ENR Mountain States & Southwest Top Young Professionals
The winners of this year’s ENR Mountain States & Southwest Top Young Professionals competition are making an impact on projects large and small. These 25 standouts are engineers, builders, project managers and scientists. Regardless of role, all of these professionals are deeply committed to improving the industry and their communities.
Some of this year’s winners began their careers as interns at the firms where they continue to work; others have moved around the industry and the country to gain a broad range of experience.
All have shown a remarkable understanding of how to improve AEC industry practices and mentor colleagues and other young professionals.
To be eligible, nominees must be age 40 or under and working full time in some aspect of the commercial construction and design industry in the newly merged ENR Mountain States and Southwest region, which includes Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
Companies or individuals are allowed to nominate more than one person, and individuals can nominate themselves. Some nominees may have changed roles or firms after they were initially selected as winners.
Key selection criteria include achievement of or progress toward industry certifications, significant success in creating more efficient systems, designing new processes or managing landmark projects and contributing not only to the industry but to the community as well.
More than 60 applications were received for this year’s contest. They were judged by a team of former ENR Top Young Professionals that included: Teena Bergstrand, Saunders Construction; Willie De-Souza, Primoris Renewables; Daniel Jensen, Michael Baker International; and Yanling Leng, IMEG Corp.
The following contains profiles of these 25 young leaders. Read how their careers have evolved and learn about some of their achievements to date.
Congratulations to the 2025 class of Top Young Professionals for ENR Mountain States & Southwest!
Warren Alford
Civil engineer delivers critical power infrastructure projects
Transmission & Distribution Department Manager for the Southwest
Burns & McDonnell
Phoenix
Originally from South Africa, Alford moved to the U.S. in 2015. He and his team of 20 have been involved in the design of more than 500 miles of transmission lines across the West and Midwest, bringing in more than $20 million in revenue since 2020. He’s responsible for delivering critical power infrastructure projects for clients such as Arizona Public Service and Public Service New Mexico, and he played a pivotal role in modernizing Public Service New Mexico’s overhead electrical standards, creating robust transmission line guidelines to support a resilient energy grid amid the transition to renewable sources. Alford brings a global perspective to his role from working on projects in Dubai, South Africa, Guam and Uganda. He developed a passion for teaching STEM classes while working with disadvantaged high school students in Johannesburg. His efforts helped grow the school from under 100 to over 2,000 students, and he continues to teach STEM classes and mentor high school students in the U.S. In 2023, his community service efforts resulted in the firm raising nearly $100,000 for local charities.
Lindsay Bruckal
Arizona leader constructs large-scale health care facilities and high-rises
Project Executive, Residential Business Unit
Clayco
Phoenix
Bruckal’s project portfolio includes a cumulative construction value of more than $1.2 billion, with key projects such as the South Pier in Tempe, Ariz., and PALMTower in Phoenix. Her dedication to excellence and innovation are among the qualities cited in the rapid advancement of her career, earning her a title of project executive before age 30. She has built a reputation managing the construction of large-scale health care facilities and multifamily/residential high-rises. She built upon her civil engineering undergraduate studies to achieve a master’s in business administration. Bruckal is credited with playing a critical role in growing Clayco’s Phoenix residential business unit revenue to $170 million in the past year and securing a $500-million backlog for 2025. She’s played a significant part in Clayco’s growth to 300 full-time employees in the region in just four years. She’s an advocate for diversity and inclusion within the industry, participating in the National Association of Women in Construction business conferences and mentoring high school girls about the opportunities for women in construction. She is active in three neighborhood and park groups in the downtown Phoenix area. Her career achievements were recognized by AZ Big Media as a Women of Influence in 2024.
Matt Ciarkowaki
‘Go-to’ pro on multimodal, traffic signal and intersection design
Civil Engineer
Kimley-Horn
Denver
Ciarkowaki’s studies in civil engineering at Texas A&M University included a heavy involvement in the Institute of Transportation Engineers and its scholar’s program. He joined Kimley-Horn in 2009. A licensed engineer in five states, his 17-plus-year career includes safety and mobility projects across the country. He and his team plan and design projects that enhance safety, comfort and accessibility for people using all forms of transportation. Key projects include the creation of Estes Park’s first curbless street, South Broadway multimodal improvements in Denver and a two-way cycle track that was part of the Atlanta Streetcar East Extension project. He is the “go-to” person within the firm for expertise on multimodal, traffic signal and intersection design. He serves as a technical training expert, leading a team of four in Kimley-Horn’s Denver surface transportation group. He’s a member of the Denver mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee – Infrastructure Committee and has been involved in organizations such as the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals and the Colorado/Wyoming ITE executive committee. Leadership roles within the firm include contract specialist, young professionals lead and transportation planning and traffic operations lead. He pioneered the Dad Buddy program within Kimley-Horn to help new parents, and he gives back to the community by volunteering with Food For Thought, which provides food to children when they’re not in school.
