People on the Move: Changes at RS&H, PB, VOA Associates

Brian P. Reed has been elevated to CEO of Jacksonville, Fla.-based engineering firm RS&H as part of a company succession that takes effect on July 31. Formerly senior vice president and director of the firm's aviation program, he will replace Leerie T. Jenkins in the new role. Jenkins remains chairman. David Robertson, the firm's chief operating officer, takes on the added role of president, effective immediately. RS&H ranks at No. 79 on ENR's list of the Top 500 Design Firms, with $143 million in 2010 revenue.

Steve Townes has been named CEO of Louis Berger Services Inc., a new corporate unit of The Berger Group of Cos., Morristown, N.J. It was created by the parent firm's Feb. 1 acquisition of Ranger International Services Group, a Greenville, S.C.-based aviation, logistics and engineering firm. Townes had been CEO of Ranger International and remains based in Greenville. About 1,000 Ranger employees have joined Berger. The acquired unit had about $85 million in 2011 revenue, a Berger spokeswoman tells ENR.

Commonwealth Associates Inc., a Jackson, Mich.-based power sector engineering firm, has hired Samuel R. Barnes as vice president of its power generation and energy group. He previously served as vice president and director of engineering at HDR Engineering/Cummins & Barnard Inc. in Ann Arbor, Mich. Commonwealth is ranked at No. 477 on ENR's list of the Top 500 Design Firms.

Pat O'Hara, Ken Bird and Douglas Spicuzza have joined engineering firm Woodard & Curran, Portland, Maine, as vice presidents. This follows its Jan. 30 acquisition of Cummings/Riter Consultants Inc., a Pittsburgh-based environmental

compliance, corrective action and site development firm, of which they had been executives. O'Hara is co-founder and former president; Bird is co-founder and was chief financial officer; and Spicuzza is a former vice president. About 32 Cummings/Riter employees have joined Woodard & Curran, which ranks at No. 84 on ENR's list of the Top 200 Environmental Firms.

Granite Construction Inc., Watsonville, Calif., has elevated Richard A. Watts to vice president, general counsel, corporate compliance officer and secretary. He replaces Terry K. Eller who the company says is leaving for personal reasons. Watts, who joined the firm in 2003, had been assistant general counsel and assistant secretary. He previously served as corporate counsel for Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.

Parsons Brinckerhoff, New York City, has named Barbara W. Reese a principal consultant. She was finance director for the city of Richmond, Va., and also served as deputy director of policy for former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D). Reese also is the state's former deputy transportation secretary and chief financial officer of its transportation department says the firm. Based in Richmond, she will be involved in project development and execution of complex transactions, including public-private partnerships.

McCarthy Building Cos., St Louis, has named Randy Highland president of its California region in Newport Beach. Formerly president of its Nevada/Utah division, he succeeds Carter Chappell, who retired in December after 30 years at the firm. Highland is a former president of the Associated General Contractors of Las Vegas.

J. Brian Zick has joined Farnsworth Group Inc., a Bloomington, Ill.-based engineer-architect as municipal manager for its western region, following its Feb. 1 acquisition of The Engineering Co., a Fort Collins, Colo., water, wastewater and surveying firm where he had been president. Zick remains in Fort Collins.

John O'Dowd has rejoined Washington, D.C., design firm VOA Associates Inc. as a senior vice president. Formerly a partner and studio leader at OTJ Architects, also based there, he left VOA in 2005. O'Dowd will focus on its federal sector projects and market expansion.