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.

Michael J. Choutka has been appointed vice president and Southeast district manager for Hensel Phelps Construction in Orlando. A graduate of the University of Nebraska, Choutka began his career with Hensel Phelps in 1991 and rose through the ranks to become an operations manager in 2001 before his most recent appointment.

William M. Bower and Robert Macklin have been promoted and accepted opportunities to become part of the ownership of Southeast Mechanical Contractors of Hollywood, Fla. Bower was promoted to vice president - preconstruction, and will serve as the company's secretary on its board of directors.

Macklin was promoted to vice president - field operations and also will serve on the company's board of directors.

Daniel Colon recently joined Murton Roofing Corp. of Miami as project manager. Colon has six years of project management experience, and previously worked for a general contractor and another roofing company.

John A. Hayes was recently appointed chief operating officer for Gates McVey, a Naples, Fla.-based builder and developer of commercial, professional, medical, hospitality and residential projects.

Hayes will oversee construction and development for all current and new Gates McVey projects. He has almost 30 years development and construction experience. He previously served as a past director of the Collier Building Industry Association.

The firm also named Timothy J. Reidy as vice president of development. Reidy has 25 years of real estate development and construction management experience. He most recently served as assistant vice president of development for Classic Residence by Hyatt.

Ben Garrett was named president of RA-LIN, a commercial contractor based in Carrollton, Ga. Garrett began working for RA-LIN when he was 15 years old and continued to work for the company through high school and college. Once he completed his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Auburn University in 1991, he was hired as a project manager. In 1997, he was promoted to vice president.

Also, Bernie Buchanan was named vice president of preconstruction services and Mike Waters was promoted to vice president of construction services.

Paul Christian has joined Tri-City Electrical Contractors of Altamonte Springs, Fla., as project manager for its Central Florida residential and multifamily division. Christian has six years of experience in the electrical contracting and service field. Also, Scott Faber and Joe Parlow were named project engineers in Tri-City's Tampa office.

Diana Estrada has joined MACTEC Engineering & Consulting in Kennesaw, Ga., as senior geographic information systems specialist. She has more than 14 years of experience in applying GIS technology to various engineering, planning and data management projects.

Also, Ted Parks has joined the company as a geographic information systems specialist.

Dan Morris has joined developer Opus South Corp. in Tampa as director of real estate. He is responsible for the identification, acquisition and development of retail and mixed-use opportunities throughout Florida, as well as general supervision of certain active Opus South projects. Morris previously was vice president for The Hogan Group in Tampa.

Robert Camp has joined CH2M HILL Lockwood Greene in Spartanburg, S.C., as senior consultant, industrial services. In this role he teaches and deploys methodologies for offices and factories. Camp assists clients in identifying and implementing techniques to run their facilities in a more efficient and cost effective manner.

Also, William Hearn has joined the company's Atlanta office as director, site selection and economic development. He has more than 14 years of experience in the field.

Craig Deal will serve as the department leader for HNTB Corp.'s new Natural Systems service department in Raleigh, N.C. In this new role, Deal will serve as engineer in charge for all projects related to or including wetland mitigation, endangered species, stream restoration and water quality. He will also develop this new service area throughout the Southeast United States.

For the past eight years, Deal has served as the liaison for transportation between the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

In Atlanta, HNTB announced the addition of Ikroop Kaur as a transportation planner.

Jonathan House has joined Orlando-based Hughes Supply as vice president of supply chain management. He most recently served as vice president, distribution and logistics at Standard Register.

Walter P. Moore recently announced the promotion of six employees in the firm's Florida offices. In Orlando, Sailaja Alath, John Bailes and Jose Vargas were promoted to senior associates. Also, David Impson was named associate.

In its Tampa office, Jennifer Salgado was promoted to senior associate and Luke Reilman was named associate.

Dean Rietmann has joined The ADP Group, an architecture firm in Sarasota, Fla., as an associate. Rietmann has experience designing and developing retail, commercial, industrial and public buildings as well as religious facilities and historic renovations.

Brian Hickey will serve as the assistant office manager of Jones Edmunds' headquarters office in Gainesville, Fla. He has more than 22 years of engineering experience. Prior to joining Jones Edmunds, Brian was with CDM in Manchester, N.H., for 21 years.

Brian Martin also joined the firm's water/wastewater group as project manager. He has more than 14 years experience in the construction industry.

Allison Korman has joined the commercial division of The Stellar Group in Jacksonville, Fla. Her role will be to further the firm's efforts toward maintaining good community relations. She will develop and participate in local and national charitable events on Stellar's behalf.

Korman has experience within Florida's state and local governments and previously worked for the president of the Florida Senate, coordinating policy issues between the senate president's office and all members of the Florida Senate and the House of Representatives. She has also held positions with the Commissioner of Education, the Florida Medical Association and other state offices.

John Ufland was promoted to project manager at Orlando-based Mechanical Services Inc. He formerly served in the company's estimating department.

Richard Tulle is now the sales representative for North Carolina and South Carolina for Metal-Era Inc., a manufacturer of metal edge roofing systems. He is based in Hendersonville, N.C.

John Stevenson has joined Edwards Construction Services in Orlando as director of business development and Chris Cromwell has been named group manager

Ian Sawers has been appointed operations manager at Oviedo, Fla.-based Superior Fence & Rail, a distributor, fabricator and installer of high-end fence products.

Charles Lamar has joined the Woodstock, Ga., office of Faith Technologies as estimator. Headquartered in Appleton, Wis., Faith Technologies is an electrical and specialty systems contractor.

Jane Babich has been promoted to project management supervisor for the power generation group of Cummins South in Atlanta. Cummins South delivers Cummins engine and Cummins Power Generation products and service support throughout Georgia and southeast Tennessee.

Daniel J. Dunham of Nodarse & Associates in Orlando has been named chair of the Construction Materials Engineering Council, a not-for-profit organization whose goal is to improve the quality of production, inspection and testing of construction materials

Nabil Hmeidi has joined Ellis & Associates in Jacksonville, Fla., as senior engineer. He has more than 19 years of geotechnical engineering and construction materials testing experience.

Also, the firm recently hired David Feely and Vern Wickline Jr. as technicians in its Jacksonville office, and named Shaun Gruber to the same position in Titusville. Also, Alfie Crow and Greg Zak joined the administration department, while Joann Fox was added in dispatch.

Pamela G. Miller has joined Carter & Burgess as project manager in the firm's Orlando public works unit. She has 11 years of industry experience.

Also, Vicki Scarpate joined the firm as a project engineer in the Orlando public works unit. Scarpate has six years of experience in the analysis and design of storm drainage systems, water and wastewater distribution systems, and storm water master planning.

Nicholas J. Peragine has been named the director of operations in Port St. Lucie, Fla., for PanaSteel LLC. Headquartered in Savannah, Ga., PanaSteel is a manufacturer of pre-engineered, panelized light gauge steel for framing.