George Hershman

George Hershman, president of Swinerton Renewable Energy (SRE) and SOLV Inc., two renewable energy units of Swinerton Inc., will become CEO of SOLV Energy LLC, which is set to be a spin-off of the contractor in an acquisition by private equity firm American Securities LLC. That firm announced a “definitive agreement” on Sept. 20 to acquire the units, but declined to disclose or confirm when the deal will close or its financial terms.

It said the transaction “will combine Swinerton’s existing EPC and O&M service groups together under one company name,” but did not say how many employees are joining the new firm. American Securities is also the parent of Amentum, the former AECOM management services unit spun off in 2020. SRE, formed in 2008, has built over 7 GW of U.S. solar capacity, the equity firm says.

Hershman also chairs the executive committee of the Solar Energy Industries Association, which is sparring with a group of American-based solar sector manufacturers that have petitioned the U.S. Commerce Dept. to impose tariffs on solar component imports from Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam that they claim are made by Chinese producers based there. He said that 90 to 95% of components that his company plans to import could be affected if the agency takes such action. “This is absolutely the biggest risk and issue for our company and the industry,” Hershman said in an association briefing.

The department said on Sept. 29 that it is delaying its tariff decision, pending a request for more information from the manufacturers, including their identities, that was due Oct. 6, says a Reuters report. The decision would be made 45 days after Commerce receives information it seeks.

Burns & McDonnell, Kansas City, Mo. has elevated Brett Williams to president of its construction design group, effective in 2022. He will succeed Randy Griffin, who retires at year end. Williams is former president of AZCO, the design-build firm’s union construction subsidiary, which works in markets that include renewable energy, battery storage, food and beverage, and prefabrication.

Energy provider National Grid has named Stephen Woerner New England president based in Waltham, Mass., effective on Oct. 1. He now is president and COO of Baltimore Gas and Electric. National Grid has gas and electric operations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island but is selling its Narragansett Electric business to PPL Corp.

Karen Ashton

Karen Ashton, former deputy chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Construction Division for its New York District, has joined Matrix New World Engineering, a Florham Park, N.J., transportation and environmental consultant, as federal services program manager. Matrix is a woman-owned business with offices in New York, New Jersey, Arizona and Louisiana.

WSP USA has elevated Sofia Berger to executive leader of its national transportation business line, which the firm says is its largest unit. She had been deputy director of the firm’s advisory national business line. Berger also is project manager for the New York Penn Station master plan, a renovation partnership between the New York Metropolitan Transportation Agency, New Jersey Transit and Amtrak. Berger succeeds Joseph Pulicare, who will retire at the end of 2021.

Construction management firm STO Building Group, New York City, has named Rick Khan senior vice president and chief innovation officer, a new corporate role. He was senior director of innovation at contractor Mortenson.

Boston-based design firm Shepley Bulfinch has appointed Angela Watson as president and CEO. A longtime principal and design leader, she succeeds Carole Wedge, who has served in the company’s top roles since 2004 and was one of the first women to lead a design firm of its size. The firm posted revenue of $44 million in 2020. Wedge becomes a principal. Watson is based in Phoenix.

Avangrid Renewables LLC, a unit of AVANGRID Inc., has named Jose Antonio Miranda as president of its onshore business, overseeing the growth of the company’s onshore wind and solar project grow. He was CEO of the Americas region onshore business at Siemens Gamesa and chairman of its boards in the US, Mexico and Brazil. Miranda also previously held management roles at the multinational engineering firm, ABB.