PEOPLE & COMPANIES Joe Patterson has retired from TEI Rock Drills after 21 years of service and contributions to both TEI and the drilling industry. Billy Aller, who has worked closely wi th Patterson for eight years, will manage the TEI events, tradeshows and adver- tising. Glenn Patterson, who has been with TEI for 27 years refining the com- pany’s products, processes and sales, will manage international sales. As many people in the busi- ness know, Patterson is an accomplished musician; and TEI expects his future will be filled with many exciting gigs. Sissy Nikolaou, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, principal and Fellow of Earthquake Engineering at WSP USA, was presented the 2017 New Principal of the Year Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACECNY). Dr. Nikolaou, with more than 20 years of engineering experience, over- sees WSP USA’s geotechnical earthquake engineering practice and leads the multihazard resilience initiative of the firm’s geotechnical & tunneling technical excellence center. Her geotechnical engi- neering expertise focuses on performance- based design, soil-structure interaction and risk assessment using GIS (geographic information system). Her education includes degrees from NTUA, Greece (Diploma) and the University at Buffalo (M.Sc. and Ph.D.). Her consulting experi- ence involves numerous New York infrastructure and building projects, high- rise structures in Mexico, and helping areas like Kobe, Christchurch, and, recently, Ecuador recover from major earthquakes. She has served on the boards of ACECNY, EERI (Earthquake Engineering Research Institute) and ATC, and was recently elected to the ASCE GeoInstitute Board of Governors. Nikolaou is a member of DFI and the DFI Women in Deep Foundations Committee, for which she was the Inaugural Speaker in 2015. Angela Cincotta, an associate principal at GZA, was named chief market- ing and communications officer. She will be respon- sible for setting the course of the company’s integrated marketing and communications program. Cincotta brings more than 25 years of experience in senior marketing and communications roles, more than 20 of those in the consulting industry, previously serving as vice president of marketing at TRC Companies and as strategic communications manager for the transportation division at VHB. She also served as media production supervisor for Bechtel Parsons on the Boston Central Artery/Tunnel project. Cincotta earned a B.A. in English from Smith College and a Master’s degree in communications from Syracuse University. Jim Clark, P.E., senior principal at GZA, was named to the company’s board of directors. Clark will participate in the leadership of the firm, where he has been employed for 25 years and leads the remediation and construction management practice in Connecticut. He has worked on a variety of projects across numerous GZA offices and has been responsible for the design and imple- mentation of several of the firm’s largest remediation projects. Clark received his B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Connecticut and an M.S. in environ- mental engineering from Rensselaer Poly- technic Institute. He is a Professional Engineer and a Licensed Environmental Professional in Connecticut. Muriel Robinette has joined GZA’s Bedford, N.H. office. She brings more than 35 years of environmental consulting experience to GZA. She has served as senior principal at several prominent industry firms and as the founder of her own environmental engineering firm, in addition to positions in government and academia. Robinette received a degree in geology from the University of New Hampshire (UNH), an M.S. in engineering/hydrogeology from Washington State University and completed the Ph.D. coursework in mining engineering at the University of Idaho. She is also a graduate of the ACEC Senior Executives Institute. In 2014, Robinette was recognized as the first woman from the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at UNH to be designated as its Distinguished Alumna. Robinette specializes in strategic environmental consulting, environmental forensics and cost allocation services for clients facing remediation, litigation and risk communication challenges. She is a member of the Dean’s Board of Advisors at UNH’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, on the Board of Directors of New England Women in Energy and Environ- ment, a trustee of the Lakes Region Conser- vation Trust, and a member of the New Hampshire Board of Professional Geologists. Richard Ecord, corporate environmental, health and safety director at GZA, was promoted to principal. Ecord joined GZA as an associate principal in 2013, and has more than 30 years of industry experience in risk and liability management, emergency response, regulatory interaction, management systems, industrial hygiene and behavioral safety. He received his B.S. from Delta State University and continued his education at Mississippi State University. Ecord holds designation as a Certified Industrial Hygienist, Certified Safety Professional and Radiation Safety Officer. He is a member of American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE). DEEP FOUNDATIONS • SEPT/OCT 2017 • 121
