Marc Barone brings 30 years of infrastructure, consulting and software experience across a wide range of sectors to his appointment on the UMD CEE Board of Visitors. He is currently, Chief Operating Officer at Buro Happold. Previously, Marc held several senior executive roles within AECOM, Balfour Beatty and Alfred McAlpine.
In his current role at Buro Happold, Marc sits on the Executive & Global Leadership Teams and is responsible for the effective delivery of all the functional aspects of the business including finance, commercial, strategy and communications. In his previous role as Chief Growth Officer at AECOM, Marc had primary responsibility for driving all aspects of growth across the organisation through addressing clients most challenging issues and implementing new services offerings in ESG, energy and digital. Marc brings first hand global operational experience through roles based in the UK, across Europe and the Middle East which he hopes to translate in to helping create the curriculum of the future at UMD CEE.
Marc trained as a civil structural engineer. He holds a BSc from University of Maryland, MSc from Lehigh University and MBA from London Business School.
Scott Greenhaus graduated with degrees in Civil Engineering ('82) and an MBA ('86) from the University of Maryland is currently the Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of the Structural Group headquartered in Columbia MD. The Structural Group is a construction technology and service provider specializing in concrete repair, strengthening, protection and new construction products, systems and services throughout the United States and the Middle East. Greenhaus began his career as an intern in 1980 through the UMD Co-op engineering program with the founding company of Structural Group, Structural Preservation Systems Inc. Greenhaus has a variety of roles for Structural Group including Project and Branch Management as well a past President of subsidiary post-tensioning company VSL. The company has grown from a 25 person company to 2000 employees and 25 offices. Greenhaus is a member of the University Of Maryland Civil Engineering Board Of Visitors and has been on the Board of Directors of the Post-tensioning Institute (PTI), International Concrete repair Institute (ICRI) and American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC) and is a member of ASCE, ACI, ANS, and ASSE. Greenhaus was also the past president of PTI and has chaired many committees in these trade and technical associations.
Chris Hendrickson is the Hamerschlag University Professor of Engineering Emeritus, Director of the Traffic 21 Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, member of the National Academy of Engineering and Editor-in-chief of the ASCE J. of Transportation Engineering. His research, teaching and consulting are in the general area of engineering planning and management, including design for the environment, project management, transportation systems, finance and computer applications.
He has co-authored three textbooks available freely on the internet (see Textbooks tab above): Life Cycle Assessment: Quantitative Approaches for Decisions that Matter (2014), Project Management for Construction (Prentice-Hall, 1989, now available on the web) and Civil Systems Planning, Investment and Pricing (2011). He has also published several monographs and numerous papers in the professional and public literature.
Prof. Hendrickson is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Construction, a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineering, an Emeritus Member of the Transportation Research Board and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has been the recipient of the 2002 ASCE Turner Lecture Award, the 2002 Fenves Systems Research Award, the 1994 Frank M. Masters Transportation Engineering Award, Outstanding Professor of the Year Award of the ASCE Pittsburgh Section (1990), the ASCE Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Award (1989), the Benjamin Richard Teare Teaching Award (1987) and a Rhodes Scholarship (1973).
Steve Houff joined the Plano-Coudon team in 2021 as Vice President and has over 28 years of experience in the industry. His portfolio of work includes highly complex projects in a wide range of markets and delivery methods. He prioritizes building relationships with clients, subcontractors, and his team. Steve holds a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park.
When not at work, Steve enjoys running, playing golf, and attending sporting events with friends. He is an avid Maryland Terrapins fan and attends just about all of their home basketball games. Steve has 20-year-old twin daughters, who he and his wife of 25 years adore and love to spend time with!
Dr. Kimberly L. Jones is Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Howard University. She holds a B.S in Civil Engineering from Howard University, a M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University. She is a Fellow of the Association of Environmental Science and Engineering Professors (AEESP), a board certified environmental engineer, and a member of the International Women’s Forum. Her research interests include water and wastewater quality, environmental policy, membrane separations, global water treatment, environmental justice, risk evaluation and environmental nanotechnology. Among her many committee and borad roles, Dr. Jones currently serves as a Presidential Appointee to the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Building Sciences, and is an alternate Commissioner of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin in Washington, DC., where she chairs the committee on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. Recognitions include a Researcher of the Year award from Howard University and a Top Women in Science Award from the National Technical Association.
