Urban Services Inc. hired transportation industry veteran Thomas LeBeau as southwest regional manager, responsible for overseeing the firm’s Fort Worth location.
Urban provides planning, design and construction services for highways, bridges, railroads, buildings, transit, airports and ports, in addition to environmental consulting.
LeBeau has almost 20 years of industry experience and specializes in planning, engineering, construction and operations program management of large scale rail transportation and transit projects across the country. He most recently was deputy director of construction for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation and previously was the vice president of rail development and capital programs with the Denton County Transportation Authority.
Urban Senior Vice President William T. Thomsen said, “His experience in working with a variety of agencies has garnered success in rail and transit projects. He has the vision to assist Urban in improving and expanding our services in the greater Fort Worth area and the southwest region of the country.”
LeBeau previously served on the board of the Transit Coalition of North Texas. He also was senior vice president and chief operating officer for a Texas-based consulting firm, where he provided project management oversight services for DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) orange and blue line design-build projects, DART streetcar design-build project, Lone Star Rail District program management and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority TEX Rail program.
Aviation
Executive AirShare elevated Eric Franz to assistant chief pilot. He joined EAS in 2013 as a captain for Embraer Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 aircraft. Franz’s role includes planning to ensure safe flights and operations and ongoing mentorship of new captains and second in commands. He has an airline transport pilot airplane multiengine land license and type ratings for the Embraer 100, 300 and 145 and Bombardier CL-65. A certified flight instructor, he is based at EAS’ Fort Worth Meacham International Airport operation hub. Franz previously worked for Envoy Air (American Eagle) in Irving and Flight Express in Orlando, Florida. He was a flight instructor in Arizona for Westwind School of Aeronautics and Oxford Aviation Academy, followed by two years as an independent instructor.
Banking & Finance
Worthington National Bank hired Dan Buchanan as vice president, mortgage lending. He will continue to work with his existing business partners and clients as well as strategizing with commercial lenders to grow the bank’s mortgage lending portfolio. Buchanan has served 14 years in banking and finance, with eight of those years in lending. Initially, he will work at Worthington National Bank’s Sundance Square location in preparation for the bank’s growth plans to Edwards Ranch.
Heritage Land Bank named Crystal Jordan a loan officer for its Fort Worth branch. Jordan joined Heritage Land Bank in 2015 as a loan officer associate at the Fort Worth branch and previously was a lending assistant at Affiliated Bank in Arlington and a financials sales adviser for BBVA Compass Bank in Granbury. Jordan is a member of the Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors.
Boards & Organizations
The Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors selected Robert Gleason to replace retiring CEO Sheridan Matina, effective April 1. Gleason has been director of governmental affairs for GFWAR since 2005. He led the legislative efforts of the association, worked on several statewide constitutional amendment campaigns, and drafted legislation in support of commercial and residential property owners. Gleason has represented Realtor associations in this capacity for 14 years. He serves on the city of Fort Worth Development Advisory Committee.
Junior Achievement of the Chisholm Trail added two new members to the board: Kent Paredes Scribner, superintendent of the Fort Worth Independent School District, and Sierra Quinonez, an associate attorney at Winstead PC. Scribner served from 2008-2015 as superintendent of the Phoenix Union High School District, the largest high school district in Arizona. In October 2011, President Barack Obama appointed Scribner to the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. Quinonez represents both lending institutions and borrowing entities in a variety of complex commercial lending transactions.
Energy
Hybrid Tool Solutions LLC appointed Chris Payson as CEO. Prior to joining Hybrid, Payson was executive vice president and president of U.S. Completions at Nine Energy Service Inc. He previously founded and led two successful startups: American Eagle Raingutters and CDK Perforating. Payson began his career as a correction officer. Hybrid recently moved its headquarters from Oklahoma to Fort Worth.
Engineering & Construction
MULTATECH promoted Hong P. Chen to president and chief operating officer and Martin Torres – photo – to MEP department manager. Chen, with more than 20 years of professional experience, established the Architectural Division of the firm and has been a partner and principal since 2006. Torres has been with the firm since 2011 and was promoted to vice president in 2014. Martin has more than 25 years of experience in electrical design, equipment maintenance, control systems, communications, fire alarm, field startup and technical management.
