ButtonCharles "Charlie" Button, who, as chief engineer and deputy chief operating officer of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), managed significant infrastructure built as part of the court-ordered $3-billion cleanup of Boston Harbor in the 1990s, died on March 17 at age 70.He told ENR in 1997 that initial local uproar over the harbor cleanup's cost impact on sewer rates changed after the project delivered "a tangible result—a clean harbor—and seeing ... white wakes behind boats.''The cause of death was cancer, said an online obituary.Button, who also was chief engineer of the Boston Water and Sewer Commission, managed a
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ENR Award of Excellence, Newsmakers and winners from across the years joined this year’s class and winner, Anvil Builders’ CEO HT Tran, on stage at the gala in New York City on April 16.
While hanging out with friends in his California living room one day in 2006, HT Tran had an epiphany that changed his career path and the direction of his life. The wounded Army veteran whose family fled Vietnam went on to start a fast-growing construction firm that's building San Francisco and careers for fellow veterans.
What started as an effort by Bob Nilsson, a U.S. Marine vet with a broken leg to help other Vietnam War wounded heal at a Navy hospital in Queens, N.Y., has grown decades later into a nationwide crusade to transition veterans, injured and not, into entrepreneurs in the construction sector—and beyond.
The Obama administration made construction careers for veterans a high-profile initiative, announced last year by First Lady Michele Obama, that asks industry firms to hire 100,000 vets in the next five years.
Related Links: Publicly Held Sterling Construction Eyes Transportation Boost To Reverse Results Slide VarelloSterling Construction has named as its permanent CEO, Paul J. Varello, who had been acting in the role since early February and has resigned as chairman. The firm, based in The Woodlands, said on March 9 that under Varello’s multi-year employment agreement, the one-time Fluor Corp. process sector president would receive an annual salary of $1 and 600,000 shares of restricted common stock. Varello, a Sterling board member since early 2014 and former chairman of oil-and-gas sector firm Commonwealth Engineering & Construction, replaces Peter MacKenna, who
Related Links: Engineering News-Record Architectural Record The Associated Builders and Contractors has hired Gregory E. Sizemore as vice president of environment, health, safety and workforce development for the 21,000-member national open-shop group. He was senior manager of craft development at Zachry Industrial. Gregory E. SizemoreGregory L. Sizemore, no relation, remains executive vice president of the Construction Users Roundtable, a Cincinnati-based owners group.Michael A. Shamma has joined engineer HAKS, New York City, as president. He was chief engineer of the New York State Thruway Authority/Canal Corp. and a regional state transportation director.AECOM has named Jess Yoder vice president in San Francisco
Abba G. Lichtenstein, 92, a noted bridge engineer who helped develop key national load-rating and inspection standards and techniques and who was an expert in repair of historic spans and related structures, died on March 13 in Washington, D.C., his family confirms.
Photo Courtesy Michael Graves Architecture & Design Populism Portland building (top) started postmodernism. Swan Hotel graces Walt Disney World. Photo Courtesy Michael Graves Architecture & Design Related Links: Michael Graves Architecture & Design Michael Graves, who more than 35 years ago kicked off the postmodern movement in architecture with his then-controversial design for the Portland Public Service Building, died of natural causes on March 12. He was 80.In 2001, when Graves won the American Institute of Architects' Gold Medal, he talked about "populist architecture" and his aim to delight the soul through buildings—from windows to washrooms."The livable city is the
University of Maryland Clark (right) with fellow engineer and University of Maryland benefactor Jeong H. Kim at 2007 engineering building dedication. Related Links: Clark Construction website: A. James Clark obituary University of Maryland Mourns Passing of A.James Clark In 1969, when he took over an old-line Washington, D.C.-area construction firm that now bears his name, A. James "Jim" Clark had a growth vision that differed sharply from its founder. Decades later, the successor set the foundation that propelled George Hyman Construction Co. to become today's national industry giant Clark Construction Group, and transformed Clark himself into a billionaire philanthropist. Clark
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