May 2024 Vol. 79 No. 5
Business
Business People
Tsurumi Pump
Tsurumi Pump welcomed John Hartz as the company’s new sales engineer. With over 35 years of experience in the water and wastewater industry, he will help the sales team enhance the customer experience, by facilitating the understanding of technical product features and developing tailored solutions to successfully meet project requirements.
Before joining Tsurumi, Hartz spent several years as a licensed plant operator, working with municipal water and wastewater treatment, distribution and collection systems. He also served as a consultant and equipment supplier to the municipal market, giving him the ability to recognize and understand complex problems that municipal customers face.
He holds a Bachelor’s in Earth Science with a concentration in Hydrogeology from the State University of New York, along with a Grade IA Water Treatment Plant Operators certificate from the New York State Department of Health.
Woolpert
Woolpert hired Kristi Norman as market director to support utility and broadband clients, programs, and sales activities.
She brings 27 years of client support and business development experience within the utilities and telecommunications industries.
As market director, Norman is responsible for forging strategic partnerships and capitalizing on new opportunities within the utilities and broadband space. She explores new avenues for expansion and helps clients discover how they can benefit from Woolpert’s lidar data products and geospatial services.
Before joining Woolpert, Norman worked for 15 years with Power Engineers supporting its utility solutions group. She helped deliver high-impact, integrated solutions to clients within the energy and telecommunications industries.
“Kristi has a deep understanding of the challenges of energy and telecommunication utilities and how geospatial technologies can be used to overcome them,” said Joseph Seppi, senior vice president of Woolpert. “She has successfully led teams of sellers and seller-doers over her impressive career, and we are looking forward to having Kristi’s business acumen as a resource for both our team and clients.”
Yanmar
Three service professionals have been selected as winners of the Yanmar Service Awards, in recognition of their exceptional contributions to the company and its customers.
Larry Azdell, warranty analyst, Yanmar America, exhibits remarkable dedication to customer satisfaction within Yanmar America’s After-sales Support Division. With a focus on timely responses and attentive listening, he effectively addresses challenges, fostering strong dealer relationships.
Roger Wilson, parts sales specialist, Yanmar America, consistently delivers top-notch customer service, actively listening to customer needs, meticulously documenting information for follow-up, and ensuring satisfaction by offering further assistance.
Stacy Blubaugh, service technician, is the first to receive this award outside Yanmar America.
It recognizes his expertise in accurately diagnosing and swiftly repairing Yanmar equipment, coupled with meticulous attention to detail to ensure all components function safely.
SGH
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) welcomed two senior leaders to its Engineering Mechanics & Infrastructure (EMI) group, bolstering its advanced analytical capabilities in energy development and water and transportation infrastructure.
Payman K. Tehrani, Ph.D., P.E., joined as a principal and vice president with the Structural Mechanics & Materials (SMM) Division, partnering closely with team members across the United States while operating out of San Jose, CA.
He leads advanced analyses of complex infrastructure for clients in the transportation, water, nuclear, and oil and gas industries. He specializes in assessing geotechnical and structural systems under seismic, blast, impact, and construction sequencing demands.
These efforts include developing effective strategies for soil-structure interaction (SSI), fluid-structure interaction (FSI), and structure-soil-structure interaction (SSSI) analyses, as well as assessing highway and railroad structural components under impact loading from vehicular and railcar traffic and blasts.
“He brings immense technical insights to develop programs that reduce design and construction cost, schedule, and risk for our clients and their end users,” said Robert MacNeill, SGH associate principal and leader of the SMM Division.
He enjoys sharing his expertise across the industry, both as a member of the ASCE committee on Dynamic Analysis of Nuclear Structures (DANS) and as an author and peer reviewer for several technical publications.
Ikpoto (Ike) Udoh, Ph.D., is project director and vice president with the firm’s Water & Industrial Infrastructure (WII) Division, based out of Houston and partnering closely with structural engineering colleagues there. He specializes in developing and executing offshore energy projects, with particular expertise in renewable energy technology spanning the civil, coastal, and offshore engineering disciplines. He focuses on developing new technologies and delivering innovative solutions for clients.
“Ike has a knack for recognizing technology gaps in the energy market and developing technical solutions to meet those needs,” said Peter Nardini, SGH associate principal and WII Division leader. “He brings technical leadership to our group and a passion for managing high-performing project teams.”
Ike served as chair of the Offshore Symposium of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, Texas Section, from 2021 through 2023, and has been a member and co-chair of the Loads and Global Performance team of the Floating Wind Systems Offshore Compliance Recommended Practice (OCRP) working group of the American Wind Energy Association and American National Standards Institute.
Comments