Darren Welborn, president and CEO of WRG Design Inc., Portland, was named "CEO of the Year" by PSMJ Resources, Inc. Welborn was one of hundreds nominated for this distinguished award among the country's top engineering and architecture firms. PSMJ gives the award in order to identify and provide recognition for outstanding leadership and achievement by a CEO in the (A/E/C) industry. Awards were made to one CEO in three categories (small firm: less than 50 employees; medium firm: 51-150 employees; large firm: over 151 employees) as well as one Grand Award for overall "Outstanding CEO of the Year".

HDR's YuJung Chang and Charlie Hales have been named "2004 Trendsetters" by Public Works magazine. The 2004 Trendsetters list recognizes top leaders in the public works community, including those who have defined policy, brought their community or an issue into the spotlight, or set a standard within the industry. Chang is HDR's national director of advanced water treatment and works out of HDR's Bellevue, Wash., office. He was recognized for his contributions to the water treatment industry. Hales, a transit-planning principal based in HDR's Portland, Ore., office, was honored for his work in mass transit.

Shane Cline, P.E., recently joined HDR as a senior project manager at the company's Portland location. Cline's experience includes master planning and preliminary design, with a particular focus on stormwater planning and alternatives analysis. His project experience includes flood studies, stormwater system design, and scour studies. He has performed this work for roadway improvement projects, bridge projects, and culvert improvement/rehabilitation projects.

Kenneth M. Wightman, P.E., P.L.S., will become chief executive officer (CEO) of David Evans and Associates, Inc. (DEA). As the second CEO in DEA's history, Wightman follows in the footsteps of founder Dave Evans. Wightman joined DEA in 1984 to lead the firm's survey discipline. In 1989, he was promoted to manage DEA's flagship office in Portland, Ore., leading the office from $8.9 million in fees to $17.8 million in fees seven years later. With more than 35 years of professional engineering and surveying experience, Wightman is a registered professional engineer and land surveyor and continues to serve as principal-in-charge for many of DEA's clients. He has a master's degree in business administration from the University of Oregon and a bachelor's degree in forest engineering from Oregon State University (OSU).

Veca Electric announced that Brian Westerlund has been promoted to
president for the company's electric and communications divisions. Thomas Fairbanks, owner of Veca, will remain active within the company as chairman and CEO. Fairbanks added that the promotion comes at a crucial time in the company's ongoing development. To that end, Westerlund said Veca will continue its specialized work in design/build construction, hospital renovation and tenant-improvement projects. The company's telecommunications department continues to expand its capabilities in the installation of network and cabling systems and the implementation of low-voltage electrical projects throughout the Puget Sound region. Westerlund has been with Veca for the past two years, most recently serving as director of business development.

The Chicago-based Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) elected Michael LaNier, executive vice president, Berger/ABAM Engineers, Federal Way Wash., as director technical activities.

When he joins the Council of Fellows at the annual meeting this fall, Don Brigham was named a fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Brigham runs his own firm in Clarkston, Wash. Brigham volunteered design services for numerous community projects, chaired community planning and environmental committees and commissions, and organized Arbor Days that have grown to encompass a two-state region. Since 1986, the Lewis-Clark Valley has enjoyed an annual Dogwood Festival, which Brigham founded and continues to direct. In addition to raising the profile of the profession among his fellow citizens, Brigham keeps in touch with the next generation of landscape architects at the University of Idaho, where he has taught planting design for over 21 years.

Vladimir Ivanov, P.E., S.E., has recently joined BERGER/ABAM Engineers Inc. as a structural engineer in the downtown Seattle office. He has seven years of professional experience and a concentrated background in the investigation, analyses, and design of contemporary and historic buildings throughout our region. He has special expertise in renovation, expansion, historic preservation, and seismic rehabilitation of existing buildings.