Alabama

C. Ben Nevins has been named president of Brice Building Company in Birmingham, Ala.. He will also retain his current title of chief operating officer.

Nevins has worked for Brice for the past 31 years, beginning as a cooperative education student while attending Auburn University. Nevins was named assistant project manager in 1977, project manager in 1978, vice president in 1983 and executive vice president in 1994. He was named chief operating officer in 2000.

"Ben quietly leads by example," said Brice Chief Executive Officer Felix Drennen. "He is an excellent listener; he takes time to build consensus among people before making decisions. That is a particular strength to his style of leadership."

Drennen said Nevins' experience was vital to his new role.

Nevins has held several positions with industry trade groups, including past president and current board member of the Alabama Associated General Contractors (AGC). He also represents the state as an elected National AGC director. Nevins worked on many of Brice's signature projects, including the SouthTrust Tower, the Southern Progress headquarters, the EBSCO corporate headquarters, the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Protective Life headquarters and The Children's Hospital.

"Ben is a great mentor to our younger managers," Drennen added. "They recognize that he cares about their development and wants to see them grow. That skill is one reason we have been able to attract and hold talent throughout our company."

Nevins also serves on the boards for Operation New Birmingham, Construction Industry Fund (CIF) and Auburn University Center for Architecture and Urban Studies.

Arkansas

Ron Lazenby has joined commercial contractor East-Harding Inc. of Little Rock, Ark., as project manager.

"Ron is a strategic addition to East-Harding," said Harding. "His 25 years of experience and considerable ability add depth to our company and will allow us to serve our clients better."

East-Harding specializes in client-focused construction, is a LEED certified green builder and operates a residential construction division.

Mark V. Williamson Co. of Little Rock, Ark., recently appointed Kim Shumate as vice president of agency operations. She was formerly president and owner of McCartney, Manning, McDonald & Guinn Insurance of Newport, Ark.

Nabholz Construction of Conway, Ark., recently honored Kay Bush for 40 years of service. Bush began her career as a receptionist for the Conark Division of Nabholz in 1964 and has served in multiple capacities throughout the corporation, with the majority of her career in the accounting department.

Bush has been actively involved in charitable activities for many years. She has served as the team captain for the National Kidney Foundation of Arkansas and has raised money for other non-profit organizations such as March of Dimes, American Heart Association and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

Bill Hannah, CEO, praised Bush for her accomplishments.

"Kay started at Nabholz as a very young lady and has been a valued member of our organization for 40 years," Hannah said. "Her attention to detail and work ethic are phenomenal, but most importantly her attitude of caring and concern for all those she comes in contact with truly defines what Nabholz values and integrity are all about."

Mississippi

Smith, Turner & Reeves P. A. and Gillon and Co. Ltd. recently merged their certified public accounting and financial consulting practices to form the fourth largest Mississippi-based CPA firm.

The three partners in Gillon and Co. - William H. Gillon III, Cathy R. Reed and Louis M. Tatum - will assume similar positions in ST&R, which will now have 10 partners.

The firm, now known as Smith, Turner & Reeves, offers a combined professional staff of 55, including 30 CPAs.

Also included in the merger is Gillon's affiliate, Magnolia Medical Billing LLC, which provides billing services to area physician practices.

Tennessee

Russell Fowler, president and CEO of Krone NA Inc. of Memphis, Tenn., was recently elected to serve on the Association of Equipment Manufacturer's Board of Directors.

AEM also elected Charles Stamp Jr., vice president public affairs worldwide of Deere & Co. in Moline, Ill., as chairman; Gerald Shaheen, group president of Caterpillar Inc. in Peoria, Ill., as first vice chairman; and Dennis Eagan, group president of Blount Inc. in Zebulon, N. C., as second vice chairman.

Other officers include Treasurer Charles Martz, president of Link-Belt Construction Equipment Company in Lexington, Ky.; and Secretary Dennis Slater, AEM's full-time president.

In addition, Richard Brown, president/CEO of Krause Corp. of Hutchison, Kan., was named vice chairman-agriculture, and Charles Foster, executive vice president and general manager of Sweepster LLC of Lee, Ill., was named vice chairman-construction.

The AEM officers, with the association's board, set the operating policies and guidelines of the association in areas including product safety/technical support, equipment statistics, market trends data, public policy presentation, trade shows, international marketing services, education and training, and development of safety/educational materials.

Claire Barnett, an engineer in EnSafe Inc.'s Memphis, Tenn., office, recently received the Tennessee Section, American Society of Engineers' Daniel B. Barge Jr. Award for Distinguished Service, the highest honor bestowed annually to one member.

The award recognizes her many years of dedication to the ASCE's local, state and national organizations. She has served as secretary-treasurer and president in the local branch; as secretary, vice president, president-elect and president in the state branch; and as a representative for the local branch to District 9, a multi-state group.

Barnett's leadership has helped spark member interest and helped promote the local organization's growth. She has also been a guiding force for the current leadership at both the local and state levels.

Barnett has also been involved in her community. She has served on the University of Memphis Engineering Alumni Board and Civil Engineering Advisory Board. She also is active in the Girl Scouts of America, taking leadership roles and serving on several boards.

Michael Rogers, vice president for Smith Seckman Reid Inc. (SSR), a Nashville, Tenn.- based engineering and facility consulting firm, has been selected as a 2005 class member of Leadership Middle Tennessee, a regional program for community, business and government leaders.

Rogers was selected as a representative for Sumner County and will join 24 other participants from 10 counties that include Nashville and the surrounding area. Selection is based on leadership achievements and potential to contribute to the development of the region.

Leadership Middle Tennessee is designed to encourage and promote a regional perspective on issues that contribute to planned, sustainable economic and community growth and development.

Rogers, who joined SSR in 2000, is responsible for managing the firm's multi-disciplined sports and entertainment design team, developing and maintaining client relationships, and negotiating contracts and fees. He has more than 17 years of experience in engineering and is a registered professional engineer in Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana.

Rogers is a member of the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers. He received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Tennessee.