Jim Kinkead, Senior Vice President for the Clark Construction Group, received his B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Maryland in 1985. Kinkead has lead the development and construction of many landmark projects in the Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan area for more than 29 years. These projects range from cabinet level headquarters, including the Department of Transportation Headquarters and the Department of Homeland Security’s US Coast Guard Headquarters, to large mixed-use projects, including Constitution Square (Office Buildings 1, 2, and 3 and Residential Buildings 1 and 2), Clarendon Center, CityMarket at O Street, and the Darcy and Flats residential mixed use projects in Bethesda, MD. Other significant projects have included historic renovations to museums and offices buildings and development of high-end residential projects. He is currently leading the project teams at the $455m Southwest Waterfront project and the 10 year renovation of the Cannon House Office Building. Kinkead serves on the Board of Visitors for the University of Maryland’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the DC Students Construction Trade Foundation. He is also an active member of GSA’s National Register of Peer Review Professionals.
David Little graduated from the University of Maryland in 1976 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. In 1986, became one of the founding partners of the engineering firm Gutschick, Little & Weber, P.A. GLW provides planning, engineering and surveying services throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area. Since establishing GLW, he has been a Principal – in- charge of a variety of residential projects ranging in size in both Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. As an employer, Little has been very supportive of the Cooperative Education Program at the University and has employed numerous students over the years. Many are still with the firm today and will be guiding GLW into the future. Little was licensed in 1981 as a Professional Engineer. Active for many years in the Maryland Building Industry Association, he served on the Home Builders Care Foundation (HBCF) for 7 years and President of the Foundation for 3 years. The HBCF constructs shelter related projects throughout the Washington Suburban Area. He also served as a Board of Director for the Building Industry for 10 years and served on the Executive Committee for 2 years. In 2003, Little received the Building Industry’s Presidents Award and in 2009 received the Joseph C. Rogers Sr. Memorial Award for Outstanding Associate Member for the Building Industry. Currently, while still a Partner at GLW, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Med-Star Montgomery Medical Center Foundation. The Foundation provides funds, through community philanthropy, to the medical center to purchase equipment, support programs and maintain facilities.
Dr. Charles Nmai, PE, M.ASCE, FACI is Head of Engineering at Master Builders Solutions in Cleveland, Ohio, and has been with the company for over 36+ years. His responsibilities include providing technical leadership and strategic guidance in the marketing of admixtures and high-performance concrete technologies, and technology transfer. A Fellow of the American Concrete Institute (ACI), Dr. Nmai is the 2022-2023 President of ACI, a member of ACI’s board of Direction and Executive Committee, and a member of the Board of Direction of NEU, an ACI Center of Excellence for Carbon-Neutral Concrete. Dr. Nmai is also an Honorary Member of ASTM International Committee C09, immediate past-President of the Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Association (FRCA), and a member of the Visiting Committee of the Cleveland State University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. A member of ASCE, Dr. Nmai was an active member of the Committee for National Concrete Canoe Competition (CNCCC) for several years. He is a recognized industry expert and sought-out speaker on chemical admixtures, fibers, high-performance concretes, concrete durability and troubleshooting, and he has received honors, including the Purdue University Civil Engineering Alumni Achievement Award in 2012 and, in 2013, the ACI Arthur R. Anderson Medal for outstanding contributions to the advancement of knowledge of concrete as a construction material in the areas of corrosion and chemical admixtures. Dr. Nmai is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Ohio.
