The latest People in the News highlighting new hires, promotions, honors & recognition of the men and women in the St. Louis building community.
Daniela Grushevska Named New Interior Design Director at Oculus Inc.’s Dallas Office
Oculus Inc., a full-service architecture and interior design firm, has hired Daniela Grushevska as the interior design director for its Dallas office. In her role, Grushevska will oversee interior design services for clients that are served by the Dallas location. She will also support business development for the interior design teams in the St. Louis headquarters and Portland, Ore., office.
Grushevska brings more than 20 years of interior design experience to Oculus with expertise in the hospitality, education and nonprofit sectors. She has a skillset that includes strategic planning, thoughtful design, creative problem solving and building client relationships, among other areas. Prior to joining Oculus Inc., Grushevska most recently served as interior design for a St. Louis-based architecture firm. She has also worked for additional architecture and interior design firms in St. Louis and Dallas, where she worked on projects, such as St. Louis Union Station Midway and Pointe 400 in St. Louis and the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in Nashville and St. Louis. She has a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Maryville University in St. Louis.
Oculus Inc. delivers comprehensive architecture, interior design, planning and move management services with a driving aesthetic to Connect | Shape | Move people, experiences, sensibilities and spaces. Oculus creates high-performance design that supports change and promotes value for clients in the commercial, education, government, healthcare, hospitality, retail, restaurant and workplace industries. Oculus has offices in St. Louis, Dallas and Portland, Ore., is WBE-certified and is regularly cited in top industry rankings for architecture and design. Oculusinc.com.
May 15, 2020
KAI Announces New Hire Connie Northcutt as Project Controls Director
KAI proudly announces the hiring of Connie Northcutt as Project Controls Director.
As Project Controls Director, Northcutt will work with KAI’s Architecture and Engineering leadership to provide oversight, direction and assistance to KAI’s project managers regarding project financials. She will work to improve and standardize project controls processes and best practices to help project managers achieve financially successful projects.
She has over 26 years of experience in the Project Controls profession and has held numerous leadership roles throughout that time. Her experiences have included development of tools, standards and best practice documents for project financial management; development of curriculum and facilitation of training for project controls and project management professionals; analysis of challenged projects; consulting for the development and implementation of a global project controls system; and management of program controls for an international buildings client.
She has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics/Statistics from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois.
During her spare time, she enjoys volunteering at Baylor University Medical Center, ballroom dancing, taking walks, listening to audio books and spending time with her partner Barry, two daughters and grandson.
KAI Enterprises is a national design and build firm providing delivery-oriented building solutions with a diverse portfolio of experience, in-house multi-discipline professionals, and expertise in both design and construction delivery. To learn more about KAI, visit www.kai-db.com.
Ryan Bader Joins McCarthy as Quality Director in Central Region
Bader, who began his construction career at McCarthy 24 years ago, will oversee quality initiatives on projects across 28 states.
Ryan Bader has joined McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.as Quality Director in the company’s 28-state Central Region.
In this position, he guides project teams in the development and implementation of effective quality programs to ensure McCarthy delivers exceptional work to clients throughout all project phases—from preconstruction to closeout. He also collaborates with other McCarthy regional quality directors to share best practices and lessons learned that can be applied to future projects.
“Ryan’s extensive construction knowledge, years of experience as an owner managing projects and commitment to continuous improvement make him an ideal person to lead our quality initiatives across the Central Region,” said Brian Boeglin, McCarthy Vice President and leader of the Central Region’s quality group.
Prior to joining McCarthy, Bader served as Executive Director of the Facilities Planning, Design and Construction team at Mercy. In this role, he supervised feasibility, planning, design, construction and closeout of more than 200 projects in Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas.
Bader began his construction career working for McCarthy as a laborer in 1996, and he spent the bulk of his early career working on McCarthy projects in St. Louis, Denver, Omaha and Oklahoma City. During his McCarthy tensure, he delivered a range of healthcare, education and mixed-use projects.
Bader earned a bachelor of science degree in engineering and construction management from Oklahoma State University. A LEED-accredited professional, he is active in the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Lean Construction Institute (LCI), Missouri Hospital Association and Oklahoma Hospital Association. He also serves on the advisory board for Oklahoma State University College of Engineering Technology and Construction Engineering.
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is the oldest privately held national construction company in the country – with more than 150 years spent collaborating with partners to solve complex building challenges on behalf of its clients. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com or by following the company on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Laura Haralson Joins Hastings+Chivetta
Laura Haralson joined Hastings+Chivetta Architects as an Executive Assistant. As such, she provides administrative support to Erik Kocher, the firm’s Design Principal, and collaborates with President and CEO Christopher Chivetta and Executive Assistant Debra Derleth to keep the firm running smoothly. Laura discovered her love for administrative and clerical work at age 14 as a hospital volunteer exploring a potential future in nursing. Outside of work, Laura loves all styles of dance and is a Zumba and yoga instructor. She completed her coursework at St. Louis Community College, Meramec.
May 8, 2020
The UP Companies Hires Mike Marshall as Estimator & Project Manager
The UP Companies (UPCO) proudly announces the hiring of Mike Marshall as Estimator and Project Manager for the Square UP Builders Drywall Division.
