To submit items for "Names in the News," please send materials to Scott Judy, editor, Southeast Construction, 4901 Vineland Road, Suite 310, Orlando, FL 32811; FAX (407) 226-2207; or email scott_judy@mcgraw-hill.com.

David J. Moellering has been named director of business development at APAC Inc., Atlanta. He will be responsible for business development, marketing and sales. Moellering will be responsible for identifying and managing new business opportunities, increasing sales, pursuing new markets and marketing the capabilities of APAC's major projects group.

Moellering has more than 20 years of construction experience. He most recently worked for Koch Materials Co. of Wichita, Kan.

Mario Nuevo has joined Washington Group International's office in Deerfield Beach, Fla., as engineering, operations and management services area manager for Florida. Nuevo is a 20-year engineering and construction industry veteran, and most recently served as vice president and area manager for the Parsons Transportation Group's office in Miami.

Wayne Hannaka, a veteran project executive at Miller Construction Co., Fort Lauderdale, was promoted to director of healthcare construction for the company's healthcare group. He will lead the division, which provides construction services for renovations and expansions of operational hospitals.

A 24-year industry veteran, Hannaka has worked with Miller Construction's healthcare group for the past 12 years.

Susan Wise Byers has joined Heery International of Atlanta as manager of business development for the firm's program management group. Byers previously directed corporate real estate and facilities operations at Equifax, IMS Health (now Synavant) and SCT Utility Systems. She was most recently responsible for business development at Leapley Construction, a general contracting firm based in Atlanta.

Dave Touring has been promoted to vice president of The Stellar Group, a design-build firm headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla. Touring will direct the design and engineering for all projects within the firm's distribution division, including dry and low temperature distribution centers.

Johnny Johnson was promoted to vice president. Johnson is responsible for all field service operations and will manage all superintendents and field supervisory personnel for domestic and international construction projects.
Jack Fisher has been promoted to senior project manager for Stellar's power and utilities division.

Also, Debbie Correa has been promoted to assistant controller, Amy Haag has been promoted to human resources coordinator, and Shannon Parmenter has been promoted to accounting manager. Additionally, the information technologies division has promoted Scott Walker to network services manager.

Michael Wolf has joined Stellar as a project manager in the mechanical services division.

Jack Coale has rejoined The Haskell Co. of Jacksonville, Fla., as director of business development for Haskell's healthcare facilities division. He will be responsible for business and project development for medical facilities, including hospitals, ambulatory care centers, medical office buildings and surgical facilities.

Also, Don Feather was named division leader of aviation. In this role, he will be responsible for marketing, prospect acquisition, conversion of prospects to a project and delivery of the final product. Previously, Feather was a vice president in Haskell's industrial group.

Erik B. Wismar was promoted to vice president and managing principal of the Sarasota, Fla., office of TRO/The Ritchie Organization. The firm specializes in healthcare facility design.

Facchina-McGaughan LLC of Fort Lauderdale, formerly AMEC, recently announced the following staff additions: Chuck Rullan was hired as a project executive; Ana Barrett was hired as estimator; Randy Bookbinder was named senior project manager; Frank Dziewit was named safety superintendent; Luis Leon, assistant project manager; Evelyn Mercado, project accountant; Guido Morfesi, senior superintendent; Albert Nagy Jr. and Jack Vowels, superintendents; Jenny Rondon, project secretary; and Courtney Wilson, assistant superintendent.

Michael Beale, senior vice president of Highwoods Properties, Orlando, was recently elected president of The Central Florida Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, Orlando. Other 2005 officers include: president-elect - Dan Woodward of Trammell Crow Co., Orlando; vice president - Moses Salcido, Progress Energy, Orlando; treasurer - Bart Free, SouthTrust Bank, Orlando; secretary - Pam Carman, Business Architects of Innovation, Orlando; and immediate past-president, Ken Simback, Veranda Partners, Orlando.

Mark Herron and Scott McDonald have joined Southern Construction Group LLC of Jacksonville, Fla., as project managers. Herron's experience includes positions with Elkins Constructors, Hudson & Associates, Skyline Realty & Development and Siemens. McDonald's experience includes positions with NGK Ceramics USA, Shimizu America Corp. and Lockwood Greene.

Thomas C. Nelson was elected chairman of National Gypsum Co., Charlotte, N.C., succeeding C. D. Spangler, Jr., who will remain on the board as a director. Nelson will retain his position as president and CEO. National Gypsum is a leading supplier of wallboard, interior finishing products and cement board.

Ray Miller recently joined Christiano Construction Co. of Clearwater, Fla., as a project manager. Miller has more than 25 years of construction experience.

George Kalomeres, with 24 years of experience, was hired as a superintendent.

Randy Babb has joined the Tampa office of HNTB as a CADD Operator III in the office traffic department. He has seven years of traffic engineering experience.

Ellis & Associates of Jacksonville, Fla., announces several recent staff hires. William Vaughn was hired as a senior technician, while Phillip Johnson and Christopher Rivera were hired as technicians. Also, Veronica Dykes was hired in administration.

Ellis & Associates is a provider of integrated engineering services.

Robert A. Flood has been named project manager and designer for Schwab, Twitty & Hanser Architectural Group of West Palm Beach. Prior to joining STH, Flood had his own architectural practice for two years.

Eric Wagner has joined Encore Construction Co. of Winter Garden, Fla., as a project manager. He has five years of construction experience.

Also, John Kenny and Harold Grose have joined the firm as project superintendents. Kenny has 15 years of experience building and managing treatment plants. Grose has more than 30 years of experience constructing water and wastewater treatment plants

Bill Klima has joined Batson-Cook Co.'s Jacksonville, Fla., office as purchasing coordinator. He will oversee procurement of materials and services for Northeast Florida projects. Klima is an 18-year veteran of the construction industry.

He recently managed a construction supply division for a large design-build firm.

Robert Fletcher, a 10-year industry veteran, has joined Seretta Construction of Apopka, Fla., as a project manager. The company also hired Ricardo Garcia, a recent graduate of Louisiana State University, as a project manager. Also, Jose Molina, a recent graduate of the University of Carabobo, has joined the company's Charlotte, N.C., office as project manager.

Kimberly Ferro was appointed purchasing assistant in Seretta's Florida office.

Steven Farr has joined The ADP Group, a Sarasota, Fla.-based architecture, interior design and planning firm, as senior associate. He will specialize in hospitality design.

He has 21 years experience in hospitality design and construction.