Transitions

CEO of Bently Nevada Corporation dies at 88

Donald E. Bently, chief executive officer, founder and owner of Bently Nevada Corp. and president of Bently Pressurized Bearing Corp., died in October at the age of 88.

Bently completed his undergraduate and graduate work in electrical engineering at the University of Iowa. Additionally, he studied further at the University of California at Berkeley and was a registered professional engineer in California and Nevada.

Bently’s primary focus was the dynamic behavior of rotating machinery. He pioneered the commercial implementation of the eddy current proximity transducer, which measures vibrations. This development led to others in data acquisition and processing systems, culminating in a new focus of mechanical engineering known as “diagnostics of machinery malfunctions.” He published more than 50 papers on the subject throughout his career.

He maintained an active role in the industry as a senior member of IEEE, visiting scholar of Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, foreign member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Engineering in Russia, member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Industrial Advisory Board, and trustee of the Institute of World Politics.

Bently’s honors and awards include being named Nevada’s outstanding investor for 1982, receiving an honorary doctorate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Nevada in 1987, and being the first person to receive the Vibration Institute’s DECADE Award.

Former Corps deputy commanding general retires

Major General Merdith W.B. (Bo) Temple, retired from a 37-year career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in August.

Since early 2010, Temple served as deputy commander general. During this time, he served the longest stint as acting commander in Corps history between the retirement of Lt. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp and the beginning of Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick’s command.

Over his career with the U.S. Army, and specifically with the Corps, Temple served in a variety of stations and capacities, including: theater engineer; assistant chief of staff, operations; combined joint task force seven in Iraq; XVIII airborne corps; and commander of the 307th engineer battalion and 20th engineer brigade, among others.

Temple’s awards, honors and achievements include such medals as the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Service, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious and Joint Service Commendation.

Walla Walla district under new commander

Lt. Col. Andrew D. Kelly is the new commander of the Corps district in Walla Walla, Wash. Kelly replaced the district’s previous commander, Lt. Col. David A. Caldwell, who is taking an assignment at Fort Knox, Ky.

Kelly is responsible for the 107,000-square-mile district, across Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada. The district provides hydropower, flood risk management, recreation opportunities and environmental stewardship and maintains a clear waterway in the Columbia and Snake rivers.

Before assuming this command in July, Kelly was based in Norfolk, Va., as the joint observer trainer for U.S. Joint Forces Command.

The Walla Walla District contains six hydropower facilities with a combined capacity of 4,400 MW and annual production of 16,000 GWh.

MWH Global promotes eight to vice president

Eight employees were promoted to vice president at MWH Global, which provides environmental engineering, construction, and consulting services to the wet infrastructure industry.

Aaron Burns, P.E., vice president and engineer, joined MWH in 2002. He has managed a variety of projects, including dams, wastewater, hydro and mining.

Graham Campbell was named vice president of finance. With a degree in civil engineering from the Dundee Institute of Technology, Campbell has more than 27 years of planning and management experience.

Matthew Crane, vice president and business unit leader, has experience in strategic planning, asset management, consulting, and business optimization for hydropower sector clients.

Bill Cutting, vice president and principal project manager, has more than 30 years of experience in hydropower project management and fishery and wildlife habitat project development, as well as transportation and transmission projects.

Jonathan Hersey, vice president and client services manager, provides MWH Global with 15 years of experience as a registered geologist. He has worked on a variety of projects, including design, implementation, and management of environmental, health and safety due diligence and remediation.

Glenn Jaffe, vice president and client service manager, contributes 23 years of experience in management, with knowledge of geology and hydrogeology. He joined MWH in 1992.

Dina Keirouz brings more than 20 years of experience to her position as vice president, commercial manager, and Atlantic business unit sector project manager. She worked in project and program management with wastewater management, professional athletic facilities, major transit facilities, and airports.

Beth Knackstedt, P.E., vice president and international business unit leader, offers 14 years of experience as a structural engineer. Her experience focuses on water resources, energy, and transportation needs for federal, commercial, and municipal clients.

Reclamation names senior advisor and regional director

Bruce C. Muller, Jr. was named Senior Advisor – Design, Estimating and Construction Oversight and Dam Safety Officer by Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Michael L. Connor.

Muller’s responsibilities include overseeing design, estimation and construction activities on the planning level to verify that products and decisions are carried out as planned. Additionally, Muller will conduct reviews, offer broad scope program guidance, and ensure the quality of the dam safety program.

“Bruce brings the necessary engineering and management experience to this position that it needs to ensure the consistency of projects throughout Reclamation,” said Connor.

Muller joined Reclamation in 1979 as a civil engineer upon graduation from Purdue University. His experiences include guideline development to facilitate risk management, dam design, new technology design and implementation, dam modification, and project management. In addition, Muller earned a Master of Science degree in civil engineering and water resource management from Colorado State University.

In addition, Reclamation has promoted Terry Fulp, former Lower Colorado Deputy Regional Director, to the position of director in the same region. He will manage operations in southern California, southern Nevada, parts of New Mexico and Utah, and the majority of Arizona.

Fulp’s 23-year career at Reclamation has been spent in the Lower Colorado region, working with stakeholders and federal and state agencies. His awards and honors include the Virgil M. Kauffman Gold Medal from the Society of Exploration Geophysicists and the Department of the Interior’s Superior Service Award.

The district boasts 58 hydro plants with total capacity of 14,808 MW.

Several leave amid Progress Energy, Duke Energy merger

A business arrangement merging Progress Energy and Duke Energy Corp. has caused several executives to leave Duke.

The Charlotte-based utility says John McArthur, executive vice president of regulated utilities; Mark Mulhern, executive vice president and chief administrative officer; and Paula Sims, chief integration and innovation officer, resigned from the Charlotte-based utility.

Two of the vacated positions were filled at Duke. Lee Mazzocchi brought 22 years of experience at Progress Energy as the new senior vice president and chief integration and innovation officer. Before the merger, Mazzocchi was vice president of supply chain and chief procurement officer at Progress. Mazzicchi holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from North Carolina State University.

B. Keith Trent was appointed executive vice president of regulated utilities. Before taking this position, Trent served Duke Energy in a variety of roles, including general counsel, group executive and chief strategy, policy, and regulatory officer, and group executive and president of Duke’s Commerical Businesses organization. Trent earned a bachelor of science degree from Southern Methodist University in electrical engineering and his juris doctor from the University of Texas College of Law.

Attorneys transition to other roles as GKRSE closes its doors

The Law Offices of GKRSE in Washington, D.C., closed in September after nearly 20 years spent providing legal services to the power industry. Its attorneys have spread throughout the country to new positions.

Rekha Rao and Donald Clarke will continue providing legal services to the hydropower industry at the Washington, D.C., firm of Duncan, Weinberg, Genzer & Pembroke. Elisa Grammer relocated to Massachusetts and will be Of Counsel to the California Power Law Group.

Peter Kissel will continue to provide legal services to the California Department of Water Resources and other clients, operating as Kissel Law Office, based in Washington, D.C. Nancy Skancke will also continue to serve both the hydropower and oil/gas industry as a sole practitioner with NJS Law PLC in Washington, D.C.

Phil Mone took a position as an attorney with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.