On the Move

Chris Maciejewski has been named president and CEO of Oakland, Calif.-based DKS Associates. He succeeds Peter Coffey, who retired at the end of November after a decade in executive leadership. Maciejewski joined DKS in 2000 and formerly served as COO for the past eight years.

Watertown, Mass.-based VHB announcedthat COO Bill Ashworth has been named as the firm’s next president and CEO. Mike Carragher will remain president and CEO for the remainder of 2025. Ashworth will officially take on his role as president in January 2026, working towards his full transition into the president and CEO role in July 2026. Carragher will continue to serve as VHB chair for the next several years.

Middleton, Wis.-based Mead & Hunt has named COO Amy Squitieri the company’s new CEO. Squitieri has served on the board since 2007 and brings more than three decades of leadership experience to the role. Troy Pankratz, PE, has been named COO and president. He also serves on its board of directors and brings more than a decade of leadership experience to the firm. Outgoing CEO Andy Platz will remain with the company as board chair. Mead & Hunt also announced that Brian Till is the company’s new greenhouse gas reduction group leader, following the retirement of longtime leader Tom Bachman. Till will expand the group’s impact by advancing cutting-edge energy projects and mentoring the next generation of industry leaders.

Jacksonville, Fla.-based RS&H announced the following senior-level appointments: Lisa Robert, PE, has been named CEO. Robert, who joined the firm in 2010, formerly served as the company’s COO and brings 35 years of industry experience to her new role. As part of the transition, current CEO David Sweeney, PE, will become chair of RS&H’s board of directors, succeeding David Gaboury, PE, who will continue serving on the board. Christopher Roe joined RS&H as EVP and business development leader, bringing strategic growth expertise and leadership across the architecture, engineering, and consulting sectors. Kim Holland, PE, has joined the firm as EVP of corporate development. She most recently served as chief strategy officer and assistant secretary of strategic development at the Florida Department of Transportation. Holland’s experience also includes over 21 years previously at RS&H.

Former Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Texas Division Administrator, Achille “Al” Alonzi, has joined RS&H as a vice president and strategy market leader to strengthen the firm’s commitment to delivering enduring value in the transportation sector. His initiatives will focus on Texas while supporting growth efforts nationwide.

In addition, RS&H announced the promotion of Nate Laukka, PE, to vice president. Max Kiesling joined the firm as vice president and national discipline leader for aviation consulting services. The following employees were appointed to associate vice president at RS&H: Shawn Birst, PE, PTOE; Drew Chitwood, PE; Kurt Clemente, PE; Ed Colon, PE; Courtney Hance, PE; Jenny Noonkester, AICP; and Clayton Singleton, PE.

Chicago-based Benesch announced that Elizabeth Gallagher, PE, SE, has been named CEO-Elect. She will assume the role of president and CEO beginning in January 2027. Gallagher joined Benesch in 2014 and has served as the north regional manager since 2020, overseeing operations and business development throughout Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Karina Williams has joined New York City-based Thornton Tomasetti as CFO. Williams brings over a decade of financial leadership experience across diverse industries to this role. Prior to joining the firm, she was CFO for Veolia Water Technologies and Solutions’ North America region as well as for its global projects and mobile water services treatment business units.

Anna Lynn Smith, AICP, has returned to Omaha, Neb.-based HDR to lead the firm’s intercity and high-speed rail practice. Based in Philadelphia and with more than 30 years of experience shaping multimodal infrastructure strategies, Smith will oversee strategy, client engagement, and market position for intercity and high-speed rail across rail and transit markets in the United States and Canada. Smith most recently served as vice president of planning and strategy at Amtrak, where she directed the organization’s strategic planning across long-range, five-year, and annual initiatives, guiding service development, infrastructure planning, and sustainability goals.

Boston-based LiRo-Hill announced the following leadership appointments: Christopher Simmler, PE, joined the firm as a senior vice president and brings 28 years experience delivering complex projects; Charles “Mickey” Rooney, PE, was named a vice president at the firm and previously held senior roles at Jacobs and spent over two decades with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA); Todd Columbus, PE, will help grow the firm’s MEP services and support integrated infrastructure solutions across the region; and David Choi brings 26 years of architectural and design leadership in advanced facilities, infrastructure, and federal projects to his role; Jessica Randolph was named a vice president who will oversee architectural operations across the New England region and brings more than 25 years of experience to the position; and Heather Ivester, PE, was named a vice president and will oversee transportation and infrastructure operations in the region. She has more than 30 years of leadership experience in transportation infrastructure, transit, and rail projects across New England. She has directed large-scale programs exceeding $2 billion and led multidisciplinary teams for clients including the MBTA, MassDOT, Amtrak, and CTDOT.