Class Acts

Former students touch base
with College of Architecture

Previous issue:  Class Acts WINTER 2005
Next issue:  Class Acts FALL 2006

   

 

CLASS OF 1952

Alexander Brailas BARCH ’52 retired in 1999 from his job as executive director for planning and development in the Harris County Hospital District. He keeps in touch with Caudill, Rowlett & Scott (CRS) former employees at luncheons held every first Monday of the month.

CLASS OF 1958

Retiring from private practice in 2000, Velpeau E. Hawes BARCH ’58 joined the Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas as the project representative for design and construction. The center opened in 2003 and Hawes is now an owner’s representative with continued design and construction responsibilities.

CLASS OF 1966

Robert M. Eronimous BARCH ’66 and MUP ’67 has retired and moved to North Carolina to “escape New York State’s taxes and cold winters.” Although he may do some part time work in construction or architecture, he admits work may be “a thing of the past.” In his new home, Eronimous has completed the set-up of his dream shop, complete with separate benches for woodworking and stained glass, as well as a models boat and mechanics bench to work on the antique automobiles.

Raul Flores Jr. ARCO ’66 and his wife Consuelo recently moved to Houston to be closer to both of their daughters who are already living and working in the area. Retiring from the City of Laredo Planning Department, Flores is updating his resume to begin work in the Houston area.

CLASS OF 1969

After 32 years of professional experience across Texas, Leon A. Willhite BARCH ’69 and MUP ’71 has retired. He spent 18 years working in the Governor’s Planning Office, two years as executive director of the State Property Tax Board and 12 years as executive director of the Heart of Texas Council of Governments. He and his wife of 36 years have returned to their hometown of Palestine, Texas to renovate their lake house. Both their daughter, Melissa, and son, Lee, are married and starting their own families.

CLASS OF 1970


Paul Parker MUP ’70 has been the city manager for the City of Lufkin, Texas since June 2004.

CLASS OF 1972

A retired Lt. Col., Al J. Fiertner BED ’72 is remaining active with the U.S. Air Force after spending 23 years at Air Force Civil Engineering in Washington DC. Fiertner is currently managing the Unaccompanied Housing Program at the Air Education and Training Command headquarters at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio. While enjoying his single life, Fiertner is expecting his second grandson in October 2004.

John A. Oualline BED ’72 and MSBC ’74 started the Alegria Group LLC in April 2004. The firm focuses on design-build historic home restoration and renovation projects in Santa Fe, N.M. He began work in Santa Fe this past September, developing a master facilities condition database for all New Mexico schools.

David H. Ready BED ’72 and URDE ’75 is partner and director of planning and development at ZRJ Partners, LLC in Curtis Bay, Md.. In addition, he is a real estate broker and owner of David H. Ready Real Estate. He was recently married to Billie Jean Gibson.

CLASS OF 1973

William E. Carlson BSLA ’73 became the regional architect for Region 3 (in Arizona and New Mexico) for the U.S. Forest Service, in 2002. His work includes the planning and design of all Forest Service facilities in the region. Prior to his work with the Forest Service, Carlson was a landscape architect at the Tonto, Lincoln and Jefferson National Forests. Following graduation, he was landscape architect and architectural designer for firms in private practice for 18 years.

CLASS OF 1977

After spending some time in the construction world, John M. Hand Jr. BED ’77 and MARCH ’80 is getting back into architecture. Presently a project architect at VITETTA in San Antonio, Texas, Hand hopes to incorporate his construction and architectural experiences towards fulfilling a teaching position.

Juan P. Lugo BED ’77 is spreading constructive technological and environmental progress, along with a little wealth, throughout the world. He is designing better dwellings with ancient construction methods and high tech adjustments.

CLASS OF 1979

In August of this year, Greg Hughes BED ’79 and MARCH ’81 joined Perkins and Will as a principal and Houston Healthcare Market Segment Leader. Hughes joined the practice in order to play a lead role in expanding the world’s 7th largest architectural firm’s presence in the Houston health-care market.

Before joining the firm, Hughes spent 18 years with the Houston office of PageSoutherlandPage, where he served as vice president and director of the Healthcare Projects Group. He was previously responsible for the planning and design of more than 100 hospitals in the U.S. and abroad as chief architect and senior director of architectural services for Charter Medical Corporation (now Magellan Health Services).

In the Houston area, Hughes has mostly recently been associated with planning and designs for the University of Texas – M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, The Methodist Hospital and the Texas Children’s Hospital.

From Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, Calif. to the Yale University Psychiatric Center in New Haven, Conn., Hughes has been responsible for design, renovation, expansion and planning for a number of healthcare facilities coast to coast. His major international projects include the Charter Nightingale Hospital in London and Salmaniya Medical Center in Salmaniya, Bahrain.

Before graduating cum laude from the college, Hughes was awarded the American Institute of Architects School Medal for highest academic achievement. Since graduation, Hughes has become a founding member of the American College of Healthcare Architects, a past chairman of the Houston Chapter of the Academy of Architecture for Health, and a member of AIA, the Texas Society of Architects, the American Hospital Association and the Texas Hospital Association.

CLASS OF 1980


Chris Humphries BDCR ’80 is currently working for the Louis Berger Group, Inc. rebuilding the Kabul to Kahndahar Highway in Afghanistan. Once the project is completed, the group will be moving west to rebuild the Heart-Kahndahar road.

Chris and his brother, Mark CE ’74, are each responsible for 85 kilometers of highway. They have been working with a portion of the total package Louis Berger was awarded through USAID to rebuilding Afghanistan. They have worked with contractors from Japan, Turkey and India.

In addition to highways, the company is involved in building schools, clinics, and dams for irrigation, as well as supplying power to rural towns and villages. The work has been quite different than what Humphries is accustomed to. Everyday he wears Kevlar, protective apparel, and he is surrounded by armed security guards on the road.

Humphries and his brother are the only two that held Aggie Muster in Afghanistan, this year, in the Section F camp near the village of Jahldak.

CLASS OF 1982

Don Baumann BSBC ’82 is enjoying the Rocky Mountains in Colorado with his wife and two teenagers. He is vice president for Apartment Investment and Management Co. in Denver.

Tim J. Dunnahoo BED ’82 is working at The Innova Group in Georgetown, Texas. He is primarily involved in master planning health-care resource requirements for Native American reservation populations through Indian Health Services. He is also involved in similar studies for the Department of Defense for Army and Navy health-care facilities.

CLASS OF 1984

Michael P. Emmons COSC ’84 is employed by SpawGlass Construction Corporation, the company which received a 2004 Best Place to Work Award (101-500 employees) from the Houston Business Journal. Emmons received a promotion to senior vice president and regional manager in May 2003. In 2004, the company projects approximately $127 million in revenues, up $11 million from the previous year. Emmons reports that SpawGlass continues to hire new talent from the College of Architecture and is planning to hire five December 2004 graduates.

Jim Vandenberg BED ’84 and MARCH ’85, is busy managing construction (PDF) of a new $1 million, 30,000 square foot hospital in Ar Rutbah, Iraq. He said it has been a difficult environment to work in, with contractors being threatened and even killed for working with the coalition to rebuild hospitals and schools.

CLASS OF 1985

After working seven years at the U.S. Pacific Command at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Guy C. Hood MSLD ’85 was transferred to U.S. Special Operations Command at Macdill Air Force Base. Hood recently received the Defense Meritorious Service Medal for his outstanding contributions in the global war on terror. He is currently building a 4/4 custom home on Tampa Bay, Fl. using initial designs he learned from BC 101 courses at Texas A&M.

Jeff Hunt BDCR ’85 is getting back to what he loves doing. After taking a 13-year break from the industry, he formed Heritage Construction Services in 2003. The company specializes in residential remodeling, new construction and light commercial. Hunt also serves on the board of directors and education committee for the Greater Houston Builders Association - Remodelers Council.

Chris J. Kindell BDCR ’85 is settling back into Texas life after returning from a recent trip to Saudi Arabia. Kindell is program/project manager for Bechtel/BWTX Pantex in Amarillo.

CLASS OF 1986

Certified Health-Care Facility Manager, James Carter, BED ’86, is the director of engineering service for the West Texas VA Health Care System. He is currently working towards a master of science in engineering management through Drexel University of Philadelphia, Penn.

Scott Sandlin BED ’86 has recently returned to Texas after spending 12 years in Anchorage, Ala. with Livingston Slone Inc. Sandlin’s experience in the design and construction of biomedical laboratories and health-care facilities has been beneficial to the Science & Technology studio of Perkins & Will, Houston where he serves as project manager and team leader.

Perkins and Will’s Houston office was formed in January 2004 by the acquisition of Houston-based B2HK Architecture, specialists in the design of complex research facilities.

