Michels was named the top U.S. contractor for pipeline and power transmission and distribution by ENR. Michels was also ranked among the nation’s top infra- structure contractors in a dozen other industry sectors. The rankings were announced as part of ENR’s annual Top 400 Contractors List, based upon 2016 construction revenue. “These rankings are a testament to the dedication and hard work of our exceptional people on projects of all sizes,” said Pat Michels, president and CEO. “We share this recognition with our custo- mers who trust us to execute their vision.” Comacchio Srl open house displayed at the new production facilities in nearby Castello di Godego. Practical demonstrations were provided at the demonstration area at the new facility. The new models presented included the CH 650, a 70-tonne class piling rig; the MC 28 A HD heavy duty anchoring rig equipped with rods and casing carousel; and the MC 9 N for hollow bar drilling. The event culminated with the handover ceremony of the drill rig serial number 3000. Paul Woodell, P.G., has joined GeoDesign as an as sociate to lead i t s environmental services division. He brings 18 years of hands-on practical problem solving, which is congruent with GeoDesign’s pragmatic engineering approach of "keeping our client’s goal in mind." Woodell has extensive experience with New York City and New York State environmental programs, including e- designations, brownfields, spills and superfund sites in addition to Connecticut DEEP regulations. He is a registered professional geologist in New York. Sebastian Lobo-Guerrero, Ph.D., P.E., of American Geotechnical & Environmental Services, (AGES), delivered a lecture on behalf of DFI on deep foundations to construction management students at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa., in October. Lobo-Guerrero, accom- panied by his son, Santiago, presented “Foundations: design, construction, cost estimates” along with an overview of DFI, highlighting how to become involved as a 102 • DEEP FOUNDATIONS • JAN/FEB 2018 student and as a young professional — emphasizing the DFI Educational Trust, scholarship opportunities and the DFI Women in Deep Foundations Committee. Geocomp Corporation announced the appoint- ment of Gary Torosian as chief operating officer (COO). Torosian is res- ponsible for improving the operational efficiency of the company and providing support to the execution of Geocomp’s corporate strategy. He has been with Geocomp for 25 years, since joining as laboratory manager of GeoTesting Express (GTX), Geocomp’s testing division, in 1992. Torosian’s strong management and leadership skills were key factors in the decision to appoint him chairman of Geocomp’s executive committee in 2015 and now as COO. He is active on ASTM International’s Committee D35 on Geosynthetics, serving as an officer on the executive committee and as technical contact for several test standards. He received his B.S. degree in civil engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Alfred H. Brand, P.E., D.GE, retired partner at Mueser Rutledge Con- sulting Engineers (MRCE), was named as a recipient of the 2018 Outstanding Achievement in Construction Award by The Moles. The award is being presented at the awards dinner on January 24, 2018, in New York Hilton Midtown. In 1968, he joined Mueser Rutledge Wentworth & Johnston (predecessor to MRCE), supervised the firm’s soils laboratory, became a senior associate in 1983, and then a partner of the firm in 1988 until his retirement at the end of 2015. Brand was the project manager or partner in charge on a variety of foundation, tunnel, earth fill and waterfront design projects throughout the U.S. and overseas, including assignments in Panama, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Germany. Brand held professional engineering licenses in eight states and the NCEES, and has been active in multiple local and national professional organi- zations including ASCE, Transportation Research Board, the Beavers, and The Moles, where he served as president from 2008-2009.