Sadie Cline
Ironman athlete mentors next generation of architects
Principal
ZGF
Denver
Originally getting her start in ZGF’s New York City office, Cline’s leadership has been instrumental in the successful 2022 opening and subsequent growth of the firm’s Denver office. She and her team have helped ZGF deliver key local projects such as the Ball Arena Master Plan and the Anschutz Health Sciences Building at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She’s known for her commitment to process improvement, helping implement weekly design meetings to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing. Cline also brings this approach to mentoring the next generation of architects. She played a key role in developing the mentor/mentee program in ZGF’s New York office and brought that energy to Denver. She’s involved in numerous industry organizations, including the Denver chapters of Women in Healthcare and Commercial Real Estate Women. She has participated in the Downtown Denver Partnership’s Denver Urban Exploration program, bringing urban development ideas from other cities to Denver. She has served as president of her local parent-teacher association and is active in Running Start, a nonprofit that introduces running to women as a means to improve their lives. Running and fitness are key to keeping Cline competitive, and she’s also an Ironman triathlon competitor.
Kyle Cole
Hydrosystems engineer delivers water to Phoenix’s unhoused population
Arizona Business Team Leader
Garver
Tempe, Ariz.
Cole’s $3-billion project portfolio includes airport hangars, bridges, Amazon facilities, K-12 schools and wastewater treatment plants. After a start as a transportation engineer, his interest in water issues led to a master’s degree in hydro systems engineering. As Garver’s Arizona business team leader, he guides project pursuits with utility clients across the Southwest. He also serves as the program manager for the $40-million water and wastewater program at Global Water Resources in Maricopa. He’s an active member of the Arizona Water Association, serving on three committees, and is active in the local chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, serving as the secretary for its Environmental & Water Resources Institute, a technical resource. In 2023, he participated in the town of Gilbert Community Water Shortage Team, which aims to reduce community water waste. He also volunteers with Operation Hydration, an organization that delivers water to Phoenix’s unhoused population. Cole is not only a licensed professional engineer in Arizona but also a licensed real estate sales associate pursuing a general contractor license. He brings his passion for building and designing to a weekend hobby of fixing up and reselling real estate.
Ramiro L. Diaz
Recognized culture leader improves operations at design-build firm
Project Architect, Associate
The Beck Group
Denver
A licensed architect in Texas and Colorado, Diaz’s career began at a small design firm focused on higher education. It was there that he gained an appreciation of firm culture. Upon transitioning to a quality assurance and quality control position at the Beck Group, he found himself on a path to improving firm operations as a recognized culture leader. He serves on the Denver regional culture committee, collaborating on initiatives to improve the employee experience and share lessons learned. In his day-to-day role, he collaborates with the firm’s national quality control committee, helping pilot and implement standards and code compliance documentation in Revit. The experience gained from earning a certificate in conflict resolution from Cornell University has been invaluable to all these roles. A member of AIA Colorado and a graduate of its Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program, Diaz continues to actively mentor future design professionals. He works with two junior NCARB staff members as well as a West African architect through the Ascend Mentorship Program. He’s also a volunteer with the ACE Mentorship Program of Colorado. Diaz spent two years collaborating with Pacific Coast Conservation, a Denver-based art conservation company, helping them assess collection storage needs for diverse National Park Service facilities across the country, fostering his appreciation of our built heritage.
Rae Faber
Systems engineer focuses on rail standards, testing and compliance
Senior Manager of Design
Modern Railway Systems
Littleton, Colo.
