Lea+Elliott Inc., Grand Prairie, Texas, has appointed Diane Woodend-Jones as chairwoman. With the transit architect-engineer since 1989, Woodend-Jones had been a principal managing Midwest operations as well as a board member. She succeeds Philip Castellana, chairman for the past three years, who will remain with the firm as a principal.

WOODEND-JONES

Walter E. Geiger and Ted E. Redmond have joined Omaha-based architect-engineer Leo A Daly. Geiger, who will be vice president and design principal in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office, was previously a principal and director of design for Morris Architects in Orlando. Redmond, formerly president of BKV Group, is now vice president and managing principal of Leo A Daly’s Minneapolis office, replacing Chuck Ault. Ault will remain in the same office as vice president and director of engineering.

Borjana Mikic has been named director of the Picker Engineering Program at Smith College, Northampton, Mass. Mikic has been an associate professor with the program, the nation’s first engineering program at a women’s college, since its inception in 2001. She follows Linda E. Jones in the position. Jones will return to the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, Alfred, N.Y., as associate vice president. She was a faculty member at Alfred University from 1991 to 2005, ultimately serving as chairwoman of its materials science and engineering program.

MIKIC

JONES

The U.S. Dept. of Energy has announced the new leaders of its two Hanford, Wash., field offices. Matt McCormick replaces Dave Brockmon as manager for the DOE Richland Operations Office, where he has been assistant manager, Central Plateau. Brockmon will serve as manager of the Office of River Protection until his retirement in early 2011. Shirley Olinger, who previously held that position, assumes the newly created role of associate principal deputy for corporate operations in the DOE’s Office of Environmental Management, Washington, D.C. She will support the office’s efforts to accelerate resolution of field operations issues.

Barton Malow, Southfield, Mich., has named Brent Leiter as a vice president in the firm’s Columbus, Ohio, office, overseeing the Ohio and Indiana markets. Leiter joins the contractor from Smoot Construction, where he was president and chief operating officer.

LEITER

ELY

Ed Friedrichs has been named chairman of ZweigWhite, Wayland, Mass., a management and financial consultant to engineering, architecture and environmental firms. Friedrichs, a former CEO of Gensler, maintains his own multidisciplinary consultancy, the Friedrichs Group.

Debbie J. Vreeland has joined Netherlands-based engineering firm ARCADIS as vice president in the energy market sector, based in the firm’s Billings, Mont., office. Vreeland has been a planning, design and construction consultant for the past 10 years; prior to that role, she was a senior project manager with Dames & Moore, which was accquired by URS Corp.

Hill International, Marlton, N.J., has brought on John M. Cunningham as senior vice president and director, construction assurance services, for its construction claims group. Cunningham comes to the global project management and claims firm from MGM Mirage Inc., where he was director of internal audits for construction and real estate.

JOHNSON

Jim Ely has joined HNTB Corp., Kansas City, Mo., as vice president and vice chairman of its toll practice. Ely comes to the engineer-architect from his position as executive director of Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise. He will be based in HNTB’s Tallahassee office. Ely is a past president of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, a consortium of toll operators and related industries.

Stephen Johnson has joined engineering and energy services provider Primary Integration, McLean, Va., as corporate senior vice president of critical environments. Johnson, who will be responsible for the strategic development and management of PI’s mission- critical clients, was previously vice president and director of critical facilities at CB Richard Ellis.

Tony Darkangelo has been appointed CEO of the National Finishing Contractors Association, an organization of union employers based in Bethesda, Md., and partnered with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. Since 2008 Darkangelo has been with FCA as vice president, central region.

BARNHILL III

Robert E. Barnhill III has been promoted from regional president, eastern operations, to president of Barnhill Contracting Company, Tarboro, N.C. He succeeds his father, Robert E. Barnhill Jr. in the position. Barnhill Jr., who will remain CEO, is now chairman.

CH2M Hill, a Denver-based engineer-contractor, promoted Mark Fallon to president of its nuclear business group. Fallon had been senior vice president in that unit since 2006; prior to that role, he was president of Bartlett Services Inc.

Steven Prince has been raised from principal of HMC Architects’ Ontario, Calif., studio to managing principal of its San Diego office.

Heavy/highway contractor Vecellio & Grogan, Beckley, W.V., has elevated structure operations engineer Matthew A. Farley to vice president of structures.