PHOENIX — SmithGroup promoted Mark Adams to lead the strategy and operations for its firmwide workplace practice. Adams succeeds Lise Newman, who will be retiring from practice in the spring of 2022.

In his new role, Adams leads the firm’s practice devoted to the design of corporate and commercial facilities, including corporate headquarters and campuses, office interiors, commercial office buildings, public and civic development, hospitality, and mixed-use and multifamily residential buildings for both public and private sector clients. Adams will focus on expanding the practice’s portfolio of major headquarters, mixed-use/urban development, and workplace-centered strategy and design projects. Adams was elevated from workplace studio leader at the firm’s Phoenix office.

Adams joined SmithGroup in 2008 and brings 33 years of experience to this position. He has been instrumental in the growth of the firm’s portfolio of notable clients, leading large-scale projects throughout the southwest and across the nation. As a recognized thought leader and author, Adams has been called upon to share his expertise as a presenter at conferences for CoreNet, the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors, NeoCon, and Tradeline.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — NV5 Global Inc. acquired Optimal Energy Inc., an energy efficiency firm providing a full range of consulting services to government agencies, utilities, regulatory bodies, and state energy advisory councils. Optimal specializes in advising state energy efficiency advisory councils on program planning, cost-benefit analysis, and strategic guidance. The company also assists utilities with integrating statewide and local energy efficiency mandates into their business models. The acquisition will be made with a combination of cash and stock and will be immediately accretive to NV5’s earnings.

“NV5’s energy efficiency and clean energy business has driven strong organic growth, and Optimal is the fourth acquisition we have made in the sector,” said Dickerson Wright, P.E., chairman and CEO of NV5. “As energy efficiency continues to grow in importance in the government and utility markets, Optimal provides us with another specialized, high barrier to entry capability to differentiate NV5 and deliver value to our clients.”

With offices in Vermont and Rhode Island, Optimal has worked in nearly 40 U.S. states and seven Canadian provinces. Optimal was founded in 1996 and is a consultant for nine of the top 10 states with utility and public purpose efficiency programs.

NEW YORK — Jennifer Brunton and Ozlen Ozkurt have assumed key leadership positions in the water business line at WSP USA.

Brunton takes over as New York district water business line leader, developing and implementing the firm’s water business strategy. She will draw on the firm’s multidiscipline expertise in water, wastewater, and surface water to help clients solve complex urban infrastructure and environment challenges to enhance our natural and built environment.

Ozkurt joins the firm as the Northeast region water resources technical leader. She is responsible for spearheading the company’s regional water market growth strategy, providing consistency in technical standards and project execution and serving as account manager for strategic regional clients.

Brunton, an 18-year veteran of WSP with 24 years of experience, has been a trailblazer in solving water resource-related challenges. Based in New Jersey, she has contributed to the resiliency planning and protection of dozens of miles of shoreline and the restoration of more than 1,000 acres of natural habitat.

She is a graduate of Indiana University, Bloomington, with a bachelor’s degree in environmental affairs, and the University of California, Berkeley, with a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering. Brunton was also the recipient of the 2021 WSP Leadership Award. She is a registered engineer, a certified ecosystem restoration practitioner, and a certified floodplain manager.

Based in New York, Ozkurt comes to WSP with more than 20 years of experience in roles of increasing responsibility leading water resource teams across multiple geographic markets. For the past seven years, she served as water department manager for a nationwide planning, engineering, and construction firm, providing strategic direction and overseeing multimillion dollar projects.

Ozkurt is a graduate of Istanbul Technical University in Turkey with bachelor and master’s degrees in civil engineering, and a graduate of City University of New York with a doctorate in civil engineering with a specialization in water resources. She is a registered professional engineer, certified Envision sustainability professional, and registered certified flood manager.

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — TKDA announced Jeannine Clancy has joined the firm’s leadership team as program director of strategic and community partnerships.

Clancy will build on the firm’s reputation of improving communities by enhancing efforts in infrastructure planning and programming, public engagement, stakeholder communication, and staff development.

As a longtime member of the public works community, Clancy has managed municipal capital projects associated with utilities, streets, and buildings for the cities of New Hope and Golden Valley in Minnesota, and Scottsdale, Arizona. More recently, she served as assistant general manager of wastewater planning and capital project delivery at Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES).

At MCES, Clancy was a key leader in fostering a culture of customer service with a particular focus on the cities, townships, and industries served by the organization. She oversaw the planning, design, construction, and commissioning of the MCES regional wastewater system, which serves 111 communities in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

EAST YORK, Pa. — Stambaugh Ness (SN) named Tim Wagner as director of client learning and development experience. In this new position, Wagner brings 17-plus years of experience in creating educational programs that align solutions with the needs of project-based firms within the architecture and engineering (AE) industry.

Integrating leading-edge learning methodologies, Wagner will develop a comprehensive and engaging curriculum that meets not only current needs but anticipates what AE firms will need to know in the future to be successful.

Prior to joining SN, Wagner spent several years at Deltek, most recently as director of customer enablement. He was primarily responsible for partner learning content with the Deltek Training Network, the creation and oversight of virtual and live training workshops for clients in the AE and government contracting industries, and oversight of Deltek Learning Zone operations and sales. Earlier in his career, Wagner served as a controller and director of finance within the AE industry. This front-line industry experience and understanding of the inner workings of an AE firm gives Wagner a unique perspective that will be of benefit to SN's clients.

KISTA, Sweden — Munters has acquired EDPAC, an Ireland-based manufacturer of data center cooling equipment and air-handling systems. The acquisition is part of Munters’ strategy to grow in the prioritized data center segment. Munters is a provider of energy-efficient data center cooling solutions in North America and strengthens its presence in Europe through the acquisition.

EDPAC reported net sales of MEUR 17 and an adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of MEUR 1.7 in the financial year ending April 2021. The company is headquartered in Carrigaline, Ireland, with two manufacturing facilities in the country and has about 150 full-time employees. EDPAC has a strong customer base with sales primarily in Europe with additional sales in the Middle East, South America, and Asia.

The European data center market represents a sizeable, growing, and attractive market opportunity for Munters. Today, Munters has a winning value proposition in the North American data center market and, with the acquisition, Munters will transfer proven technologies and engineering capabilities to Ireland.

“The European data center market is a prioritized segment for Munters, and this acquisition is a significant step in our growth strategy,” said Klas Forsström, president and CEO, Munters. “Our competences and experiences from the North American market will provide EDPAC with opportunities for further profitable growth. We foresee synergies by expanding our data center offering to Europe and by coordinating technology development and establishing unified processes.”

EDPAC manufactures precision cooling equipment and various air-handling systems and is also a manufacturing partner for Munters Oasis systems. Sales of Munters products represents approximately 7% of EDPAC’s total revenues. The acquisition brings complementary products to Munters current data center offering.