JQ promoted Ronald Ishmael to associate in the Fort Worth office. Ishmael has been with JQ since 2007. He has nearly a decade of experience in new construction and repair/retrofit of existing buildings, providing facility assessments and repair documentation for new and historic structures. One of his current projects is the restoration of the horse and mule barns in the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District. Ishmael is a former board member and president of the North Texas Chapter of International Concrete Repair Institute.
Sundt Construction Inc. tapped 29-year Sundt veteran Eric Hedlund to lead the company’s expansion in Texas as district manager. Hedlund helped the company establish its office in San Antonio in 2010. In addition to heading Sundt’s offices in Fort Worth and San Antonio, he will be responsible for the overall performance of the district’s building projects, including acquiring and executing work. Hedlund is a past national chairman of the Building Division and the Public Private Industry Advisory Council for the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America. He has also served on the AGC national board.
Previous Sundt Texas district manager John Carlson assumed the new role of corporate strategic business officer. Carlson, a 33-year Sundt veteran based in the San Antonio office, will assist with strategic projects for building, heavy civil and industrial work throughout Texas and nationwide. He will also focus his efforts on national industry organizational involvement.
Honors & Awards
The Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors honored outstanding members at its annual awards luncheon. Jo Ann Royer, director of relocation and corporate services at Williams Trew, received the Realtor of the Year Award. Royer has been a licensed real estate professional since 1979. Her involvement in GFWAR has included multiple terms on the board and service on numerous committees.
The A.L. Purvis Distinguished Service Award went to Betsy Senter, an agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, who directed the American Airlines relocation to Fort Worth in 1978. She has served as a director of the Texas Association of Realtors and as president of the Texas Chapter of the Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers.
The Affiliate of the Year Award went to Christian Burton, vice president of business development at McKnight Title. He has served on the Texas Association of Realtors Political Action Committee.
This year’s recipient of The Realtor Spirit Award was C.B. Team, vice president and principal at Ellis & Tinsley Inc. Team has served on and chaired the GFWAR governmental affairs committee. In 2010, he was elected to the Society of Commercial Realtors’ Board of Governors, and in 2015 he chaired the society.
Kristy Libotte Keener, graphic design coordinator at North Central Texas Council of Governments, won an International Marcom Gold Award in publication design for a transportation document produced for NCTCOG.
Shoot Smart was selected as SHOT Business magazine’s Range of the Year. The award is presented to a shooting facility based on community outreach and efforts to preserve and promote the hunting and shooting heritage and protect firearm freedoms.
On Feb. 16, the American Paint Horse Association unveiled and dedicated an official Texas Historical Marker to mark the site of the APHA’s founding meeting, Feb. 16, 1962, at the Curtwood Motel in Gainesville. It is now the location of a Chili’s Grill & Bar. Now headquartered in Fort Worth, the organization is the world’s second-largest equine breed association.
Manufacturing
TTI Inc. promoted Scott Slack to senior vice president and chief financial officer, succeeding Nick Kypreos, who retired after 31 years with TTI. Slack assumes direct responsibility for managing TTI’s financial services for North America, Europe and Asia.
Nonprofit Organizations
Marcellette “Marcy” Sherman is now the interim president and CEO of the North Texas Commission. Sherman has been on staff of the regional nonprofit organization for 12 years, serving as the executive vice president. She replaces Mabrie Jackson, who will join H-E-B/Central Market in early March. Sherman has more than 20 years of experience in both for profit and nonprofit organizations. She has served in several capacities since joining the NTC, including board development, community relations, fundraising and launching of NTX Magazine. Prior to joining the NTC, she was president of Marcoa Publishing. Sherman is one of 25 executives worldwide who have earned the credentials of certified association executive and certified fundraising executive.
Stephanie Warren has been promoted from lead case manager to director of the Empowering Families Project at The Parenting Center. Warren will lead the expected five-year project (A Healthy Marriage and Relationship Program), focusing on improving and enriching marriages and relationships in Tarrant County. She serves on the Healthy Marriage Healthy Families Coalition of Tarrant County.
Tourism, Entertainment & Leisure
Jim Reid-Anderson, who led the parent of Six Flags Over Texas out of bankruptcy protection in 2010, is the company’s new executive chairman. He hands the roles of president and CEO to John Duffey, the chief financial officer.
Send newsmakers to Betty Dillard at bdillard@bizpress.net