Sandlin is currently lending his expertise to the team designing the new National Biocontainment Laboratory, to be built on the Galveston campus of the University of Texas Medical Branch. The project is part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ biodefense research program, and is one of only two such labs in the country. Sandlin is the immediate past president of AIA Alaska and one of four recipients of the 2002 AIA National Young Architects Award. He is also a LEED Accredited Professional and a CSI-Certified Construction Specifier and Construction Contract Administrator.

Steven Solka BDCR ’86 is the deputy director-construction on the DMJM Management Team for Dallas Independent School District 2002 Bond Program — one of the Aguirre companies program management teams. Solka manages architects, engineers, contractors and other consultants for approximately 75 school campuses.

James C. Swetlick BED ’86, the director of interior design at a large architectural and engineering firm in Baltimore, Md., is currently studying for NCIDQ examination. During his last 5 years of life in Baltimore, Swetlick has worked for GHK, Inc. His adopted son, Sean, is now 3 years old.

CLASS OF 1987

Brian D. Rosamond BDCR ’87 joined Raymond Construction Company, Inc. as the chief estimator in July. He oversees the estimators in Dallas and Austin and said there may soon be an office opening in Houston as well. Rosamond was recently elected to the American Institute of Constructors Board of Directors.

CLASS OF 1988

Tim M. Stevens BED ’88 is principal in the San Francisco office of Sasaki Associates. For the past 10 years he has practiced with the firm as a project designer.

CLASS OF 1989

Floyd Lambert BDCR ’89, project manager at Hardin Construction Company recently relocated to Tampa, Fla. from Dallas. He was married in June of this year in Florence, Italy.

CLASS OF 1990

Michael E. Fox BED ’90 recently joined the Irvine, Calif. office of the preeminent international law firm Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold, LLP, which employs over 400 attorneys in the United States and Europe. Fox’s practice focuses on construction, architecture and engineering, and surety law.

Estimating structural steel for over 13 years, Tracie Hasty BED ’90, is project manager and estimator for Hirschfeld Steel, Inc. in San Angelo, Texas. She has adopted a son who is now 5 years old and already talking about becoming an Aggie.

CLASS OF 1991

Jennifer Appel BSLA ’91 is the owner of Landscape & Design, Inc., one of the top ten landscape architecture firms in Houston, according to the “Houston Business Journal.” A registered landscape architect and licensed irrigator, Appel has designed, installed and maintained a 10,500 sq. ft. green roof for the Humble Oil Marriot in Houston. The all-organic green roof utilizes two minutes of water a day supporting 13 trees, over 5,000 flowering plants and the chef’s herbs.

Appel also owns Pet Friendly Fertilizer, which designs custom organic fertilizers to reduce water requirements for high profile landscapes. She is a consultant for residential and commercial applications, especially those designed to require little or no maintenance. Appel is particularly interested in native plant green roofs for storm water management.

Christopher J. Kocmoud MSVIS ’91, visualization specialist at Texas Engineering Experiment Station, Texas Center for Applied Technology at Texas A&M University, celebrated the birth of his eighth child in June.

CLASS OF 1992

Andrew P. Mengwasser BLA ’92 was promoted to principal at TBG Partners and is transferring to Houston from the Dallas office.

Joanna J. Myers BDCR ’92 is a project engineer at Hunt Construction in Dallas. She has done work for seven hospitals and served as MEP coordinator and project engineer for two.

Stacy D. Thomas-Carroll BED ’92 and MARCH ’94, the senior facilities planner for Intel Corporation in Chandler, Ariz., is currently working on assignment in Penang, Malaysia. She is married to Michael Carroll, a former MENG major and fellow employee at Intel, and they have two children, Katelynn, 3, and Thomas, 1.5.

CLASS OF 1993

Shawn Evans BED ’93 is an associate at Atkin Olshin Lawson-Bell Architects of Philadelphia. He leads the firm’s historic preservation and museum environment projects. In addition, he received the 2004 Young Architect Award by AIA Philadelphia.

CLASS OF 1994

Patrick B. Hart BLA ’95 and his wife Betty ’94 welcomed their second daughter into the world in May 2004. Hart is an associate at Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc. in Raleigh, N.C.

CLASS OF 1996

After 13 years in College Station, David L. Byers BED ’96 is now representing the Aggie Spirit in Austin, Texas. Byers works in information technology for the State Preservation Board.

