Major Gen. John Peabody
Peabody

Major Gen. John Peabody, former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deputy commander for civil and emergency operations, has joined design firm Mott McDonald as senior vice president and federal programs director, based in Arlington, Va. He retired from the Corps in 2015, after a 35-year Army career. In his final two years, he ran a $6-billion program. He also had commanded three Corps divisions.

Brian Shortsleeve, who joined the Boston-based Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority last year in a newly created role as chief administrative officer, was named to the added post of interim general manager, effective July 1. He will replace General Manager Frank DePaola, who is retiring following a cancer diagnosis last year. DePaola, formerly assistant general manager for design and construction, took the top role in March 2015, after Beverly Scott resigned in the wake of transit-system problems during a major snowstorm. Shortsleeve, former managing director of a Boston venture-capital firm, was hired to “untangle the finances of a transit system $5.5 billion in debt and facing a $7 billion maintenance backlog,” said The Boston Globe. MBTA says Chief Operating Officer Jeffrey Gonneville will take “added responsibilities” but was not clear on the status of a search for a permanent successor..

Sherri LeBas Firnberg
Firnberg

Baton Rouge-based design firm GEC Inc. has named Sherri LeBas Firnberg, former secretary of the Louisiana Dept. of Transportation and Development, as vice president of business development. The transportation specialist ranks among ENR’s Top 500 Design Firms.

Paul M. Boechler,  formerly executive vice president and chief operating officer of AECOM's DCS Americas unit, now is CEO of American Bridge Co., Pittsburgh, effective June 1. He also had been COO of URS Corp., acquired by AECOM in late 2014, and executive VP and chief financial officer of Flint Energy, Calgary, Alberta before its purchase by URS. He succeeds Michael D. Flowers, who has retired after 41 years at American Bridge.

David Watkins has joined consulting firm McKinsey & Co. as vice president in its capital projects and infrastructure group, based in Hong Kong. Prior to joining the firm, he spent 10 years at U.K. contractor Mace International where he was most recently regional director for Asia Pacific.

Omaha design-builder Kiewit on June 6 said it has elevated four executives in its power business: Tom Shelby and Dave Flickinger to president and executive vice president, respectively, of Kiewit Energy Group, Kevin Needham to president of Kiewit Engineering & Design Co. and John Jennings to president of Kiewit Power Constructors Co.

Engineering firm Volkert Inc., Mobile, Ala., has elevated Chief Operating Officer Jerry Stump to president. He was recently named president and CEO of Volkert Global, the firm’s international affiliate. Volkert ranks at No. 115 on ENR’s Top 500 Design Firms list.