Frizell announces retirement from Bureau of Reclamation
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| Warren Frizell |
Research hydraulic engineer Warren Frizell has retired from the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation this year after 37 years of service.
Frizell joined Reclamation as a student trainee in 1976 and was hired as a hydraulic engineer for the Engineering and Research Center (now part of the Technical Service Center) in 1980. In 1987, Frizell was promoted to hydraulic research engineer, a position he held until his retirement.
Frizell was honored as Engineer of the Year for the center in 2012. He has made considerable contributions to hydraulic engineering research and has developed many solutions to design problems faced at Reclamation plants. His expertise includes field testing and scale modeling of hydroelectric turbines, high-head gates and valves, and other hydraulic structures.
Frizell received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of New Mexico and his graduate degree in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota.
Reclamation has 476 dams in its portfolio and is the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the western U.S. with 53 plants.
Environmental monitoring group LIHI announces executive changes
The Low Impact Hydro Institute (LIHI) – an environmental impact watchdog organization – has made changes to its executive management team.
Fred Ayer, executive director of LIHI since May 2003, has retired and been replaced by Michael J. Sale. Ayer will continue serving as a member of LIHI’s Governing Board.
Sale will oversee the organization’s operations. He has more than 30 years of experience in the hydroelectric sector, having previously worked for the U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Electric Power Research Institute. Sale also served as a research staff member and manager at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he retired in 2008. In addition, he served as a member of LIHI’s Governing Board.
LIHI is a non-profit organization. Its green-energy certification program is the only one in the U.S. that specializes in hydroelectricity.
Andritz Hydro names Miller business development director
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| Ron Miller |
Ron Miller has been named Andritz Hydro’s new business development director, responsible for business development in an eight-state Southwestern region, including California and Nebraska. Miller will also handle all the pumped-storage projects and serve as the liason between Andritz Hydro and the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation.
Miller brings 37 years of experience in the hydropower industry to Andritz. Before assuming this role, he served as director of sales for Voith Hydro, where he was responsible for overall business development in the U.S., including management of the sales force. He held similar positions at Alstom Power, ABB Power Generation, Leffel-Tampella, and Allis-Chalmers. Miller also previously was senior application engineer at Siemens Energy & Automation, where he was responsible for hydro generator order growth.
Miller obtained a bachelor’s of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Andritz Hydro supplies systems and services for hydroelectric plants.
Edwards named Black & Veatch chairman, president, CEO
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| Steve Edwards |
Black & Veatch has selected a new chairman, president and chief executive officer to replace CEO Len Rodman, who is to retire at the end of the year. As of January 2014, Steve Edwards will take the helm of Black & Veatch.
Edwards was selected with the assistance of the Board of Directors, Compensation & Development Committee, and Rodman. Edwards will serve as chief operating officer for the duration of 2013.
Before this promotion, Edwards worked as executive vice president/executive director of global engineering, procurement and construction, leading Black & Veatch’s Indonesia growth platform strategy and managing profit and loss for EPC efforts.
Rodman chose the timing of his retirement to allow for a year-long transition period and for the new leadership to be in place for Black & Veatch’s centennial celebration in 2015. He had served as the company’s CEO since August 1998.
Black & Veatch is an international engineering, consulting, and construction company that works in the water, energy, telecommunications, federal, and management consulting industries.
Marine technology expert Ford joins EdgeTech team
Les Ford was added to the consultancy team at EdgeTech in April. Ford brings more than 30 years of operational and managerial experience to the sonar imaging systems and underwater technology company, which is a product and service supplier for the underwater, marine and hydrokinetic industries.
After time in the nuclear power industry, Ford was employed with a number of marine technology companies – including EG&G, OROE, and Oretech BV. Ford’s experience includes cable surveys, wreck searches, explosive clearance programs and pipeline inspections.
As a consultant, Ford will assist with business development in the areas of side scan sonars, swath bathymetry systems, sub-bottom profilers, hosted platform products (autonomously operated vehicles and remotely operated vehicles) and underwater tracking solutions.
