People in the News

Come this July, Rico D. Munn will be the new superintendent for the Aurora Public Schools district. Having served on the Colorado Board of Education for seven years, Munn also gained experience by serving as a member on the Board of Governors for the Colorado State University System. Most currently, Munn is an adjunct professor of law at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. He is also an attorney at Baker and Hostetler.

Veteran Architect, Robert Lara, AIA is the new architecture department manager at GLHN Architects & Engineers Inc. One of the team leaders, Lara will be responsible in further developing the company’s regional and national services, helping provide clients with designs and Building Information Modeling with energy modeling and engineered systems.

A recent addition to SHW Group, Pam Loeffelman, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP, has been chosen to lead the company as its K-12 practice director for the eastern region. Mainly focused on architectural design for the education sector, her work includes several K-12 and higher education projects nationally and internationally. Having served over 20 years at Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer, Loeffelman was also a principal and board member at Perkins Eastman.

Sandra Bensworth is the new executive director of the Simon Foundation for Education and Housing (SFEH), which is prominently recognized for the Simon Scholars program that provides disadvantaged students with scholarships, life-skills and college preparatory support. Bensworth will now be responsible for expanding the program in southern California and nationally by increasing the number of scholarships offered to under-privileged students.

Traci L. Sawyer-Sinkbeil, president of the Dysart Unified School District Governing Board in Surprise, Ariz., was appointed to the Arizona School Facilities Board. Sawyer-Sinkbeil served on the Dysart Strategic Planning Committee and the Employee Benefits Trust prior to her election to the Dysart Governing Board.

Bob Keane, AIA, was named managing principal for architectural, planning and design firm WDG Architecture. With 26 years of experience, Keane previously served as director of higher education for the company. A designer and speaker, he is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the Association of College and University Housing Officers.

Newly hired Steven R. Berlage is now the president and chief operating officer at Sachse Construction. With more than 30 years of experience, Berlage joined Turner Construction Company in 1982 and was most recently vice president and general manager of the firm’s Michigan and Toronto offices. He later officially joined the Michigan office, where he has since managed projects in various markets like the health care and higher education sectors.

The new member of Leo A Daly, Stephen C. Wright, AIA, has been named managing principal for the company’s Washington, D.C. office, where he will execute various types of projects and pursue new business opportunities in several markets including higher education. The former principal of Perkins Eastman’s Washington, D.C.

An architect with 19 years of experience in all phases of the design process, Lauren Dunn Rockart, AIA, LEED AP, has been promoted to principal at Lord Aeck & Sargent (LAS). A leader for the firm’s North Carolina office, Rockart specializes in management, design direction and decision-making for higher education projects, including residence halls, academic facilities and research laboratories.