Faber helps Modern Railway Systems, a subsidiary of Stacy Witbeck, deliver commuter rail, light rail and streetcar projects ranging in size from $3 million to $300 million. She served as a systems engineer on the Caltrain Modernization Program, a $191-million, 52-mile signal system upgrade. As Faber’s career shifted to include a focus on standards, testing and compliance, she developed expertise in federally mandated positive train control (PTC). She has helped many clients navigate Federal Rail Administration approvals using new PTC technologies such as Enhanced Automatic Train Control, which did not have established testing requirements. Faber led the effort to gain final FRA approvals on the E-ATC testing programs, which became the first vital PTC system approved by the FRA. She helped develop a rail activation and systems integration team that supports the startup of new rail systems, growing the team by 20% in the past year. During a sabbatical, Faber volunteered at a local nonprofit, helping it apply for licenses and certifications and comply with regulations. She was named one of Railway Track & Structures’ Women in Engineering in 2022 and a Progressive Railroading Rising Star in 2023.
Jack Grauman
EPC project leader mentors peers
Power Sector Alternative Delivery Director
HDR
Billings, Mont.
Grauman offers specialized expertise in the evaluation of alternative delivery models to mitigate risk in construction contracts. He has built a reputation on multiple large complex engineer, procure and construct (EPC) projects and programs delivered on accelerated schedules. After getting his start designing high-voltage power lines, Grauman broadened his expertise while earning two master’s degrees, one in business administration from the University of Oklahoma and another in petroleum economics and management from the Institute of French Petroleum. As vice president at HDR, Grauman assumes various leadership roles, including serving on the firm’s construction field services steering committee and mentoring HDR staff across the U.S. as well as those participating in the Montana area mentorship program. His notable projects include the Gateway West Project, a $250-million, 143-mile 500kV/230kV transmission line from Rawlins to Point of Rocks, Wyo., delivered via EPC. He’s also involved in the Bonneville Power Administration Secondary Capacity Model Program, a $3-billion, progressive design-build substation and transmission build-out to improve grid reliability in Oregon, Washington and Montana. He has been recognized at HDR with its internal Gold Pathfinder award and is sought out within the industry for his expertise in the integrated project delivery of energy assets.
Grisel Gray
Teaches estimating classes in Spanish while pursuing a doctoral degree
Director of Preconstruction/Estimating
Gilmore Construction Corp.
Denver
Born in El Salvador, Gray spent her early years there before moving to the U.S. at age 10 after being adopted. Upon earning a bachelor’s degree in construction management from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) in 2017, she joined Turner Construction. She gained invaluable experience working full-time while continuing to pursue her education at UNL, earning a master’s degree in construction engineering and management. In 2024, she took a chance on an opportunity to lead the preconstruction and estimating department at Gilmore Construction Corp. In just a short time, she was credited with transforming the department into “a client-focused powerhouse,” supporting $300 million in proposals and $150 million in contracts. She’s also continuing her studies in pursuit of a doctorate at UNL. She gives back to the industry and the community through participation in several organizations, including teaching estimating classes in Spanish at Hispanic Contractors of Colorado’s Contractor Academy. She’s also active with HCC’s Women in Leadership Committee and Future Leaders Committee. She mentors STEM students in Denver Public Schools and at CU Boulder. She also continues to mentor students at UNL, where she co-founded its Women in Construction Management Group and served as its president for nearly three years. She balances her professional efforts by training for several marathons a year.
David Haldiman
Marine veteran is responsible for high-profile transportation projects
Project Superintendent
Hensel Phelps
Phoenix
Haldiman has more than a decade of experience and nearly a billion dollars in completed construction projects across aviation, housing, hospitality, transportation and federal sectors. A veteran, his post-Marine career path included a degree in construction management from Arizona State University, which in 2013 led to a role as a field engineer at Hensel Phelps. Today, Haldiman serves as project superintendent at Hensel Phelps managing high-profile projects such as the $85-million Southwest Airlines Phoenix Technical Operations Facility. This project accommodates three 737 aircraft and supports more than 500 Southwest Airlines employees. Other notable projects include SOF Hangar Aircraft Maintenance Unit Cannon Air Force Base and the $343-million Sky Train Stage 1 Fixed Facilities in Phoenix. Haldiman has guided more than 120 field engineers through Hensel Phelps’ rigorous training programs. A graduate of the Arizona Builders Alliance Leadership Development Forum, Haldiman also holds a CM-Lean certification from the Associated General Contractors of America. He gives back to the community by sharing his skills directly or by helping others learn about construction. He has built decks and painted rooms at a local camp for kids with special needs and remodeled apartments for Family Promise of Greater Phoenix.
