Keller To Serve on CTC Committee/CSI 2009-10 Officers Begin New Term/PCL Announces New Hires

Jeff Keller, president of Asphalt Paving Co. Inc., and APC – Southern Construction Co. LLC, has been selected by the Colorado Transportation Commission to serve on a new standing committee on efficiency and accountability.

The purpose of the committee is to seek ways to maximize the efficiency of the Colorado Dept. of Transportation and to allow increased investment in the transportation system over the short, medium and long term. The committee was established as part of the FASTER legislation and will provide a report at least yearly to the House and Senate Transportation committees on the activities and recommendations of the committee.

Drahota’s Dan Spykstra, director of project development; Todd Parker, chief estimator; and Charles Drahota, director of field operations; recently received their Healthcare Construction Certification from the American Society for Healthcare Engineering of the American Hospital Association.

This is the only program that educates contractors with information about healthcare facilities and their environments while working on construction projects. It teaches healthcare compliance; trends in technology and design, the inner workings of a health care facility, and how to address the expectations of owners, staff and patients.

The Denver Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute’s 2009-10 officers began a new term on July 1. They are: David Bishton, president; Greg Nunemaker, president elect; Mike Young, first-vice president; Mitch Denman, second-vice president; George Feathers III, secretary; Dan Galanaugh, treasurer; Anne Sullivan, director, professional; David Furry, director, professional; Geoff Czapla, director, industry; Jeff Sunderman, director, industry; Roger L. Johnson, past president.

Dr. Ryne P. Raffaelle has been named director of the National Center for Photovoltaics at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Raffaelle most recently has been academic director for the Golisano Institute for Sustainability and director of the NanoPower Research Laboratory at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.

Raffaelle has more than 20 years experience leading laboratory research teams. While directing the two institutions at RIT, he also served as a professor of physics, microsystems engineering and sustainability and was responsible for more than $20 million in research grants in photovoltaics, thin-film processing and nanomaterials research. He co-founded two photovoltaic and power system start-up companies: Wakonda Technologies Inc. in 2008 and Alpha V Inc. in 2002.

J.R. Butler Inc. recently hired Carle Abernathy as director of sales. He has more than 30 years experience in the architectural glass industry, from contract glazing to architectural glass fabrication. At J.R. Butler, he will be responsible for developing the strategic sales and marketing efforts with general contractors and architects.

J.R. Butler also recently promoted Nate Chance to superintendent in the fabrication facility. Chance has been with the company since 2004 and will now manage 20 employees.

Vicki Chase has joined Murphy Co. as a service account manager opening the firm’s new office in Colorado Springs.

Chase attended the University of Denver’s project management program and is a member of the International Facility Managers Association, Building Operators Association of Colorado, International Real Estate Managers Association, Building Owners and Manager Association and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

She has more than 25 years experience in mechanical heating, ventilating, air conditioning, plumbing, piping and service with 15 years experience in project estimating and management.