BORRAS

Rafael Borras was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 15 to the post of undersecretary for management at the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS), says the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He has been in that role for a year under a congressional recess appointment that did not require confirmation. An online report in Federal Times says there were questions initially about Borras’ qualifications, but his confirmation vote was unanimous. He is a former U.S. Commerce Dept. assistant secretary for administration and General Services Administration regional administrator. Borras also is a former URS Corp. vice president. He now manages DHS contracting and acquisition processes.

Carrie Stokes has been promoted to vice president of engineering firm Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon Inc. (BWSC), Nashville. She currently is manager of project delivery, responsible for directing project execution of energy and environment initiatives. Stokes joined the firm in 1997 as an engineering intern. BWSC ranks at number 201 on ENR�s list of the Top 500 Design Firms.

STOKES

SQUIRES

Parsons Corp., Pasadena, Calif., has realigned executive staff. Jeffrey F. Squires now is senior executive vice president and director of strategic planning and regional management, focused on the firm’s U.S. business. His title was undisclosed when the firm named him in December to its corporate strategy group. Squires had been founding president of its Middle East, North Africa and northern Mediterranean region (MENA+) business unit. Guy Mehula is named MENA+ president. Formerly senior vice president of Parsons’ buildings division, he replaces retired Maj. Gen. Earnest O. Robbins and is based in Abu Dhabi. Robbins, who had served as corporate executive vice president, has retired from the company.

Parsons also announced two leaders of its new Parsons Enterprises unit, which will develop concession-based businesses, public-private partnerships and other project-finance ventures. Named unit president is Dean Harwood, who had been corporate vice president of strategy and development. Ruth McMorrow joins as executive vice president. She formerly was managing director of global infrastructure finance at Canada-based Scotia Capital.

Chicago-based Environmental Systems Design Inc. has elevated Raj Gupta to CEO in a planned succession. He replaces Hem Gupta , who remains chairman. Raj Gupta had been president since 1998. Named to succeed him is Kurt Karnatz, who was executive vice president. In 1967, Hem Gupta founded ESD, which specializes in high-performance building system design.

Ronald H. Bowman Jr. has joined New York City-based building contractor Structure Tone as executive vice president of its global mission-critical division. He had been executive vice president of Tishman Technologies, leading its data-center building and development. Structure Tone ranks fourth among telecommunication-sector builders on ENR’s list of the Top 400 Contractors.

BOWMAN

Cotter Consulting Inc., a Chicago project manager and construction management firm, has named Carma Wood as vice president of transportation. Most recently, Wood served as construction services department manager at Stanley Consultants and as resident engineer for the Illinois Dept. of Transportation. The firm is a certified women’s business enterprise in Chicago.

Marjorie Simmons has been named CEO of architect-engineer-planner SHW Group Inc. Based in Berkeley, Mich., she remains chairman and managing principal. In her additional role, Simmons replaces Gary Blanton, who had been based in Plano, Texas, and who has left the firm. Simmons is founder of DSA Architects, which merged with SHW Group in 2003, the company adds. SHW, which specializes in education design, ranks 179th on ENR’s list of the Top 500 Design Firms, with $56.3 million in 2010 revenue. Simmons is the first woman to become a member of the American Institute of Architects’ roundtable for large firms.

SIMMONS

The Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International has named Marlene Hyde as president-elect. She is a Denver-based senior manager at Project Time & Cost Inc., an Atlanta cost consultant. AACEI, which represents cost estimators and cost engineers in 23 countries, has more than 7,500 members. James H. “ Jay ” Carson, an Atlanta-based project manager at Project Time, was elected a regional director.

Garry Harden has been named executive vice president of Stone Construction LLC, a Houston design-build firm, following its May 5 acquisition of Harden Constructors Inc., where he was founder and president. Harden is also based in Houston. Both firms specialize in the commercial and industrial construction sectors.

Rieth-Riley Construction Co. Inc., a Goshen, Ind., paving contractor, has elevated A. Keith Rose to president and CEO. He replaces Ronald G. Pope, who has retired from the roles but remains a board member. Rose joined Rieth-Riley in 1999 as vice president of its Michigan operations. He oversaw integration of three large acquisitions.

PETERS

The Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC), Washington, D.C., a research and consulting group on construction costs and labor trends, has named Carey L. Peters as executive director. He replaces Robert M. Gasperow, who has retired after 32 years. Peters is formerly program manager of bargaining unit compensation at the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public power company. While there, he led all compensation-related negotiations with construction trades. Gasperow, who had headed the council since its formation in 1979, was cited by ENR in 1980 and in 1988 for his contributions to construction. He remains a CLRC consultant through October. Ten employer associations support the group.

Jacobs Associates, a San Francisco underground engineer, has elevated Daniel N. Adams to president and CEO. In those roles, he replaces William W. Edgerton, who becomes chairman. Adams had been executive vice president.