Brett Himes
Calm, confident leader helped establish and grow firm’s Boise office
Operations Manager
IMCO General Construction
Boise
Himes started at IMCO as an intern while studying construction management at the University of Washington. He progressed quickly within the firm and soon found himself on a return trip to UW, this time to its Foster School of Business. This provided him with the information and tools that helped set him up for success as IMCO’s operations manager for the firm’s Oregon and Idaho regions. His efforts are credited with helping to establish and grow the contractor’s Boise presence. As a result, IMCO has now completed or is working on more than 25 projects, including a $30-million contract for the Idaho Military Division, and the office now accounts for more than 40% of IMCO’s annual revenue. The company is currently building a permanent Boise office and shop facility to support its local staff of over 20 managers and 40 craftworkers. Himes is often called “a calm and confident leader” and his colleagues say his modesty and trustworthiness make him a standout in the industry. An active member of the Idaho AGC, Himes serves on design-build committees and on the board of the AGC Construction Leadership Council. He also teaches construction management classes at UW and Boise State University. Among his notable career achievements are building a team in the Cascade wilderness during a fast-tracked water treatment facility project as well as work on the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal in Washington.
Venkatesh ‘VJ’ Janakiraman
Configured a work-around to keep critical electrical equipment online
Associate Principal | Electrical Engineer - Mission Critical
HED
Chandler, Ariz.
Janakiraman spent his youth in India where he often experienced power outages. Inspired to be a part of the solution, he pursued a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering. After moving to the U.S. to earn a master’s degree in electrical engineering focused on energy and power systems at Arizona State University, he got his start as a photovoltaic designer with Telsa’s clean energy division. He joined IMEG as a senior electrical engineer in 2018. In January, he was named associate principal at HED. In this new role he specializes in electrical system design for mission critical facilities, including data centers, to ensure redundant, scalable and resilient power solutions. His career highlights include providing project management and engineering for a confidential lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant in Indiana. He also came to the rescue to address power supply chain issues that affected a frozen food facility with a large electrical load that was about to come online. Power sources could only be turned off in one-hour increments, and Janakiraman designed a workaround that kept critical equipment running, avoiding a costly shutdown that could have put the company out of business. He was a founding member and chair of IMEG’s photovoltaic task force, establishing standards and developing training on PV systems for IMEG’s engineering teams across the U.S. He also was involved in IMEG’s recruiting efforts and served as the chair of its Phoenix community involvement committee. He also volunteers with Feed My Starving Children and teaches robotics to neighborhood kids.
Brett Kohring
Enhances road safety while inspiring others in urban planning, engineering
Senior Traffic Engineer
HDR
Boise
Kohring’s career in transportation ranges from major interchange design projects to community-based traffic calming strategies. His overarching goal is to enhance mobility and safety for all road users. Kohring is sought out for his expertise in traffic and safety analysis, transportation planning, signal and lighting design and multimodal infrastructure. Notable projects in Boise include the redesign of Grove Street, where the design team integrated raised bike lanes, simplified intersections and created pedestrian/bike zones to improve connectivity and safety. He also contributed to traffic calming design for 13th Street, which helped reduce vehicle speeds and enhance neighborhood livability. His work on the variability of advanced warning systems implementation and calibrated signal design and operation helped to reduce the chances for accidents. Kohring recently earned a master’s degree in transportation and infrastructure engineering from the University of Tennessee while working full time. He is involved with the Idaho Institute of Transportation Engineers, where he has served in each of its four board positions. He also volunteers as a judge for the Future Cities Competition, inspiring young minds in urban planning and engineering. His hands-on approach includes implementing tactical urbanism projects, such as piloting temporary roundabouts and pinch points to calm traffic and foster community engagement.
Jennyfer Labuff
Data engineer recognized as firm’s support MVP
Director of Data Engineering & Application Development
Sundt Construction
Tempe, Ariz.
LaBuff’s understanding of how data can be used to improve construction outcomes is credited with helping Sundt improve overall firm operations and its performance on multiple large-scale projects. She spearheads efforts to enhance data security and quality while improving data literacy across the organization. She got her start at Sundt in 2012 and steadily advanced through multiple promotions and increased responsibilities. She was recognized as Sundt’s Support MVP of the Year with an award in 2023. LaBuff is credited with successfully managing the company’s migration of its ERP and human resources systems and the development of internal company applications such as monthly progress reports, project management and go/no-go apps. She also has established a data warehouse and data strategy team that has grown from two team members to nine during the past three years. As part of Sundt’s Leadership Excellence Accelerates Performance program, LaBuff is working on solutions to better support and encourage the contractor’s traveling employees. She is a member of the WomenTech Network and Sundt Foundation, which supports projects in the communities where Sundt operates, and she has volunteered with the Magi Initiative by mentoring a female college student. In 2024, she presented at a Sundt-sponsored symposium for Women in Construction.
