WSP (formerly PB) promotes three

Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
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Sweeping management changes continue at WSP USA, the Montreal-based company that acquired Parsons Brinckerhoff and in May dropped the iconic PB name. Three key positions have been filled in the firm’s Northwest Pacific, West and Northern California areas.

Mel Sears has been named Northwest Pacific district manager and Seattle office area manager. Sears is responsible for oversight of WSP’s operations in Washington, Oregon, Hawaii and the South Pacific.

A senior vice president, Sears most recently served as business development director for the firm’s West region. He worked with 10 offices in the West to enhance relationships with key clients, expand business development opportunities, and invigorate marketing and pursuit efforts.

Sears has more than 30 years leading architecture and engineering organizations, managing major infrastructure projects, shaping transportation funding initiatives, and serving in leadership roles in numerous professional and business organizations. He joined Parsons Brinckerhoff in 2010 from a Northwest-based consulting engineering and environmental sciences firm where he served as principal. He also worked for Tri-Met of Portland, Ore., managing light rail transit projects as part of the West Side-Hillsboro light rail extension.

Sears is a registered professional engineer in several states, and a certified Project Management Professional. He is a past president of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon, past president of the Oregon Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and serves on the boards of numerous professional and business organizations.

Luis Porrello has been named senior vice president and business development director for WSP’s West region. He will be responsible for identifying growth opportunities in new and existing markets and clients in the region.

Porrello has more than 20 years of experience of civil engineering and transportation infrastructure development. Through his project assignments he has provided technical direction to some of the nation’s largest transportation infrastructure programs. Through his management experience he has provided leadership to business development and operational effectiveness associated with local, regional, and national geographies for premier transportation design firms.

Prior to joining WSP, Porrello was senior vice president and national transportation director for global consulting engineering organization CDM Smith, responsible for development and delivery of transportation projects across North America.

A licensed professional engineer in Maryland and Missouri, Porrello received doctor of science and master of science degrees in transportation and urban systems engineering and a master of science in international project finance from Washington University, as well as a bachelor of science in civil engineering from West Virginia Institute of Technology.

John Fisher has been named Northern California district manager at WSP. He is responsible for oversight of the firm’s operations in San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland and Sacramento. He will continue to serve as San Francisco area manager as well, directly managing the operations of WSP’s transportation and infrastructure office in San Francisco.

Fisher has 20 years of public policy, legislative, project management and community and inter-governmental relations experience on the local, state and federal levels. Since joining Parsons Brinckerhoff in 2008, he has led efforts within the firm to develop managed lanes and alternative procurement practices in the Bay Area and California, working to analyze alternative procurement opportunities under state legislation SB 4, including public-private partnerships (P3), design-build and design-build-operate maintain methods of delivery on projects in the Bay Area, including the Presidio Parkway, which he continues to serve as WSP’s project manager.

Prior to joining PB, Fisher spent more than four years as manager of government and community relations for the Bay Area Rapid Transit District. He previously served in Washington, D.C. for four years as legislative director to a U.S. congresswoman from the Bay Area, a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Fisher received a B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin and is a graduate of the Eno Center for Transit Leadership Executive Development Program. He serves on the board of directors of the International Partnering Institute and is a member of the San Francisco chapter of the Women’s Transportation Seminar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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