Norris Design Expands/Martin/Martin's Lakewood Staff Grows/Bright Named Associate Dean of CU Engineering School

Norris Design in Denver expanded its management team last fall, announcing seven new hires while Martin/Martin's Lakewood office grew by more than a dozen. Other firms that added new staff included Barker Rinker Seacat, Willis Group Holdings and JVA Inc.

Mark Kieffer was named a principal this fall at Norris Design in Denver. Since joining the landscape architecture firm three years ago, Kieffer has brought in several notable projects, including the new Adams County Government Center and the Rueter-Hess Reservoir.

The firm also hired seven new staff members - Corey Haselhorst, Brian Kelly, Patrick Meyer, John Cameron Berglund, Ann-Marie Godfrey and Sam Kessel, landscape architects; and Katie Carney, graphic designer.

Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture in Denver also added seven new staff members. They are Holly Hall, project manager; Nathan Facteau and Heidi Spaly, architectural interns; Cara Brostrom, project administrator, Zach Bisek, construction administrative services provider; and Patrick McMichael and Robert Childers, student interns.

Richard Thomas, AIA, NCARB, was appointed director of planning at Adolfson & Peterson Construction, where he will coordinate the long-term positioning of the Colorado office through strategic planning, research and business development.

Daniel Jessen returned to Colorado to join Drahota's Steamboat Springs office team, where he is the onsite project manager for the Highmark - formerly known as the Chadwick - project. Jessen, who has 13 years of construction experience, worked for Drahota for five years before taking a construction position in Southern California in 2004.

Martin/Martin Inc. Consulting Engineers made the following new hires to its Lakewood staff - Richard "Mack" Watkins, facilities maintenance; Sheila Steinbock and Cathy Gonsalves, structural administrative assistants; Julian Chavez, Civil CAD operator I; Winston Schultz, senior structural project CAD operator; Kristi Stoll, Mike Kueny, Diana Hunt and Jeff Goodell, civil engineer I; Jennifer Frank and Maegan Stein; structural engineer I; Brad Petersen; structural engineer II; John Brunner, PE, professional structural engineer; and Shane McCormick, PE, SE, senior professional structural engineer.

Chuck Huffine, PE, AICP, PTOE, joined Stantec's Denver office as an associate and project manager in the transportation group. Huffine, who has more than over 18 years experience with Stantec, relocated from the firm's Rochester, N.Y. office.

Brian Britton was appointed the strategic sourcing manager and an associate vice president for Black & Veatch Corp., where his responsibilities include managing and developing agreements with key suppliers and enhancing the company's supplier diversity programs.

Louisville-based home builder McStain Neighborhoods named Jay Harkins as vice president of community development. Before joining the company, Harkins was Intrawest Placemaking's director of development at Snowmass Base Village, where he provided direction and administration for the delivery of the first phase of an $800 million, six-year multi-use development at the base of the Snowmass ski area.

Terry Doherty, John Flocco and George Bowdouris joined Willis Group Holdings' Denver construction practice. Doherty was named executive vice president; Flocco and Bowdouris were appointed senior vice presidents. All three worked for the Lockton Companies before joining Willis.

University of Colorado at Boulder Professor Victor Bright was appointed associate dean for research in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, effective Oct. 31.

Bright replaces Stein Sture, named interim vice chancellor for research and dean of the Graduate School at CU-Boulder.

Amy Jiron was appointed executive director of the Colorado Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Jiron's is the first paid position for the organization, which has been a solely volunteer-based organization since it was formed in April 2003. The USGBC national organization awarded the state group a grant to hire a full-time executive director.

JVA Inc., a consulting structural and civil engineering firm based in Boulder, added three new people to its staff - Kevin Vecchiarelli, Xavier Torrents Cagigós and Kevin Van Houten.

Vecchiarelli joined the civil department at the firm's Winter Park office; Cagigós joined the civil department in the Boulder office; and Van Houten joined the Boulder office as a senior structural drafter.

Laura Driver was named director of communications for the Colorado Contractors Association, where she is responsible for member retention and growth, internal and external communications and event planning.

Driver's experience includes The Communiqué Group, Rocky Mountain Masonry Institute and McGraw-Hill Construction.

Olsson Associates added public involvement services to its Denver branch with the transfer of LaDawn Capek Sperling from the firm's Lincoln, Neb. office. Sperling has 11 years of experience developing public involvement strategies for public works projects and grassroots political organizations.

Brad Moody has been promoted to president of Moody Insurance Agency's Denver operations. Evan Moody, founder of the company, will remain full time with the agency as CEO, overseeing both the Denver and Grand Junction offices.

Eric Bernhardt has been promoted to manager of field services for the Fort Collins division of CTL/Thompson. His responsibilities include supervision of field testing and inspections and the overall profit-loss margins associated with department performance, preparation of proposals, management of personnel, client development and technical review of staff work.

Julie Skeen joined Carter & Burgess as business manager with the transportation planning unit in the Denver office. Formerly an associate with Booz Allen Hamilton, she has 11 years of experience in environmental consulting, business development and operations management.