MDC is pleased to announce the promotion of James Branda to Project Manager. James has been a fast-rising part of the MDC team since he joined the company as a Project Engineer upon completing his service with the Navy in 2018. As Project Manager, James will continue Millis’ commitment to deliver quality projects for our clients which create lasting impacts on the communities we serve.

Dunaway | BEC is pleased to announce the hiring of Reece Scott, PE as the newest addition to our Houston team. Reece joins Dunaway | BEC as a Senior Line of Business Manager and Associate Principal, bringing with him over fifteen years of experience as a professional civil and structural engineer. As a Senior Line of Business Manager, Reece utilizes his vast experience to deliver construction documents that are constructible, cost effective, and designed to stand the test of time.

Dunaway | BEC is pleased to announce Karl Breckon, PE is the newest addition to our Houston team. Karl joins Dunaway | BEC as a Senior Line of Business Manager, bringing over four decades of experience in industrial, civil, and structural engineering projects. As a Senior Line of Business Manager, Karl utilizes his specialized knowledge to provide a unique perspective on engineering design and application, in addition to the management of internal and external projects.

Lonny Stern has been named the Executive Director of Movability, Central Texas’ nonprofit transportation management association (TMA), after serving on the board of directors from 2019-23. An experienced nonprofit and transportation professional, Lonny is coming to Movability from the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP), which is designing and building Austin’s first light rail system. He previously worked at CapMetro, The STEM Council at Skillpoint Alliance, Empower Texans and Hope Street Group.

The Construction Industry Education Foundation (CIEF) is proud to announce the promotion of Brittany Albaugh to Director of National Youth Programs based out of their Dallas office. This pivotal role is responsible for growing CIEF’s workforce development programs nationwide through industry partnerships and high school student engagement. In the 2022-2023 academic year, CIEF worked with 7,500 students through hands-on events and training that introduced them to careers in the built environment.

John J. Smither joins the firm in the Houston office, where he will continue his commercial litigation practice with a particular emphasis on eminent domain and land use matters. He is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is AV Preeminent-rated by Martindale-Hubbell. John earned his J.D. from the South Texas College of Law Houston in 1993 and his B.A. in Political Science from Vanderbilt University in 1990.