Erica Moser
Designs highly technical spaces
Vice President, Market Leader
The RMH Group
Lakewood, Colo.
Moser got her start supporting the commissioning team on the 750,000-sq-ft Denver Justice Center. This provided her with invaluable field experience that she brought to RMH Group in 2010. She quickly advanced and now serves as vice president and market leader for its science and technology group; she is one of the youngest at RMH to serve in such a role. Moser leads teams designing highly technical spaces such as aerospace manufacturing, clean rooms, industrial plants, laboratories, data centers and process central plant projects. She’s also a project management committee leader who reviews major projects to share lessons learned. She serves on RMH Group’s lean committee, which aims to improve workplace processes and enhance efficiency on the company’s projects. Moser manages staff allocations, leads weekly market leader meetings and chairs the shareholder committee that guides the firm’s strategic direction. Among her recent notable projects is the electrification of the mechanical systems in four of the buildings on the National Renewable Energy Lab’s Flatirons Campus. Her efforts have been recognized internally at her firm as well as from industry organizations such as ASHRAE and ACEC. She is an active member of Rocky Mountain DBIA, currently serving as the Vertical Member Committee Engagement Chair, and she has held multiple leadership positions within Rocky Mountain ASHRAE.
Patrick Payne
Helped deliver more than $1.1B of
water projects
Vice President of Operations (Water)
McCarthy Building Cos.
Phoenix
Payne credits his first project at McCarthy—a reconstruction at the Phoenix’s Deer Valley Water Treatment Plant in 2008—as inspiring his passion for water projects. Today, he and his teams have helped deliver more than $1.1 billion of water projects across the Southwest and California. Payne sees each project as an opportunity to positively impact communities and to share lessons learned in pursuit of new work. He’s been a major contributor to the establishment of McCarthy’s national water program, authoring best practices and facilitating growth of more than 50% year over year. His open-door leadership style is credited with helping employees optimize their strengths while maintaining personal well-being. Payne was honored with McCarthy’s Mike Hurst Excellence in Safety Award in 2017, and he gives back to the industry and community by participating in organizations such as the Arizona Water Association and Water Environment Federation. In the community he’s proud of his work organizing the city of Mesa’s turkey drive to help local food bank partners, collecting more than 1,200 turkeys and raising $31,000. A wrestler in college, Payne maintains his competitive edge by practicing jiujitsu.
Anthony Pratt
Credited with 350 miles of bicycle infrastructure projects in 20 states
Mobility Planner and Designer
Kimley-Horn
Broomfield, Colo.
Pratt’s career includes involvement with more than 350 miles of bicycle infrastructure projects in more than 20 states. After a career start at a small landscape architecture firm, Pratt moved to Colorado Springs, where he joined the city’s engineering department in a role focused on bike infrastructure and other nonmotorized transport projects. A professional landscape architect also certified in sustainable infrastructure, he joined the Denver office of Kimley-Horn in 2020. As a mobility planner and designer, Pratt and his team work on multimodal projects such as protected intersections and low-stress bicycle and pedestrian transportation networks. His key projects include working on Boulder’s first protected intersection, which led to an opportunity to work on a recent Federal Highway Administration study evaluating protected intersections and refining their design. Pratt helped Kimley-Horn launch an additional office in nearby Broomfield in 2021, which has since grown to 40 staff from nine. He helps lead Kimley-Horn’s participation in Commuting Solutions, a transportation management group focused on diversifying transportation options in Boulder County and the U.S. Highway 36 corridor. He’s involved in many mobility and transportation professional organizations and was appointed to the Denver Metro Regional Air Quality Council by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, serving a three-year term beginning July 2024.
Jordan Ricks
LSU grad led integration of contractor’s preconstruction software
Preconstruction Manager
Adolfson and Peterson Construction
Aurora, Colo.
