFAC subject matter expert for mooring and berthing ships. Seelig has authored more than 250 technical reports and papers and successfully executed a large number of projects for the Navy.
Joseph E. Gott, P.E., Chief Engineer and Director of Capital Improvements, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Headquarters (NAVFAC) in Washington D.C., will be installed as a member of the Senior Executive Service. The Senior Executive Service is the federal government’s corps of executives selected for their leadership qualifications. Members of the SES serve in key positions just below the top Presidential appointees. They oversee nearly every government activity in approximately 75 federal agencies.
Mr. Gott graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Fire Protection Engineering in 1981. He began his civil service career as a fire protection engineer at NAVFAC’s former Chesapeake Division in Washington D.C. He spent four years at the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency before returning to NAVFAC Headquarters, where he has held numerous positions of responsibility. In his role as chief engineer, Mr. Gott is responsible for the Navy’s military construction program; medical facilities design; anti-terrorism/force protection, and ocean facilities program. He oversees a budget of more than $5 billion per year in design and construction for the Navy, Marine Corps and other federal agencies around the world. As the chief engineer, he is the final technical authority for all engineering issues, and leads approximately 3,000 Navy engineering professionals worldwide.
Mr. Gott completed the Federal Executive Institute Program, “Leadership for a Democratic Society” in 2005. He received the Navy’s Meritorious Civilian Service Medal in 2003, and the Navy’s Superior Civilian Service Medal in 2007. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Virginia. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy.

James K. “Jim” Johnston, P.E., R.B.P. has been elected president of the Engineers’ Leadership Foundation, a not-for-profit educational organization that develops programs, services, and materials to help professional engineers become leaders of their profession and of society itself. Mr. Johnston is president of PMK Group, a Birdsall Services Group business unit that provides consulting and environmental engineering. Mr. Johnston joined PMK in 1986, soon after receiving Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Rutgers University. Since then he has designed and managed numerous projects involving the assessment and remediation of contaminated sites, as well as brownfields and landfill redevelopment. He often serves as an expert witness and frequently consults with planning and zoning boards throughout New Jersey.

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recently presented the annual Region Safety Professional of the Year (SPY) awards to ASSE members from each of the eight Society regions for their ongoing contributions to their regions, chapters, the Society and their commitment to protecting people, property and the environment. The recipients are Dave R. Parsons of Salem, OR; Michelle D. Steeler of Boise, ID; Joel Tietjens, CSP, CSHM, of Spring, TX; Pam B. Perrich, CIH, of Pensacola, FL; Beth A. Muehlich, ASP, of Omaha, NE; Eva C. Mann, CSP, of Richmond, VA; Michael A. McCullion, CSP, ARM, of Ashburn, VA; Hal P. Williams, CSP, OHST of Ripley, TN; and Remi Fleuette of Rindge, NH. All SPY award recipients were recognized at ASSE’s annual Professional Development Conference (PDC) held June 9-12, 2008 in Las Vegas, NV.
The Region SPY awards, voted on by peers, are given annually to the most outstanding safety professionals for contributions to service and leadership within their regions and chapters. There are eight ASSE regions, each containing anywhere from 15 to 20 chapters.##

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