The Weitz Co. promotes from within for its new vice president of operations.

Trent Mostaert was promoted to vice president of operations at the Weitz Co. Mostaert joined Weitz in 1995 as a project engineer with experience in commercial, residential and consulting construction. Since then, he has been promoted up through the chain of command holding positions as project manager, senior project manager and construction manager.

As vice president of operations, Mostaert is responsible for the senior management of construction operations of the business unit.

Mostaert graduated with a bachelor of science degree in construction engineering from Iowa State University. He is LEED accredited and is an Arizona Builders Alliance Leadership Development Forum graduate. He is also member of the Urban Land Institute and the Reality Check Committee, and currently serves on the City of Phoenix Fire Advisory Board of Directors.

Kitchell has appointed Karen Heck as business development manager for Kitchell CEM. Heck will focus on building client relations in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and western regions outside California. For the past five years, Heck served as west region publisher for McGraw-Hill Construction and oversaw business operations for three regional construction monthly publication groups covering eight western states.

Heck’s previous professional experience also includes business development and marketing positions with Junior Achievement in Tempe and Virgo Publishing in Phoenix.

Heck earned a B.A. in English from Colorado State University in Fort Collins and an advanced advertising management certificate from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management in Evanston, Ill. She currently serves on the board of the Phoenix Community Alliance and is a former board member of the AGC. Heck was recently appointed to the Alhambra Village Planning Committee in Phoenix.

KKE Architects Inc. hired Lori Gordillo as project manager with its interior design team. She brings more than 12 years of design and leadership experience in creating spaces for corporate offices, law firms, healthcare facilities, financial services and other commercial professions. Gordillo has been integral in the development of more than 2 million sq ft of tenant improvement projects. Most recently, Gordillo served as vice president of interiors for JMA Architecture Studios’ Nevada office.

Earning National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) and registration with the Nevada State Board of Architecture for Interior Design and Residential Design, Gordillo also has a bachelor of science in interior design from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Urban Environmental Research has appointed J. Andy Soesilo, Ph.D. to the position of senior project manager for the company’s environmental division. Prior to joining the company, he served as environmental engineer for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and as environmental coordinator for the City of Glendale.

Soesilo currently serves as professor in the Department of General Education for Western International University, and as adjunct professor for the Center for Environmental Studies at Arizona State University.

Soesilo earned a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from Petra Christian University in Surabaya, Indonesia; a master’s degree in urban planning from the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand and a doctorate degree in geography from Arizona State University in Tempe.

Mark M. Pilwallis, P.E., was named senior associate at Gannett Fleming. Pilwallis is a transportation section project manager based in the Phoenix office. With more than 18 years of experience, Pilwallis performs studies and designs of bridges, roads and transit systems. Pilwallis is a registered professional engineer in Arizona, Alaska and Colorado. He holds a bachelor of science in civil engineering from The Pennsylvania State University.

Brenda K. Martinez was recently named a vice president with Gannett Fleming West in the Santa Fe office. Martinez is the environmental program manager responsible for business development, project management and environmental planning.

With more than 17 years of experience, Martinez is well-versed with the mandates of federal, state, and local environmental policies and procedures, including the National Environmental Policy Act and the Council on Environmental Quality. Her technical expertise includes the preparation of environmental studies, including environmental assessments, categorical exclusions and environmental impact statements.

Martinez holds a bachelor of science in biology and a master of business administration.

Mike McGinnis has joined R&O Construction as a senior project manager. His experience includes high end office, residential, retail and hotel development projects. He has been a senior project manager and vice president of development and construction prior to joining the company. McGinnis will be working out of the Las Vegas office.

R&O has also hired Rob VanPutten as a superintendent to work on their Phoenix projects. VanPutten is skilled in managing warehouse and retail projects. He also brings a background as an on-site quality assurance manager.

Robert J. Welch, PE, has rejoined Stantec’s Tucson office as a project manager. Welch will resume his role in the water resources/ environmental infrastructure practice, which focuses on linear infrastructure in the service sectors of water, wastewater and floodplain/storm water management. Welch will also provide leadership and support for construction services.

Welch has extensive experience in both the public and private sector and has been responsible for design, management and construction management of public improvement projects covering a variety of disciplines. He also has led community outreach efforts for public works projects throughout the Southwest.

Welch is a registered professional engineer in Arizona and Connecticut. He received his bachelor of science in civil engineering from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. In his previous career at Stantec, he served the company for nine years.

The American Subcontractors Association honored Richard B. Usher, principal of Hill & Usher LLC, Phoenix, Ariz., with the ASA President’s Award for Excellence. 2007-08 ASA president David H. Bradbury, Precision Concrete Construction Inc., Alpharetta, Ga., recognized Usher during ASA’s annual business meeting, held March 7 in conjunction with the ASA Business Forum and Convention 2008 in Charleston, S.C. Chosen by the association’s president, the President’s Award is presented to the individual who most supports the ASA president during his or her term.

LaPour has appointmented Kari Laurent to development associate in their hospitality division. In her new position, Laurent will collaborate with architects, designers and purchasing companies. She will also analyze budgets and create investment opportunity packages for potential investors. Laurent received a bachelor’s degree in real estate finance from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

To submit personnel news announcements, please send information and color photographs to: Scott Blair, editor, at scott_blair@mcgraw-hill.com.