John Kenny takes on the role of regional director for Gannett Fleming's west coast division, including 19 western states such as Arizona and New Mexico.

John R. Kenny, P.E., DBIA, has been appointed as regional director for Gannett Fleming. Kenny oversees corporate operations for Gannett Fleming's 19-state west region, which includes offices in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. Based in the firm's Phoenix location, Kenny is a vice president with the firm and previously served as the area's regional transportation manager. With more than 23 years of experience, he now directs the firm's planning, design, and program management of civil, environmental, and transportation projects throughout the west. Kenny holds a bachelor of science in civil engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a master of science in civil engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. A registered professional engineer in six states, he is also a Designated Design-Build Professional™ through the Design-Build Institute of America. Kenny is a member of the American Public Works Association, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.

Tim Howell, AIA, NCARB, has joined the RNL Phoenix office as project architect. Howell has more than 12 years of experience designing municipal, religious and commercial projects. Howell is currently working on the Sun Trans Bus Storage and Maintenance Facility for the city of Tucson. A graduate of Rice University School of Architecture, he provides a combination of strong technical skills with extensive project management experience. Howell is licensed in Arizona, Indiana and Michigan.

DFD CornoyerHedrick has added six new employees, bringing the multi-disciplinary firm's staff total to more than 130. Artie Vigil has started as a designer and technical support specialist for DFD's Live Sector, the firm's residential design arm. Dina Ross has been hired as operations manager for the Live Sector. Fabiola Gamboa was hired as a junior designer working in the Play Sector, DFD's retail division. Mitch Armstrong has joined the firm as a graphic designer. Paul Heikens was hired as a junior designer for the firm's Work Sector, DFD's office design division. Lastly, Wayne Valrey-Jung has started as a junior designer in DFD's Play Sector.

Barton Malow Company has hired Joseph Marihart as senior superintendent. Marihart brings more than 20 years of construction experience in the commercial, office, hospitality and corporate/industrial market segments to Barton Malow Company. He also possesses carpentry and drywall experience from a subcontractors perspective. Marihart is responsible for the scheduling, coordination and supervision of all field employees and subcontractors. In addition, he is responsible for management of safety and quality control programs. He will provide leadership and supervision throughout the construction process, and work closely with the project manager, project engineer and entire on-site staff to ensure a smooth, well-coordinated project from start to finish.

Nielsons Skanska, Inc. of Cortez, Colo. will operate under the name Skanska USA Civil. Founded as Nielsons, Inc. in 1950, the company began as a small contractor based in Dolores, Colo. Following its acquisition by Skanska in 1998, Nielsons now performs heavy, highway, and environmental construction projects throughout the Rocky Mountain States.

Current Nielsons Skanska president and CEO Curtis Broughton will assume the title of senior vice president of Skanska USA Civil West and general manager of its Rocky Mountain District. The home office for Skanska's Rocky Mountain District will remain in Cortez. The company's management staff will continue in their present functions. As part of its rebranding initiative, Skanska USA Civil will focus on greater internal sharing of resources and expertise.

ROEL Construction's Las Vegas office has promoted Russ Engel from project manager to senior project manager. Engel has a degree in both architectural engineering technology from Aims Community College and a bachelor's degree in construction management from Colorado State University. He has been a member of the American Institute of Contractors, and the Associated General Contractors. Engel joined the ROEL team in 1997 and is currently working on the Boyd Gaming Corporate Office project.

Chavez-Grieves has appointed five associate partners to the firm. Chris Romero, P.E., structural engineering project manager, has been with Chavez-Grieves since 1997. Romero's work includes award-winning projects such as the Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum and Pojoaque High School. Daylene Horn, senior design technician III, has been with Chavez-Grieves since 1989. Horn's responsibilities include supervising project quality assurance, standards, training and the production of projects such as the Northwest High School and the Dona Ana Government Center. Rita Phagan, accounting manager, has been with Chavez-Grieves since December 2001. Phagan has an extensive background in the financial arena, with more than 25 years of experience. Steve Bauer, P.E., S.E., senior structural engineer and team leader recently joined Chavez-Grieves. Bauer comes to Chavez-Grieves following six years with BSA LifeStructures of Indianapolis, Indiana. He also served as adjunct professor in the School of Construction Engineering at Purdue University, Indianapolis. Steve Vasquez, E.I., lead project engineer, has been with Chavez-Grieves since 2002, focusing primarily on the design-build process. Vasquez's work includes the award-winning Mercy Gilbert Medical Center in Gilbert, Arizona.

The American Institute of Architects Las Vegas Chapter installed Curt J. Carlson, AIA, LEED AP as the 2007 President and will also serve on the AIA Nevada board as the Las Vegas Chapter representative. On December 13th a black tie induction was held at the Bellagio Hotel. Carlson is a principal and director of design for SH Architecture. He emphasizes design principles of environmental response, functionalism, cost effectiveness and sustainable building design. Carlson is one of the first Nevada architects to become LEED accredited. He has been a member of the AIA for 21 years and has performed continuous service for over 11 years with the local Las Vegas chapter.

Nevada Gov.-elect Jim Gibbons (R) recently named Susan Martinovich as the state's new transportation director effective Jan. 1. Her appointment follows Jeff Fontaine's resignation to accept a position as executive director of the Nevada Association of Counties, a nonprofit group representing the state's 17 counties.

Martinovich, a 22-year department employee, has served as deputy director and chief engineer since 2003. She is the first female director in department's 89-year history. Martinovich is a certified civil engineer in Nevada and California, and has served on a number of national transportation committees, including vice-chair of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

The department has 1,700 employees and a $674-million annual budget. The agency oversees the maintenance and operation of 5,400 miles of state highway and nearly 1,000 bridges.

The department currently faces a projected $3.8 billion funding shortfall from 2006-2015 due to booming tourism and population growth that has increased highway use but with fewer tax dollars available for new construction.

To submit personnel news announcements, please send information and color photographs to: Scott Blair, editor, at scott_blair@mcgraw-hill.com