Southwest

ENR Southwest's 2011 Top 20 Under 40

By Scott Blair, Editor-in-Chief

ENR Southwest's Top 20 Under 40 — Though Fontainebleau Garage and Convention Center in Las Vegas fell victim to the recession and ceased construction, project manager Doug Rounds with Lochsa Engineering created a unique design to meet the challenges of carrying heavy loads across large open spaces in the 2,800,000-sq-ft steel-framed structure.

Image courtesy Lochsa Engineering

SCHULTZ

Cynthia K. Schultz
Climbed from project engineer to president in only 10 years
32, President
Bradbury Stamm Construction Inc., Albuquerque, N.M.

Having spent her entire life preparing for a leadership career in construction, Schultz began her career at Bradbury Stamm 10 years ago as project engineer on a $50-million judicial complex. Moving into estimating, she restructured the department's entire process, developed computer programs to improve efficiency and filled the estimating staff with people who understood modern, qualification-based estimating. Gradually taking on more leadership responsibility, Schultz was named president in May 2011, a "tremendous achievement in a 90-year-old company deeply rooted in tradition," says James King, chairman. Schultz is currently managing the $100-million annual construction business by strengthening personnel training, replacing antiquated accounting and project management software and restructuring the firm's two separate civil and building divisions into one company.

SILSBY

Shane Silsby
Oversees a $300-million capital improvement program
36, Deputy Street Transportation Director
City of Phoenix, Phoenix

As supervisor of an 80-person multi-disciplinary team, Silsby oversees programming of the city's five-year, $300-million capital improvement program for street transportation. He led the department's participation in the American Recovery and Revitalization Act of 2009, ensuring that the $35 million of work was completed successfully. Silsby is the department's lead for the high-profile Centennial Way near the Arizona State Capitol in preparation for the state's centennial.

SMITH

Ryan Smith
Designer of environmentally responsible buildings in Flagstaff
39, Owner/President
Smith Architects, Flagstaff, Ariz.

After working at Callison Architecture in Seattle for five years, Smith received the opportunity to become a business partner at the Flagstaff, Ariz., firm he once interned at, fulfilling his dream of running his own firm. Smith strives to develop projects that fit the site, the program and the client's vision. He is committed to incorporate environmentally conscious design strategies into each and every one of his projects. Smith is an active member of Northern Arizona Builders Association.

KEYWORDS: Southwest Top Young Professionals

Blair leads day-to-day operations of the ENR editorial team to ensure brand quality and further best practices. He spearheads ENR's various competitions, including Best Projects and the Award of Excellence, and organizes editorial content at events including the Top Young Professionals conference. A Jesse H. Neal, Construction Media Alliance and AZBEES-award-winning writer and videographer, Blair frequently contributes to ENR’s burgeoning video channel with project tour videos and interviews with industry leaders. He is also a frequent speaker and moderator on topics such as diversity and inclusion, design and jobsite technology, construction means and methods and marketing.