ENR Midwest Names the Region's 2011 Top 20 Under 40

A 33-year-old urban planner, a 34-year-old architect specializing in sustainable design, and a 38-year-old director of operations with one of the region's leading commercial construction firms are among the  rising stars selected as ENR Midwest's Top 20 Under 40, an annual program recognizing young design and construction professionals from the region who have made significant contributions to their professions and communities.

ENR Midwest's top 20 design and construction professionals under the age of 40 were selected on the basis of their contributions to their professions and their communities.

While other ENR Midwest award programs, including Project of the Year, Designer of the Year and Contractor of the Year, recognize outstanding firms and their endeavors, the Top 20 Under 40 Program focuses on individual accomplishment, in this case the contributions of 14 men and six women hailing from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin and Missouri.

ENR Midwest received scores of nominations during a submission period extending from Nov. 1 to Dec. 8.  A panel of five industry professionals selected those candidates they believed best demonstrated excellence and leadership in their professions and communities.

This year's Top 20 Under 40 include:

• Sachin Anand, 39, Principal, dbHMS, Chicago
• Zachary Borders, 33, Senior Urban Planner + Designer/Associate, HOK, Chicago
• Brad Dannegger, 37, Vice President and Regional Manager, Arco/Murray National Construction Co., Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.
• Katherine Darnstadt, 29, Principal, Latent Design, Chicago
• Aash Desai, 33, Managing Principal, Helios Design Build, Chicago
• Lisa Gomperts, 38, Principal, Schmidt Associates, Indianapolis
• Tobias Heddinghaus, 39, Principal, Gray Design Group, St. Louis
• John Lashenik, 37, Vice President, American Structurepoint, Indianapolis
• Lira Luis, 38, Principal Architect, ALLL, Chicago

• Jeff Madden, 38, General Manager, Mortenson Construction, Madison, Wis.
• Corrie Meyer, 34, Associate, Schmidt Associates, Indianapolis
• Michael Rallo, Jr., 33, Senior Project Manager, Paric Corp., O'Fallon, Mo.
• Peter Rumpf, 32, Integrated Construction Manager, Mortenson Construction, Elk Grove Village, Ill.
• Beau Sanders, 31, Project Manager, GRAEF, Milwaukee
• Amy Slattery, 33, Associate, BNIM, Kansas City, Mo.
• Robert Summers, 34, Principal, Schultz and Summers Engineering, Poplar Bluff, Mo.
• Chuck Taylor, 38, Director of Operations, Englewood Construction, Lemont, Ill.
• Peter Todd, 34, Owner's Agent/Program Manager, The Boldt Co., Milwaukee
• Brian Volpe, 37, Vice President, Thornton Tomasetti, Chicago
• Megan Zack, 34, Director of Sustainability, Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, Chicago

Panelists for this year's Top 20 Under 40 program include: James Arends, vice president and business development manager with Gilbane Building Co., Chicago; Fred  L. Brandstrader, senior project manager with CB Richard Ellis, Chicago, and President of the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Architects; Ashley Z. Hand, associate with AECOM, Kansas City, Mo; Colin Rohlfing, Sustainable Design Director with HOK, Chicago; and Anna Stern, vice president with Tri-North Builders, Fitchburg, Wis.

Look for full coverage of 2012's Top 20 Under 40 in the Jan. 30 edition of ENR Midwest.