In his new position, Marshall will be pricing and running drywall and acoustical ceiling work for Square UP’s diverse customer base along with bringing new relationships to the firm. Mike also has a painting background and will add capacity to further service Square UP’s select painting accounts.
Prior to UPCO, Marshall was an Estimator and Project Manager at Sundermeyer Ltd. in Bridgeton, Missouri and at Vetter Construction in Arnold, Missouri. He has 25 years of industry experience.
“Mike has the core values, experience, and relationships needed to continue to expand our Drywall Division,” said Brian W. Arnold, Vice President of The UP Companies. “We are excited to have him on board managing some of our larger drywall projects. His skills and industry reputation are a real asset to our team and to our clients.”
The UP Companies (UPCO) is one of the region’s largest full-service contracting companies offering all-inclusive and convenient solutions for general contractors, owners and facilities management professionals. For more information, go to www.theupcompanies.com or call 314.865.3888.
KAI Announces Appointment of Tim McMinn, AIA as Design Principal
KAI Enterprises proudly announces that Tim McMinn, AIA has been named Design Principal. McMinn was previously Director of Architecture at KAI. The transition is recognition of McMinn’s passionate drive to create innovative and highly creative solutions for clients.
As Design Principal, McMinn is responsible for the overall creative direction, solution development and quality of architectural design at KAI supporting offices in Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth and St. Louis. In addition, he has a key leadership role in recruiting and developing talent, advancing the architecture practice, business growth, industry recognition and driving innovation.
Prior to KAI, McMinn owned a consulting practice for nine years in Belleville, Illinois named DesignSix; he was Director of Design for EWR Architects in Fairview Heights, Illinois; Sr. Project Manager for Roseman Associates in St. Louis; Vice President – Director of Design for Image Architects in Carbondale, Illinois and Vice President – Director of Design at FGM Architects in O’Fallon, Illinois.
McMinn’s designs have been recognized by the Illinois Capital Development Board, United States Department of Defense, American Institute of Architects – SI Chapter, Illinois Association of School Administrators and Illinois Association of School Boards.
McMinn has an Associates Degree in Architecture from ITT Technical Institute and continuing education in Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis; University of Wisconsin-Madison; American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. He has also studied Master Planning/Campus Planning at Harvard University Graduate School of Design.
He is a Certified Project Manager through the Illinois Capital Development Board and a Registered Architect licensed through the Wisconsin Department of Professional Regulation. He has volunteered for the past 26 years with the American Institute of Architects as a Charrette Architect for communities in distress, working with towns and cities faced with overwhelming environmental or socio-economic challenges.
McMinn is also a published author of two contemporary literary fiction novels, “Fall Darkly” and “Rise Darkly,” both published in 2018.
He and his wife Judi and their daughter Megan divide their time between residences in St. Louis and Dallas.
KAI Enterprises is a national design and build firm providing delivery-oriented building solutions with a diverse portfolio of experience, in-house multi-discipline professionals, and expertise in both design and construction delivery. Founded in 1980, KAI has grown into one of the largest minority-owned firms in the AEC industry. To learn more about KAI, visit www.kai-db.com.
Castle Contracting Promotes Austin Anway and Zach Kelly to Senior Project Engineer
Castle Contracting has promoted Austin Anway and Zach Kelly to senior project engineer. Both previously served as project engineer.
In their new roles, Anway and Kelly assume more responsibility in support of Castle projects, including daily tracking of field time and materials, subcontractor management and coordination, document control, change order control, production tracking, and punch list execution.
Anway joined Castle as project engineer in 2017. Prior to signing on, he worked in the engineering division of the City of St. Charles Department of Public Works. He is a licensed drone pilot and has been on site at the Tomahawk Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility project in Johnson County, Kan. Anway earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Missouri in Columbia. A veteran and former member of the United States Marine Corps Reserves, he served as a Platoon Sergeant and Reserve Administrative Chief. Anway currently resides in Overland Park, Kan.
Kelly joined Castle in 2014 as an intern. He is a licensed drone pilot and has spearheaded the use of drone footage to help quantify sitework production and inform scheduling on projects such as the Washington University East End Transformation of the Danforth Campus. He also contributed to Castle’s civil construction work on the Gateway Arch National Park, IKEA, City Foundry and many solar projects. Kelly earned a bachelor’s degree in construction management from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. He volunteers regularly with his alma mater, Chaminade High School, and he is on the Young Professionals Board for HomeFirst STL, a community organization that connects homeless people with affordable housing, community resources and volunteer advocates. He and his family live in Ballwin, Mo.
“Austin and Zach are two partners who just take the lead to do what needs to be done for the team and the client. They are focused on developing a full understanding of civil construction and applying technology to bring efficiencies to our projects,” said Michael Pranger, vice president of operations, Castle Contracting.
Castle Contracting, LLC provides turnkey site preparation services, site utilities, earthwork and trenchless technology directly to owners; general contractors; and mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection contractors. The company’s earthmoving expertise is visible throughout the St. Louis region and from coast to coast. Castle’s recent civil contracting projects in St. Louis include Gateway Arch National Park, the East End transformation of Washington University’s Danforth campus, Next NGA West, and Tomahawk Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility.