ENR Texas & Louisiana’s 2016 class of Top 20 Under 40 winners have been chosen, and deemed the best-of-the-best young construction professionals by an independent panel of judges.

Firms from across the region submitted 60 entries into this year’s contest—from Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas—which required the judges to be highly selective in choosing our winners.

We’d like to thank our esteemed judging panel. Each of our judges reviewed every entry submitted, and abstained from voting when any conflicts of interest arose. This year’s panel included:

  • Brad Brown, President, Austin Commercial;
  • Jing Johnson, President, PCG Inc.;
  • John S. Marshall, Vice President, Satterfield & Pontikes Construction Inc.; and
  • Jennifer Woodruff, Director of Marketing, Associated Builders & Contractors of Greater Houston.

Below, we’ve listed the 2016 Texas & Louisiana Top 20 Under 40 winners (in alphabetical order by last name). Please be sure to read more about these outstanding young professionals in the February 22/29 issue of ENR Texas & Louisiana. Congratulations to all our winners!

  • Brian Andrews, Director of Preconstruction, Austin Commercial, Dallas
  • Judah M. Auld, Preconstruction Director, McCarthy Building Cos. Inc., Houston
  • Nick Benjamin, Preconstruction Manager, Kiewit Building Group, Austin, Texas
  • Shannon Carpenter Bearden, Associate, Project Architect/Manager, Gensler, Dallas
  • Ana Batista Borden, Architect/Owner, Ana M Batista Borden, Architect LLC, Metairie, La.
  • Chester Brown, Construction & Design Engineering Director, TX North, Xcel Energy, Amarillo, Texas
  • Justin Davis, Preconstruction Engineer, Walker Engineering Inc., Irving, Texas
  • Ned Dodington, Architect, Gensler, Houston
  • Raissa Ferron, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
  • Ashley R. Francis, Project Manager, LJA Engineering Inc., Houston
  • Heather Guillen, Civil Team Director, Walter P Moore, Houston
  • Brad Hernandez, Project Manager, AECOM, Dallas
  • Sherrie Hope, Owner & Lead Interior Designer, Modern Market | M2 Studio, New Orleans
  • Peter Isaac, Regional Vice President, Brailsford & Dunlavey, Austin, Texas
  • Dirk Kestner, Director of Sustainable Design, Walter P Moore, Austin, Texas
  • Steven Krauskopf, Principal, KFW Engineers & Surveying, San Antonio
  • Jon McKelvain, Pre-Construction Project Manager, Sundt Construction, San Antonio
  • Kerri Ranney, Director of Learning & Strategic Development, Huckabee, Austin, Texas
  • John Riggins, VP Office and Industrial, MYCON General Contractors, McKinney, Texas
  • Christine Baudier Wood, Building Engineering Department Manager Buildings + Places Business Line DFW Metro Area, AECOM, Dallas