Ricks has a reputation as a seasoned preconstruction professional in the health care, higher education and correctional markets. He got his career start in his home state with a degree from Louisiana State University before transitioning to the Denver office of Adolfson and Peterson in 2017. He’s credited with improving the contractor’s operational efficiency by helping lead the integration of new preconstruction software. He participates in the company’s internal operational excellence committee, championing the development of standardized operating procedures to improve safety, cost efficiency and timely project completion. He’s credited with leading preconstruction efforts that led to a major confidential project across multiple locations. A certified professional estimator and a LEED Accredited Professional who actively contributes to professional organizations in the health care market (including CAHED, AMFP and ASHE), he has worked on key projects such as the New Orleans East Hospital post-Hurricane Katrina, a 100,000-sq-ft University of Louisiana Student-Athlete Performance Center and LSU’s South End Zone Expansion. As a member of the Leadership Advisory Board for LEAD Metro in Adams County, he collaborates on community projects like Habitat for Humanity. He supports the industry through organizations such as AGC Colorado and coaches youth sports in his community.
Adrian Saldanha
Oversees construction of packaged treatment plants for Arizona parks
Project Manager
PCL Construction
Tempe, Ariz.
Born in Muscat, Oman, Saldanha studied civil engineering at the University of Texas. Joining PCL in 2014 gave him a chance to see much of the rest of the U.S.; he’s lived in 11 different states for the firm. Saldanha has built a reputation in the water market by managing a collective value of $1.5 billion in projects and serves in PCL’s special projects group. A licensed professional engineer, Saldanha is also a certified project management professional. He often works with city utilities and water agencies to deliver drinking and wastewater infrastructure and treatment projects. Saldanha’s project execution plans worked so well the firm used them as the standard to improve the firm’s processes companywide. He’s credited with developing and improving company standard operating procedures for document control, RFIs, WorkFace Planning and intellectual property control. He also helped develop the firm’s field engineering guidebook to prepare new engineers for what to expect on the jobsite. He is an active member of the Arizona Water Association’s Young Professionals group and served as treasurer. He gives back to the community through his work at Habitat for Humanity and with student science fairs as well as by his mentorship efforts. He recently served as an ACE mentor, guiding high school students through the development of a conceptual design for a Phoenix community center.
Rebecca 'Becky' Santiago
Sustainability professional plans transit corridors and regional systems
Transportation Planner II
HDR
Phoenix
Santiago supports light rail, streetcar and bus rapid transit projects that are part of the FTA’s New and Small Starts Capital Investment Grant programs. Her work includes service optimization, fare analyses, emerging technology and feasibility studies that are part of multimodal network design and sustainable infrastructure projects. A certified Envision Sustainability Professional, she has built a reputation based on her technical abilities in planning for transit corridors, regional systems and sustainability. Among her signature projects are the Valley Metro Construction Reroute Plan supporting the redevelopment of the Central Station and the South Central Light Rail Extension. She’s a graduate of the American Public Transportation Association’s Emerging Leaders program, presenting a capstone about the impacts of electric buses at their mobility conference in 2023. She also gives back to the industry and the community through her work at Arizona Forward Emerging Sustainability Leaders, serving on the mobility committee. She supports HDR’s Young Professionals group and has served in various roles over the last six years. Santiago has also earned grants from the HDR Foundation and received numerous internal awards, including the employee-led Pathfinder Award of Excellence and other productivity, process improvement and community service awards.
Zachary Shuman
Young leader heads uncrewed aircraft systems department
National Aviation Services Practice Leader
Woolpert
Glendale, Colo.
Shuman’s internship for a former FAA administrator inspired an interest in aviation, and he found the perfect career fit at Woolpert, where he has been promoted four times in six years. Since joining the firm, he’s led and grown the uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) department and convinced firm leaders to build an aviation research practice. That practice has since grown to bring in more than $15 million in unmanned aerial systems, Advanced Air Mobility and system planning services revenue in the last three years. He assumed the role of national aviation sales practice leader in 2023 and leads some of FAA’s largest airport research and large-scale state department of transportation planning projects, including for the National Safe Skies Alliance. He’s presented at more than 30 regional and national conferences, has been published in multiple magazines and serves in leadership roles on aviation industry committees. He also works with regulatory agencies to write the standards that ultimately engineers and planners will use in real world applications. Shuman is involved in several aviation industry boards and the American Association of Airport Executives, where he serves as the vice-chair of the emerging tech committee. In the community he is active in STEM programs and volunteers at the local community organizations that Woolpert supports.
Kyle Tillery
Delivered first LEED v4 Platinum certified building in Colorado
Senior Superintendent
Adolfson and Peterson Construction
Aurora, Colo.
