Giving Back
1. When many school children started staying home when the pandemic hit last year, the Arizona Department of Transportation launched a new outreach campaign called “ADOT Kids,” which seeks to educate children on transportation through videos, games and activities geared for them. With National Engineers Week being recognized this week, ADOT Kids has launched new content to get children interested in engineering as a career, including videos and activities to help kids learn about different areas of engineering.
2. Cullum Homes announced Cullum Homes Million Meal March for St. Mary’s Food Bank. Cullum Homes Founders Rod and Kim Cullum kicked off the Million Meal March with a $10K donation, which will provide 70,000 meals to recipients at St. Mary’s Food Bank. Cullum Homes will use the next 60 days to encourage other businesses, clients and partners to match or donate what they can to help struggling Valley families this spring.
Boards & Commissions
3. Gov. Doug Ducey has appointed former Buckeye Mayor Jackie A. Meck for the state board of transportation.
Company News
4. Eric Sterner, designer at Architekton who was instrumental in projects such as Helios Education Foundation, Meetinghouse 3080-UEB Offices and Scottsdale Community College Business School and Indigenous Scholars Institute has started a new practice, Last Architects with Brad Lang (formerly design leader of Shepley Bulfinch – Houston). Last Architects is a practice dedicated to civic life and the public realm with a commitment to place-making.
5. Award-winning developer George Oliver and industry veteran Robert Guerena have joined forces to launch a new industrial partnership – G.O. Industrial. G.O. Industrial will focus primarily on ground-up development, value-add acquisitions and the management of industrial and e-commerce real estate product throughout the Western U.S.
Promotions
6. Meyer Borgman Johnson Structural Design + Engineering announced that as of March 1st, 2021, their executive team will consist of three Managing Directors – Kathleen John, Jason Pederson and Jerod Hoffman. Continuing in their previous roles, Kathleen, Jason, and Jerod will co-lead MBJ, outlining vision and strategy for the company and working closely with leadership and staff throughout our organization.
7. In 2018, Robert Johnston joined EPS Group as the Land Survey Department Manager, bringing nearly 30 years of industry experience to the firm. As of February 1st, 2021, Johnston has joined EPS Group as an owner.
8. CBRE announced that six professionals in the Phoenix office have achieved title promotions. Pat Feeney, Dan Calihan and Rusty Kennedy have been promoted to Executive Vice President. The three are business partners and specialize in the sale and lease of single- and multi-tenant industrial properties to clients from across the state, country and globe. Brian Smuckler and Jeff Seaman also were promoted to Executive Vice President, while their partner, Derek Smigiel achieved the title of First Vice President. The trio specializes in the disposition, acquisition, and strategic repositioning of non-institutional multifamily investment properties in metro Phoenix.
New Hires
9. Civic CM’s Phoenix, Arizona office welcomed John Armstrong, PMP, CCM, PMI-SP, PSP as Director and CJ Wessel as Senior Consultant. Armstrong will be managing and overseeing business operations. His responsibilities also include scheduling, claims, and advisory services for contractors, owners and attorneys. Wessel will prepare and manage construction schedules, perform cost management services, and assist in claims development and presentation.
10. Francesca Miller has joined the SDB Contracting Services team as Jade Nunes’ counterpart in Business Development. She will assist the SDB in the acquisition of new work and enhancing the firm’s presence by facilitating strategic marketing initiatives.
11. Hess-Rountree, Inc. welcomed John Marshall, R.L.S. as its new Survey Department Manager. Marshall has more than 20 years of experience in the surveying industry. In his position, he will manage the survey department, coordinate with clients, and assist the engineering department with all land surveying related matters.
12. Mosaic, a venture-backed construction technology company, announced the hiring of Mervin Singson as their first-ever Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Singson brings more than 20 years of finance and operations experience with both public and private homebuilders.
13. Tyson Switzenberg and Tim Hurley, a market-leading retail brokerage team in Arizona, have joined Kidder Mathews’ Phoenix office. Switzenberg has been named an Executive Vice President. He is a veteran broker with 20 years of experience in retail tenant representation, development, and agency leasing. He comes to Kidder Mathews from JLL, where he was a consistent top producer and retail practice leader. Hurley has been named Associate Vice President who specializes in retail tenant representation and agency leasing. He was also with JLL prior to joining Kidder Mathews.
14. SmithGroup has hired Mackenzie Haehl as a Director of Business Development in the Phoenix office. Haehl will support the firm’s presence in the Rocky Mountain region by connecting clients needing design strategy and solutions with SmithGroup’s workplace and healthcare experts.
15. Bret Zinn has joined Kidder Mathews’ Phoenix office as a Vice President, where he will partner with Karl Abert, expanding the firm’s multifamily investment services in Arizona.
16. Berkadia has announced the addition of Managing Director Brent Wessel to its mortgage banking platform. He will be joining a robust team in Scottsdale and will report to Senior Managing Director Scott Holland.