Traci L. Sawyer-Sinkbeil, president of the Dysart Unified School District Governing Board in Surprise, Ariz., was appointed to the Arizona School Facilities Board. Sawyer-Sinkbeil served on the Dysart Strategic Planning Committee and the Employee Benefits Trust prior to her election to the Dysart Governing Board.
Bob Keane, AIA, was named managing principal for architectural, planning and design firm WDG Architecture. With 26 years of experience, Keane previously served as director of higher education for the company. A designer and speaker, he is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the Association of College and University Housing Officers.
Newly hired Steven R. Berlage is now the president and chief operating officer at Sachse Construction. With more than 30 years of experience, Berlage joined Turner Construction Company in 1982 and was most recently vice president and general manager of the firm’s Michigan and Toronto offices. He later officially joined the Michigan office, where he has since managed projects in various markets like the health care and higher education sectors.
The new member of Leo A Daly, Stephen C. Wright, AIA, has been named managing principal for the company’s Washington, D.C. office, where he will execute various types of projects and pursue new business opportunities in several markets including higher education. The former principal of Perkins Eastman’s Washington, D.C.
An architect with 19 years of experience in all phases of the design process, Lauren Dunn Rockart, AIA, LEED AP, has been promoted to principal at Lord Aeck & Sargent (LAS). A leader for the firm’s North Carolina office, Rockart specializes in management, design direction and decision-making for higher education projects, including residence halls, academic facilities and research laboratories.
The Montvale Board of Education appointed Dr. Darren A. Petersen as superintendent of the Montvale Public Schools. Currently,the principal and curriculum director of the Harding Township School District in New Jersey, Petersen began his career as a social studies teacher at Hackensack High School in 2000 and eventually became an assistant principal at Haledon School District eight years later.
Jennifer Toba-Davila, AIA, DArch, LEED AP, has been promoted to associate at Shimokawa + Nakamura. Having worked for the company since August 2009, Toba-Davila currently serves as the project architect for the University of Hawaii Cancer Center LEED program. A LEED-accredited professional, Toba-Davila is a graduate of the University of Hawaii School of Architecture Doctoral Program with a focus on urban sociology and planning.
Tom Fortier, AIA, LEED AP, BD+C, joins HOK’s San Francisco studio as vice president and director of science and technology. In his new role, Fortier will guide the group’s strategic initiatives while leading individual projects. Bringing 30 years of experience to the company, he has lead the design and delivery of several research facility projects.
Seminole State College of Florida President Dr. Ann E. McGee is the recipient of the 2013 James B. Greene Economic Development Award, given by the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission (EDC) in recognition of her contribution to the economic prosperity of Central Florida. McGee has served as Seminole State’s president since 1996. Under her leadership, the college has evolved from a single-campus community college to a four-campus state college.
Brook Louis Meier has joined the Milwaukee office of architecture and experience design firm Kahler Slater as a project leader in the firm’s higher education practice area. In his new role, Meier will be responsible for developing new business opportunities, managing project teams and leading design efforts on a variety of higher education projects across the country.
