Carter & Burgess Appoints Chief HR Officer

As the firm's first-ever chief human resources officer, James A. Garman will provide strategic direction and leadership for the design, development and execution of Carter & Burgess' human resource initiatives.

James A. Garman has been named the first chief human resources officer in Carter & Burgess' 66-year history. "Our corporate focus on talent acquisition and leadership development in a performance-based culture made it essential to establish this elevated position of chief human resources officer," said Ben Watts, CEO of Carter & Burgess.

In the position, Garman will provide strategic direction and leadership for the design, development and execution of Carter & Burgess' human resource initiatives. He will be responsible for ensuring key human resource functions including staffing, compensation, employee relations, training and development and supporting the growth of the organization.

Garman comes to Carter & Burgess with a distinguished human resources career that spans 28 years. Most recently he was senior vice president of human resources at W.W. Grainger.

During the majority of his career, Garman served as vice president of human resources for the Space and Technology sector of Northrop Grumman. Before that he held a number of senior human resources positions for TRW Inc. prior to its acquisition by Northrop Grumman. His earlier career included several years in the human resources organization of American Honda Motor Co. Inc.

Garman received a bachelor's of arts degree in communication arts from California Lutheran University and a master's of science in human resource management and development from Chapman University in Orange, Calif.

Hoyt Hammer, Tom Greenwood and John Paul DeFrank have been promoted to principal at Dallas-based The Beck Group. The title of principal is used at The Beck Group to denote individuals who participate in running the company. The position is considered higher than that of a vice president.

Gregory Frnka has joined HKS Architects' Dallas office as project manager in the firm's educational group. As project manager, he is responsible for overall project supervision. Beginning with initial programming, he works directly with the client to establish project goals and objectives.

Frnka brings more than 23 years of experience in all phases of design, contract documents and construction administration. Over the past eight years, he has managed more than 50 public education projects totaling $200 million including new and renovation work. In addition to his K-12 knowledge, he is also experienced in the commercial, health care, institutional, hospitality and higher-education sectors.

A graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington, he earned a bachelor's of business administration and a master's of architecture.

FKP Architects Inc. recently announced three promotions. D. Scott Dooley has been promoted to associate/project designer. Dooley has more than six years of architecture experience including project design, construction documentation and construction administration. Dooley holds a bachelor's of environmental design degree from Texas A&M University and is a registered architect in Texas. He is a member of the Houston chapter of the AIA, the Texas Society of Architects and the Rice Design Alliance. John Wilson has been promoted to vice president. Wilson has more than 19 years of experience in health-care architecture. Wilson holds a bachelor's of science in architecture from the University of Texas at Arlington. He is a registered architect in Texas and an AHA certified health-care facility manager. He is a member of the AIA, the Texas Society of Architects and the American Society for Healthcare Engineering. Jane Baughman, LEED AP, has been promoted to associate/project architect. Baughman has more than ten years of varied experience in all phases of architectural design, construction and administration. Baughman holds a bachelor's of architecture degree from the University of Houston. She is a registered architect in Maryland, NCARB certified and a LEED accredited professional.

Raba-Kistner Consultants Inc. has reassigned Dr. Gary W. Raba, P.E., to president and COO of Raba-Kistner Infrastructure Inc., one of several wholly owned subsidiaries. Raba is a 21-year veteran with the parent company and previously served as senior vice president and COO. Infrastructure was formed to participate in multi-year, large-dollar infrastructure projects that were strategically viewed as a significant growth market for Raba-Kistner's engineering, environmental and construction management divisions. Charles R. "Chuck" McLendon, P.E., C.I.H., recently joined Raba-Kistner as senior project manager, NEPA and natural resources. McLendon earned a bachelor's of science in engineering from Colorado School of Mines and an master's in business administration from Nova University. In addition to his P.E. registration, McLendon is board certified in occupation health as a certified industrial hygienist. Prior to joining Raba-Kistner, McLendon served as director, project management for the environmental affairs division of TxDOT. He brings 29 years of experience in environmental compliance and expediting environmental projects and permits including NEPA, project management, air and noise, water quality, wetlands, hazardous materials, geological and cultural and historical resource programs.