Congratulations to the young professionals of GBCA member companies who were included in ENR MidAtlantic’s 2021 Class of Top Young Professionals! This list recognizes emerging design and construction professionals in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Each recipient was profiled in the February issue of ENR MidAtlantic.
Three of the profiled individuals work for GBCA member companies.
From ENR MidAtlantic:
The awards program honors individuals who have built extraordinary industry portfolios in just a few short years. In addition, many donate significant amounts of time and expertise to serve their communities.
Stephen Kane, 31
Senior Project Engineer
Thornton Tomasetti
Creating critical connections and local landmarks
Kane’s career as a structural engineer has taken him from Philadelphia’s tallest building—the Comcast Technology Center—to a remote part of Rwanda, where he served as construction lead for a Bridges to Prosperity assignment to build a new span across a dangerous river.
Kane has contributed his structural engineering skills to a range of projects, including the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field and a full-block office, hotel and garage project in Reston, Va.
Within the firm, Kane sits on committees focused on exploring ways to advance the design and use of concrete slabs as well as helping engineers improve their data recording and communication skills.
He has also worked to strengthen his office’s relationship with the ACE Mentor program, guiding student groups on their way to second-place finishes in two national design competitions.
Marc Preim, 34
Senior Project Manager/Associate
STV
A trusted resource for clients, colleagues and the community
Throughout his career, Preim has consistently embraced new challenges that allow him to grow as a professional while also advancing those around him, according to the firm.
He has taken on leadership roles overseeing all phases of design for many high-profile regional projects, including the $880-million reconstruction of the Betsy Ross Interchange and on-call assignments with Philadelphia International Airport, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation and other agencies.
Preim has become a valued resource in STV through developing and teaching operational tools for financial and resource management that have boosted project quality and efficiency.
His commitment to community service includes serving on the transportation, building and construction committee for the Philadelphia March of Dimes chapter. The group’s activities include organizing an annual 1,200-person fundraising event to improve the health of mothers and babies.
Ryan Spotts, 36
Project Executive
Gilbane Building Co.
An advocate for his staff, clients and community
Whether Spotts is making a batch of sandwiches to feed the homeless or handcrafting apparel and home decor for fundraising events, he is always concerned with the needs of others, Gilbane says. It begins at home, where he and his wife fostered 15 children over five years before starting their own family with twin sons.
A member of Gilbane’s philanthropic and employee engagement committee, Spotts helps organize events to support Philadelphia-area nonprofits, from Habitat for Humanity build days to preparing school supplies for donation to low-income children.
Spotts also plays a key role in implementing new enterprise-wide construction management software and developing strategies to solve client challenges. That includes finding out-of-the-box solutions to obstacles, such as using a drone for a punch-list inspection on a recently completed standing steel roof.
