The latest People in the News highlighting new hires, promotions, honors & recognition of the men and women in the St. Louis building community.
Murphy Company Names Paige Theby as Engineer
Paige Theby has joined Murphy Company as an engineer. The announcement was made by Mike Werdes, vice president, engineering for the mechanical contractor.
A 2019 graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, Theby holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering. While at UMC, she was active in the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) student chapter where Theby and her fellow students competed in the final four of the Student Chapter Competition in Phoenix, Arizona, where their proposal was rated third in the nation among 28 student mock projects. She also was active in the UMC Society of Women Engineers student chapter, traveling to area middle schools twice a month to talk with students about math and science-related careers.
Prior to joining Murphy, Theby worked as a building engineering sales engineer intern in the St. Louis office of Johnson Controls International Earlier she worked as a demand planning intern for Novus International.
Brian Vaughan Promoted to Engineering Manager
Brian Vaughan has been promoted to engineering manager at Murphy Company. The announcement was made by Mike Werdes, vice-president, engineering for the mechanical contracting and engineering firm.
“Since joining Murphy Company after graduating from Mizzou in 2011, Brian has been a key contributor to our Design/Build offering, and he has demonstrated an exceptional ability to develop relationships with customers,” said Werdes. “His focus on quality designs and customer relationships has resulted in many successful projects. His experience will help us continue to win and successfully execute projects in the Industrial Group.”
Vaughan began his career as an engineering intern at Murphy, joining the company full-time as an engineer in July 2011. He was promoted to senior engineer in early 2019. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering (cum laude) from the University of Missouri-Columbia where he was a member of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society, and Pi Tau Sigma, the mechanical engineering honor society.
Vaughan is on the Board of Governors for the St. Louis chapter of ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) and is a member of the Young Professionals Committee of MCA-EMO (Mechanical Contractors Association of Eastern Missouri.)
Orvin T. Kimbrough Promoted to Chairman of Midwest BankCentre
Orvin T. Kimbrough, who joined Midwest BankCentre as CEO in January 2019, has been elected chairman by the Midwest BankCentre board of directors.
He succeeds James A. “Jim” Watson, who continues as vice chairman of the board of Midwest BankCentre and the bank’s holding company, Midwest BankCentre, Inc. Philip Stupp remains chairman of Midwest BankCentre, Inc. Midwest BankCentre is St. Louis’ second largest locally owned community bank.
Kimbrough, 45, became CEO of Midwest BankCentre in January 2019 after leading entrepreneurial, community-focused nonprofit organizations for nearly 20 years. As president and CEO of United Way of Greater St. Louis from 2013-2019, it grew into the nation’s largest affiliate, raising nearly $80 million annually.
His promotion sustains the bank’s long tradition of carefully planned leadership transitions since its founding in 1906. Watson recruited Kimbrough to the Midwest BankCentre board in 2015, and led efforts to attract Kimbrough as CEO of Midwest BankCentre. Kimbrough will continue to serve as bank CEO.
Watson has devoted half of his 40-plus years in banking to serving middle-market businesses, institutions and nonprofits at Midwest BankCentre. He also has been deeply involved in many social service agencies and arts organizations as a director and board chair.
Sarah Geske Promoted to Purchasing Administrative Assistant
Murphy Company has promoted Sarah Geske to purchasing administrative assistant. She originally joined Murphy in 2015 as office clerk. In her new role she is providing administrative support to the mechanical contractor’s purchasing team.
January 24, 2020
Staffing Changes at N.B. West Contracting
New Hire – Kristen Westbrook-Tatum
Kristen Westbrook-Tatum has been hired as N.B. West Contracting’s HR Director, bringing over a decade of HR experience to the team. Prior to joining West, she managed the Human Resources function in mid-size companies in the Digital Print Marketing and Sign Supply Industries. Currently, Kristen is partnering with West’s Leadership Team, serving all levels of employees. Her areas of expertise include HR start-ups, process improvement, and organizational development. Kristen is a proud member of the Society of Human Resources Management and holds a BA in Organizational Leadership from Maryville University St. Louis.
N.B. West Contracting Company has promoted Chris West to Vice President of the company. In his new role, he will assist in the management of daily operations for both construction and material supply. N.B. West Contracting has been an asphalt paving & concrete contractor, and asphalt supplier serving all of east central Missouri since 1956.
January 17, 2020
KAI Expands with Addition of Senior Project Manager, Controller and Senior Project Accountant
KAI has expanded with the addition of three new team members — Michelle Huber as Controller, Kevin Jacobsmeyer as Senior Project Manager and Tonya Valentine as Senior Project Accountant.
Michelle Huber, Controller
As Controller, Huber will oversee accounting functions, internal and external financial statement reporting, monthly close activities and cash flow forecasting, plus provide oversight of the professional services project accounting team.
Huber has 10 years of industry experience, having previously worked as a Controller at Kaskaskia Engineering Group in Belleville, Illinois and as a Senior Tax Accountant at Brown Smith Wallace in St. Louis. She has a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and an MBA from McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois.