Tillery started in construction when he joined Adolfson and Peterson as a laborer working on K-12 renovations projects while pursuing a degree in construction management at Colorado State University. By his second year he was overseeing nine summer renovation projects. He joined the firm full time as a field engineer upon graduation, steadily advancing to his current position as superintendent. He has helped deliver key projects such as the award-winning Utilities Administrative Building for the city of Fort Collins, the first LEED v4 Platinum certified building in Colorado. Other key projects include the University of Northern Colorado Campus Commons and Greeley West High School. Tillery is credited with streamlining operations firmwide by developing standardized operating procedures and process maps for document control and helping implement the firm’s successful adoption of Procore. He is a co-chair in AP’s Mountain States operational excellence group, helping to improve the handoff between preconstruction and project management phases. He earned recognition for his efforts helping other superintendents on their own jobsites, receiving the contractor’s internal Mentor of the Year award in 2024. He’s been a part of AGC Colorado’s Future Leaders Forum for the past seven years and is also involved with Rocky Mountain DBIA. He leads the firm’s recruiting efforts at CSU and coaches youth baseball, football and basketball.
Kayla Voller
Collaborative problem-solver leads grid modernization projects
Manager of Project Delivery for Transmission & Distribution in the Mountain Region
Burns & McDonnell
Centennial, Colo.
Voller joined Burns & McDonnell in 2010, focusing on substation engineering. She soon transitioned to project management, an opportunity that leveraged her collaborative and problem-solving skills in a client-facing role. She leads a team working on grid modernization projects such as substations, distribution modernization, transmission, telecommunications, transportation electrification and automation projects, managing more than 160 projects valued at $25 million. Her work on engineer-procure-construct and program projects includes a portfolio averaging more than $30 million each year. Voller helps clients such as Colorado Springs Utilities embrace an industry shift to renewable energy and is proud of her work helping address growing energy demands. She’s a member of the Burns & McDonnell Network of Women, engaging in panels and mentoring a nearly 450-person team as well as participating in Girls in STEM. She is also involved with Engineers Without Borders, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers.
Ethan Walton
Led the $1.2B National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility project
Project Director
McCarthy Building Cos.
Denver
Walton started his career at McCarthy Building Cos. as a project engineer in 2011 after earning a degree in construction management from Purdue University, where he received the Top Constructor Award in his class. He quickly progressed at the company, earning seven promotions and dual master’s degrees in business administration and strategic management from Indiana University on a path to his current role as project director. Walton’s projects in the manufacturing, health care, education, advanced technology and aviation markets have ranged in value from $100,000 to $1 billion. Some of his recent high-profile projects include the MARS Chocolate food grade production and manufacturing facility in Topeka, Kan., the $1.2-billion, 48-acre Medical Center-National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kan., and the Southwest Airlines general-use and cargo buildings in Denver. His leadership qualities were recently highlighted in McCarthy’s internal Rooted in the Rockies campaign highlighting the company’s Colorado successes. Walton is involved with Rocky Mountain DBIA, USGBC, the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories and AGC of Colorado, where he participated in its Future Leaders Forum. Outside or work, he gives back to the community through his involvement with the Colorado Tennyson Center.
Arthur Wickham
Environmental consultant and licensed geologist is expert in PFAs
Senior Hydrogeologist, Senior Project Manager
BEM Systems Inc.
Lakewood, Colo.
An expert in PFAs, the forever chemicals used to help materials repel water, dirt and oil, Wickham is leading remedial investigations and risk assessments for BEM Systems at military installations nationwide. A project manager, licensed professional geologist and certified hydrogeologist, he has more than a dozen years of experience in environmental assessment and remediation consulting. In his role at BEM, he develops solutions related to groundwater, soil and soil vapor remediation for a variety of clients from federal, oil and gas, mining and chemical industries. He helped the U.S. Air Force complete its first basewide PFA remedial investigation and risk assessment. That work will set procedural and technical precedent industrywide. He also developed and leads BEM’s PFAs technical working group, which tracks developments in the scientific and regulatory communities related to PFAs and other emerging contaminants. In addition, Wickham is an active member of the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council PFAS group, where he regularly presents at technical conferences and contributes to its guidance documents. Among his many community activities, he is most proud of his dozen-plus year involvement with Boy Scouts of America, where he serves as a senior patrol leader.
