General Electric has announced the promotion of Beth Comstock to the new role of vice chair. Comstock is currently the head of General Electric’s business innovation unit and has brought LED lights and digitalization to the $2.5 billion lighting company. Comstock also leads GE Ventures and Licensing, corporate marketing, sales and communications. She will oversee the development of new customer business models. She first joined GE in 1986 through its acquisition of NBC.
Dexter + Chaney, providers of Spectrum Construction Software, announced the appointment of Brian Rice as the company’s new chief financial officer. Rice replaces retiring CFO John Ulacia, who is retiring after 20 years of steering the company’s financial and operational growth.
Jennifer Betancourt, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, has been promoted to associate in the Elgin, Ill. office of Dewberry. With more than 15 years of experience, she has broad expertise in the higher education, library, health care, campus planning, commercial, K-12 and aviation sectors. As a project manager, her skills range from programming and design development through construction administration. Betancourt earned her bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Arizona.
Skanska hired Robert D. Flory as senior vice president/account manager for the company’s building business unit in its Oakland, Calif., office. Flory joins Skanska after a 23-year tenure with Vanir Construction Management Inc., a Sacramento, Calif.-based construction firm where he served as chief operating officer. He brings significant project experience in the public, health care, education, justice and water/wastewater sectors.
Professional services firm Dewberry has promoted Brian Kerner, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, to senior associate in the firm’s Elgin, Ill. office. Kerner has more than 20 years of experience and specializes in early childhood and K-12 facilities. He has completed 50 projects in the education market, performing program development, construction grant application and facility analyses as well as design and construction administration.
Global architecture and design firm Perkins+Will recently appointed Jennifer Graham to the firm’s New York office as a senior project manager for the Corporate Interiors team. Graham brings more than 25 years of experience in design management to the role, along with an ability to lead teams on complex projects. As Senior Project Manager, she will manage commercial projects including new developments, interior fitouts and tenant improvements for various project types.
PPG Industries’ named Nathan McKenna as national architectural manager for the southeast region, covering Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and the majority of Florida. PPG features brands such as Solarban solar control, Sungator low-e glass, Starphire ultra-clear glass and a variety of performance-tinted, reflective and subtly reflective glasses. McKenna joins PPG from Columbia Commercial Building Products, Dallas, where he served as glass division manager.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that Jane Henley, former chief executive officer of the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), has come on board as a senior advisor to provide strategic guidance on global market development efforts in Asian markets. Head of the WorldGBC for more than five years, Henley made significant strides in the ongoing international market transformation of the green building industry.
Tim Cole was named vice president of marketing at Nora Systems Inc. In addition to his North American marketing responsibilities, he will be involved with technical operations as well as global responsibility for developing and implementing the company’s sustainability strategy. Cole comes to Nora from Forbo Flooring Systems, where he held various management positions in sales, marketing and technical operations during his 25-year career with the company.
Colin Rohlfing, associate AIA, LEED AP BD + C, has joined HDR as vice president and director of sustainable development in the Chicago office. In his new role, Rohlfing is responsible for the overall sustainable design leadership of the practice and provides global sustainable consulting thought leadership to enhance core services.