Huber resides in O’Fallon, Illinois with her husband, two sons and a daughter who attends Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. In her spare time, she stays busy attending her son’s football, basketball and baseball games.
Kevin Jacobsmeyer, Senior Project Manager
As Senior Project Manager, Jacobsmeyer is responsible for overall project success, which includes managing owner relations and subcontractor and KAI personnel performance. His overall objective is to project profitability and customer satisfaction.
Jacobsmeyer has 31 years of industry experience, which includes prior positions as Project Director at JW Fuller Construction in Webster Groves, Missouri; Project Manager at Brinkmann Constructors in Chesterfield, Missouri; Project Manager at Korte Construction in Highland, Illinois and Estimator at Clayco Construction and C. Rallo Construction, both of St. Louis.
He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri – Rolla and resides in Columbia, Illinois with his wife. He has a son and three grandchildren. He is a member of the Columbia Illinois Lions Club and enjoys golfing in his spare time.
Tonya Valentine, Senior Project Accountant
As Senior Project Accountant, Valentine will provide construction accounting support for the KAI Build project management team. She has 25 years of industry experience, having previously worked as Lead Project Accountant/Accounting Manager Industrial Division for Fowler Management Services in Edwardsville, Illinois; Accounts Payable/Subcontractor Payment Coordinator at Holland Construction Services, Inc. in Swansea, Illinois; and Full Charge Bookkeeper at Gravois Planing Mill in St. Louis. She has an associate degree from Southwestern Illinois College.
Valentine lives in Highland, Illinois. She has two grown children – a daughter who teaches Pre-K in Hazelwood and a son who is a chef in New York City. She enjoys traveling and visiting wineries in her spare time.
Industry Leader Paul Hilton Officially Joins BurkHill Real Estate as Managing Principal
BurkHill Real Estate LLC, a St. Louis-based private real estate investment company, announced today that industry veteran Paul Hilton will take on the role of managing principal at the company he co-founded with Mark Burkhart, former CEO of Cassidy Turley, in 2016. Hilton will step down from his current executive director position at Cushman & Wakefield.
Hilton brings nearly 35 years of commercial real estate experience to his new company. For the last 26 years, he was a commercial real estate investment specialist with Turley Martin through its evolution to Cushman & Wakefield.
Both Hilton and Burkhart will continue to consult on corporate real estate portfolios as well as identify investment opportunities and establish short- and long-term strategies for the Fund. They will also oversee the property management and leasing teams to ensure the strategy is being implemented in accordance with their vision. The firm’s fund invests in retail, industrial, office, and multi-family real estate assets, with a minimal asset size of $1 million.
Hilton has consulted with many of the major real estate owners across the United States with regard to portfolio strategy, including acquisition, disposition, financing and valuation of their properties. His career transactions total over $8 billion.
N-STORE Services Promotes Five
Brent Ricci, Director of Operations – Brent joined the company in 2003 as a Project Coordinator. Through his dedication and performance, he has successively earned promotions to Project Manager, Project Manager – Team Lead, Operations Manager, and now Director of Operations. With his advancement, Brent now oversees and leads N-STORE’s Operations department in planning, estimating, and execution of our construction projects. N-STORE is proud of Brent’s achievements and thankful for his contributions to the company over the past 16+ years.
John Bracy, Senior Project Manager – N-STORE Services is pleased to announce the promotion of John Bracy to Senior Project Manager. In 2012, John began his career with N-STORE as a student intern, where his capabilities were quickly recognized and he was hired permanently as a Project Coordinator. John continued his development within Operations and was promoted to Project Manager a few years later. In this role, John excelled in new business estimation, project management, and training – all of which has allowed him to earn his most recent promotion.
Jeremiah Miller, IT Services Manager – Jeremiah Miller has been promoted to IT Services Manager for N-STORE Services. Jeremiah has been with the company for 13 years, where his specialized abilities in graphic design, web development, and system support have advanced him from previous positions of IT Help Desk to his latest role as Technology & Multimedia Specialist. Technology within the construction industry is ever-changing. Within his new role, Jeremiah will ensure N-STORE is at the forefront of industry trends and advancements in technology. N-STORE Services is proud of Jeremiah’s success and countless contributions in managing the delivery of our IT Services.
Mark Harris, Estimating Manager – N-STORE Services is excited to recognize Mark Harris for his promotion to Estimating Manager. Mark started with the company over 17 years ago. Providing leadership and supervision through his many career advancements, Mark has been successful in managing many types and sizes of work. Mark is responsible for delivering estimating for N-STORE’s new business onboarding, ensuring program success, and driving estimating improvements for our existing client-partners. N-STORE is honored to recognize Mark for his expertise and dedication with this career advancement.
Alison Smith, Accounts Payable Associate – N-STORE Services is excited to announce Alison Smith’s recent promotion to Accounts Payable Associate. Alison joined the N-STORE team one year ago as Accounting Assistant. She brings extensive value to our Accounting department and entire company with her strong organization skills and quick learning ability. In addition to her capabilities, Alison is highly valued for her positive attitude, work ethic, and for continually upholding the company’s core values. N-STORE is excited for Alison to continue her career development as she undertakes new responsibilities.