Leslie Duke has been named CEO of Burns & McDonnell, effective Jan. 1, 2024. In March, current Burns & McDonnell Chairman and CEO Ray Kowalik announced his retirement at the end of 2023. Currently, Duke is the regional president and general manager in Houston. Over the past two decades, she has helped expand the firm’s customer base from one local Houston client when she joined the firm to more than 650 local, regional and national clients in the industrial, refining, chemical, manufacturing and power utility markets. During her tenure, the business has delivered more than $5 billion in engineering, procurement, construction, environmental and consulting services from the region. Duke will be the eighth CEO in the firm’s 125-year history.

Troy Jessop has joined American Structurepoint, an architecture and engineering firm headquartered in Indianapolis, as the bridge group leader. Jessop has 33 years of experience designing and managing complex and innovative bridge projects for departments of transportation, local transportation authorities and the Federal Aviation Authority. He will be responsible for leading and managing the company’s bridge design group and implementing strategic and geographic growth initiatives nationwide.

Ronald Batory has been elected to serve as an external advisory member on the board of directors for Hanson Professional Services Inc.’s holding company. Hanson is a national, employee-owned consulting firm providing engineering, planning and allied services. Batory is filling the vacancy left by Gene Wilkinson, whose service as a board member ended April 11. Wilkinson, who joined Hanson in 1962 and served as the firm’s third president from 1990 to 1998 and CEO from 1995 to 1999, has been given the honorary title of chairman emeritus. Batory is the second outside advisory member on this board. He has extensive experience in the railroad industry, most recently having served as the president and COO of Conrail. He also is a former administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration and has served on various governing boards in the industry and education sectors.

The board of directors at Tarlton Corp. has promoted Sondra Rotty and Jason Bretz to senior vice presidents at the St. Louis-based general contracting and construction management company. Rotty has 19 years of industry experience, serving 17 of those years at Tarlton. In addition to directing construction project teams, she focuses on the firm’s team member development, inclusion and diversity. Bretz has 28 years of industry experience, including 23 years at Tarlton. He most recently served as a vice president overseeing work acquisition efforts. Bretz served as director of preconstruction from 2007 to 2010 and continues to lead Tarlton teams providing project estimating and preplanning.

Terracon, an employee-owned engineering consulting firm, has named Stephanie Price as chief people officer. Price now leads Terracon’s human resources unit and serves on the executive leadership team. She is based at the company’s Olathe, Kan., headquarters.

Construction management and commission firm Henderson Building Solutions of Lenexa, Kan., has named Scott Crain as construction engineering director. Crain will lead the construction engineering team, including overseeing project delivery and the development and execution of technical standards. He previously spearheaded construction planning, design and scheduling to ensure specifications are met throughout every project phase.