Ann Dilcher MARCH ’96 recently transferred from Quinn Evans Architects in Washington, D.C. to its office in Ann Arbor, Mich. Dilcher is excited about returning to the Midwest with her husband, Joe, son Liam, and twins, Mark and Simon.

Dana K. Hudson BED ’96 and MARCH ’99 is working for Holster & Associates Architecture. She and her husband are expecting their second child due in April.

CLASS OF 1997

An analyst for Wells Fargo - Energy Group in Houston, Texas, James A. Davis BDCR ’97, received his MBA in finance from Southern Methodist University and earned a spot on the Dallas Business Journal B-School All Stars List.

Following graduation, Kevin Schaefer BED ’97 gained a few years of experience at an architectural firm and then went on to become a project manager for a structural steel fabrication and erection company. He is now a senior project manager for Safety Steel Service, Inc. in Victoria, Texas. Schaefer and his wife are experiencing the joys of having a son who was born in fall of 2003.

CLASS OF 1998

Jennifer L. Averitt BED ’98 started work as a project assistant at White-Spunner Construction, Inc., a large general contractor in Mobile, Ala. that focuses on big-box commercial construction. She and her husband, Brian, plan to remain in the area for the next four years while he completes his education to become a meteorologist at the University of South Alabama. They live with her brother, also a student at USA, and they are enjoying the beauty, history and nice beaches of the area.

CLASS OF 1999

Brice A. Haynes BDCR ’99 has recently been promoted to senior estimator at the Dallas-Fort Worth Division of Centex Homes. The company includes all levels of housing in single and multi-family capacities throughout the area. Haynes lives in North Dallas with his two dogs and two cats.

Jenny L. Martin-Sartain BED ’99 is currently taking the Architect Registration Examination, hoping to finish all sections in the near future. She married Steve Sartain ’99 and they are staying very busy with their baby boy, Blake Andrew.

CLASS OF 2000

Jonathan C. Acosta BED ’00 became a licensed certified general contractor in Florida in 2002 and founded Pioneer Construction Services Inc. with a business partner a year later. Acosta’s company, which specializes in commercial tenant improvements and custom home building around Orlando, Fla., was recently featured on the cover of Builder/Architect Magazine.

For the past two years, Jay Caddell BED ’00 and MARCH ’02 has been working at HKS, Inc in Dallas. Caddell, an intern and job captain, works primarily within the Education Studio on K-12 and higher education projects. Caddell has worked for such clients as the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio and the Grand Prairie, Birdville, and Desoto independent school districts.

CLASS OF 2001

Ryan C. Horne BED ’01, a project manager at Gerding Architects, recently moved to Atlanta, Ga. where his wife will be attending Emory Law School.

CLASS OF 2003


Rachel A. Anderson BED ’03 was expecting a baby boy, Hunter, to arrive last October.

Following graduation, Christy R. Corbett-Koether MARCH ’03 took a part-time job with a residential designer in Lake Jackson, Texas, where her husband already had a job waiting with Chevron Phillips. In May 2004 the couple moved to Dallas where both found better job opportunities. Corbett-Koether works as an architectural intern at Heights Venture Architects and her husband is a HVAC mechanical engineer for Lockwood Greene. She hopes to eventually get back into health-care design and is currently seeking volunteer opportunities at local hospitals. Corbett-Koether and her husband are planning to start a family soon.

Jennifer Grantham BED ’03 is an intern architect at Fitzpatrick Butler Architects Inc., a medium-sized full service firm in Tyler, Texas. Grantham reports that she is still adjusting to the normal sleeping patterns of the corporate world. Working at a smaller company, she says, is helping her to gain knowledge and preparation for the future at a faster rate than working at an enormous firm. For the past 10 months, Grantham has been working two additional jobs, living up, she said, to her reputation for being overcommitted and overextended. She works the door at a local restaurant and club and freelances as a graphic designer. Excited about her future, she leaves a piece of advice for the fellow 2003 architecture graduates: “if you are not happy where you are move, and figure out what you love.” For those still surviving in the Langford trenches, Grantham says, “keep up the hard work and learn more about your personality.”

Gex I. (Joe) Vaughn BSLA ’03 has recently returned from Perfect Lawns in Austin to accept a new design position created for him at Bryan’s The Greenery.

Ho Joon Yang MSCOMG ’03 was transferred to the southeastern regional office of C Construction Co., Inc. in Jacksonville, N.C. He is the scheduler and assistant project manager of the Mainside Primary and Intermediate Schools Project at Camp Lejune, NC.

- The End -

January 11, 2005


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