Firms involved in some aspect of a project may submit the entry, and there is no charge for entries.

Judging was done by a panel of industry experts, based on design quality and innovation, craftsmanship, the project's contribution to the community and the industry, solution of unique design and construction challenges and overall excellence. The size of the project was not a factor in the judging.

For more information on the Gold Hard Hat Awards or the National Best of Awards programs, call 303-584-6724.

Eligibility • Project sites must be located in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota or South Dakota.
• Projects must be completed or at least 90% completed between Sept. 1, 2009 and Aug. 31, 2010.
• Entries could be submitted by any of the firms working on a project, including owners, architects, engineers, contractors and subs.
• To avoid any potential conflicts of interest, judges abstained from voting in categories that included projects in which they or their firms were involved.

2010 Gold Hard Hat Award Judges

Scot Brooks
Centura Health

Scot Brooks is the director of construction and real estate management for Centura Health. With Centura, Brooks has acted as an owner’s representative on several capital construction projects, including St. Francis Medical Center in Colorado Springs, Porter Adventist Hospital expansion and the St. Thomas More expansion. He is currently managing the Parker Adventist Hospital OR/pediatric expansion and the St. Anthony Summit Medical Center OR expansion.

COPPEDGE

Stuart Coppedge
RTA Architects

A Colorado Springs resident since 1986 and licensed architect since 1987, Stuart Coppedge has a diverse practice as an associate principal with the 32-person RTA Architects. He has held several local and state AIA offices, including 2009 AIA Colorado president, and currently serves as secretary of the six-state AIA Western Mountain Region. He has also been privileged to work on numerous design, transportation and planning-related committees and task forces, including Colorado Springs’ newly adopted design-based code for downtown and the Streetcar Taskforce.

DISNEY

Dennis Disney
Saunders Construction Inc.

Dennis Disney began his construction career in 1975 and joined Saunders Construction Inc. in 1997. He holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial construction management from Sacramento State College. Disney has worked as a lead carpenter, crew supervisor, superintendent, estimator, senior project manager and now, manager of operations for commercial services. His duties include oversight of construction operations, including project procurement, staffing, schedule, cost control and contract compliance. In addition, Disney manages Saunders’ training and mentorship programs for project managers and project engineers.

ORAZIO

Gary Orazio
Swanson Rink

Gary Orazio is president of Swanson Rink, a leading Denver-based mechanical and electrical engineering firm. He is actively involved in data center and office building projects, as well as leading the firm’s design research projects. Orazio received his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from University of California Santa Barbara and his MBA from the University of Colorado.

Tania Salgado
RNL

SALGADO

Tania Salgado is a design principal with RNL and actively involved in the community. Her professional experience encompasses the planning, designing and lead role on a wide variety of projects, including public buildings, educational facilities and private development. She is currently leading the design of the Metro State College Center for Student Success building. She is president of the AIA Denver Board of Directors and a member of the AIA Colorado Design Conference Committee. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from the University of New Mexico.

Michael Sullivan
Trammell Crow Co.

Mike Sullivan is a senior vice president of development management with Trammell Crow Co., where he is responsible for development, management and construction management. Sullivan, along with Bill Mosher, formed Mosher Sullivan Development Partners in 2003 after a nearly 20-year career in construction management in Colorado and worldwide through his service in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He managed all design and construction processes, including the design-build process for the 308,000-sq-ft Denver Newspaper Agency headquarters in downtown Denver. He is a civil engineer from the U.S. Military Academy.

VOEGTLE

Phil Voegtle
Merrick & Co.

Phil Voegtle serves as Merrick & Co.’s director of technical services, where he oversees all aspects of engineering and architectural technical service delivery. He’s been with Merrick for 12 years, and during that time, has been involved in the management of projects for the U.S. Dept. of Energy at many of its national laboratory sites.

He has also worked on projects for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, as well as projects for electric/gas utilities clients, oil refining clients, and the U.S. Dept. of Defense. He holds a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Missouri, a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Colorado State University and an MBA from the University of Colorado.