ISC Constructors LLC of Baton Rouge, La., recently announced the addition of Tommy Virgets to its family of associates.

Virgets’ professional career started at Dow Chemical in the Industrial Relations Division. In 1961, he became Ameron’s international sales manager, residing in Holland and Rome.

He also served in a business development role in Africa and the Middle East.

In 1973, he returned to the United States and became vice president of marketing and maintenance for Anco Industries, where he served until his retirement in 1999.

In 2002, he was hired on shortly with ISC as a consultant. In 2008, he returned to ISC as an asset to the Business Development Department, assisting with special projects and the business plan.

Virgets says one of his career highlights was developing the National Insulation Symposium during the energy crisis of the late 1980’s, which convened annually for 10 years and focused on the need for insulation in energy conservation

In addition, he assisted in the rebuild of the Hess Oil Refinery in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, after it was severely damaged during Hurricane Hugo.

Alabama

Gresham, Smith and Partners of Birmingham, Ala., recently announced that Anne-Marie Gianoudis has been appointed as a national trustee of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Foundation. The Board of Trustees consists of leading industry professionals dedicated to the interior design profession.

Her appointment was announced at the IIDA Annual Meeting in Chicago on June 14.

Gianoudis has more than 10 years of experience that encompasses all phases of architectural projects including programming, schematic design, design development, construction documents and construction administration.

She is the president of the Alabama Chapter of IIDA, which was named the Small Chapter of the Year in 2008 under her leadership.

In addition, she served as a competition judge for the 14th Annual IIDA Showroom and Booth Design Competition at this year’s NeoCon exposition.

The IIDA Foundation is a not-for-profit, philanthropic organization committed to the advancement of the interior design profession through education, research and knowledge.

The foundation, under the guidance of its Board of Trustees, works in collaboration with IIDA to support the strategic plan of the association.

Arkansas

Superior Industries, a manufacturer of conveyor systems and components, appointed Sean Fox as its new conveyor components territory manager in a five-state region that includes Arkansas.

With an office near Kansas City, Fox will work with Superior’s components distribution in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. His almost 15 years of employment in the industry will help reinforce Superior’s commitment to providing quality idlers, pulleys and conveyor-related accessories to its customers.

Headquartered in Morris, Minn., Superior Industries designs and fabricates a full line of conveying equipment, telescoping conveyors, design-build systems, feed systems, conveyor idlers, pulleys, as well as other conveyor components.

Louisiana

Eskew+Dumez+Ripple of New Orleans, La., has added four new staff members to its design practice. In business since 1986, EDR continues to grow as the architectural profession rapidly evolves.

These staff members come from varied backgrounds and focus on a variety of elements of the profession.

New members include Lynn Ostenson, specifications writer; Marty McElveen, senior designer; Kim Tseng, intern architect; and Michael Keller, intern architect. Each joins the firm with unique design capabilities and experience with strong firms across the country.

HMS Architects of New Orleans recently announced that Michael Buisson and Damien Job have successfully completed the LEED Accredited Professional test through the Green Building Certification Institute.

Buisson and Job join Amy Savoie, Michael Vega, Nate Walker and Scott Welty at HMS in the pursuit of green building practices as LEED accredited professionals.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, sets specific benchmarks and standards to define and measure the environmentally friendly aspects of buildings.

A certified LEED AP can help to streamline the process, having demonstrated sufficient knowledge of the process and the strategies of making a LEED Certified Building.

Landis Construction Co. LLC of New Orleans recently announced that Ryan Allen, Christian Generes, Sarah Busch and Melanie Champagne recently earned LEED accreditation through the U. S. Green Building Council.

Mississippi

Roy Anderson Corp. of Gulfport, Miss., recently announced the following employees have successfully completed their LEED testing and are now LEED accredited professionals: Laurie Baughman, chief estimator; Johnny Clemmons, senior project manager;

April Corey, senior estimator; Chuck Dudenhefer, project executive; Geoffrey Knesal, assistant project manger; Steven Linton, senior project manager;

Judson McLeod, vice president - operations; Wendy Pattison, project manager; Michael Sefton, estimator II; Charlie Warden, assistant project manager; Jim Whitacre, project manager.

LEED AP’s have demonstrated a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles and the LEED Rating system.

Tennessee

The Lewis Group Architects of Knoxville, Tenn., recently added a new member to its team, building upon the growth experienced by the firm in the past few years.

Marie Lovell was hired to take over as the office manager at LGA. She moved from Michigan where she lived for more than seven years and now currently resides in Knoxville.

Four ESa employees in Nashville, Tenn., have recently earned the U.S. Green Building Council’s accredited professional certification. This brings ESa’s total number of LEED APs to 24.

The newly credentialed LEED APs include Interior Designer/Interior Design Manager Ken L. Bowma; Jenny Harlan, Interior Design Division; Jennifer Satterfield, Interior Design Division; and Janet Wennerlund, Interior Design Division.

LEED APs have demonstrated a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles and the LEED Rating System. The professional accreditation program was launched in 2001.

ESa, a 28-year-old firm headquartered in Nashville, provides architecture, interior architecture, master planning and space planning services to healthcare, education, hospitality, senior living and corporate office clients across the country.

Regional

The ARA Foundation recently awarded $41,000 in scholarships to 24 students for the 2009-2010 academic year.

South Central recipients of foundation undergraduate scholarships of $1,500 each are:

• Brandt Yount, A-1 Equipment Rental, Morristown, Tenn., owned by his father, Eddie Yount.

Recipients of the foundation’s graduate scholarships of $2,000 each are:

• Chris Sater, A & A Tent Productions, Shreveport, La. His father, Harold Sater, is managing director of Taylor Rentals/A&A Tents.

He is attending Centenary College in Shreveport, pursuing an MBA.

After receiving a record 86 applications, the ARA Foundation Scholarship Committee selected 24 students for scholarships for the upcoming academic year.

All the recipients are planning future careers in the equipment rental industry. The scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 each, are being awarded to students attending technical/vocational schools, community colleges, undergraduate colleges and graduate schools.

The foundation board of trustees and scholarship committee awarded several additional undergraduate and graduate scholarships this year, since the quality of applicants was high and additional funds were available from the 2008 and 2009 auctions benefiting the foundation during The Rental Show.

Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, leadership, rental industry involvement, written essays on rental-related questions and references.

Applicants must be associated with the rental industry as an owner, manager or employee of a rental operation or manufacturer/supplier of rental equipment, or their family members.

The ARA Foundation is a 501(c)3 philanthropic organization supporting the equipment rental industry since 1976.