Camilo Restrepo is a 2009 MSc Civil and Environmental Engineer UMD graduate. He also holds a BS in Environmental Engineering from the EIA in Colombia 2004 and an MBA from Goizueta Business School at Emory in Atlanta from 2016, as well as several other executive management courses and seminars from top US schools. Mr Restrepo is currently President for the Cement Business Unit at Argos US, a company that manufactures and commercializes cement and concrete in the South East US and Texas. Camilo was previously VP for the Caribbean and Central America where he led the business for 12 countries and many export markets and before that held the position for VP Innovation at Argos and other appointments in the organization where he has worked for over 18 years. He had the honor and pleasure to participate in several corporate Boards for the companies in Central America and the Caribbean and currently is part of the Board of a fashion retail company in Colombia that represents several prestigious brands. Camilo loves spending time with his wife and kids and is a longstanding outdoor enthusiast and practices several sports. Happy and Honored to make part of the BOV of CEE and being able to give back and serve the UMD family.
*Chair, CEE Board of Visitors
Jason Spicer is a Division Vice President for The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company with over 20 years of experience in the construction industry. Jason has a proven track record of delivering award-winning, challenging projects ranging from high-end multi-family buildings and luxury hotels to performing arts centers. In addition to his roles overseeing a large business unit within Whiting-Turner’s portfolio, Jason provides oversight to our national residential campaign, and is the regional recruiting leader in the DC/NOVA area. Jason has a wealth of clients that routinely seek his council when preparing for their next project. When Jason isn’t with his Whiting-Turner family and clients, he enjoys time with his wife, Kathleen, and seven children...yes seven children, Kevin, Kelly, Kaitlyn, Kortney, Kristen, Kinley and Kora. Together, the family operates a small farm in Maryland where they raise beef cattle and sheep. Jason and Kathleen both graduated from the University of MD and their children are active in the 4-H program in Howard County and regularly work with the University of MD Extension Service.
Erika Spissu obtained her Master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and her Ph.D. in Transport and Economics from the University of Cagliari (Italy). Subsequently, she conducted a Post-doctoral research at the University of Austin, Texas in travel behavior change programs, publishing numerous scientific articles on the topic. With over 15 years of industry experience in project management, behavioral research and methods, Erika is currently the Director of Travel Behavior at Transurban, an Australian-owned company that builds and operates toll roads in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, as well as in Greater Washington, United States and Montreal, Canada.
In her current role, Erika is responsible for leading the market research and behavioral insights agenda. She applies her expertise to inform strategic decision in the markets where Transurban operates, ensures visibility across functional teams, and plays a key role in multidisciplinary initiatives such as new product design and innovation. Erika has been recently appointed as a member of the University of Maryland Civil Engineering Board of Visitors.
Dena Volovar is currently the Bechtel Nuclear, Security & Environmental (NS&E) Manager of Functions. In this role, she is responsible for the overall management of the engineering, procurement, construction, project controls, information systems & technology, office & administrative, and startup & operations functions for the Bechtel NS&E global business unit. The NS&E global business unit executes projects and manages facilities for a variety of global entities, both government and commercial.
Just prior to her current role, Dena was Project Manager overseeing the engineering, procurement and construction of the Sabine Pass Liquified Natural Gas facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. Dena has 23 years of industry experience and has held positions in Engineering, Project Controls, Business Development, Operations, and Project Management. Dena was elected a Bechtel Senior Vice President in 2019, holds a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Maryland and is a certified Project Management Professional.
Monica Watkins is Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of Housing Authority of Baltimore City. She is tasked with strategizing, planning, and expanding the operational efficiency of several divisions to include Public Housing, Private Management, Admissions & Leasing, Resident Services, Homeownership, Engineering and overall Housing Operations, Administration & Training. She now leads over 400 team members in the daily execution of HABC’s mission to create and provide quality affordable housing opportunities in sustainable neighborhoods for the people HABC serves. To accomplish this, Monica believes it starts with the leaders. Thus, she is passionate about the development of thoughtful, intentional, and impactful leaders within HABC and regularly invests resources in leadership development and support. She holds a BSME from the University of Maryland College Park and an MBA-Finance from Loyola (College) University, as well as certifications in energy management, verification, and technology. Monica is also a 1989 graduate of the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and has over 18 years of local utility experience in the areas of gas engineering & construction, energy accounting and billing and electric policy, rates, and regulations.