Milestones in the industry.

Optech Incorporated, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, added Dario Conforti to its international applications support team. Conforti provides customer support to Optech's European client base.

Halff Associates, Houston, Texas, hired Douglas Turner, RPLS, as the survey department manager for its Houston office. Turner has been actively involved in surveying for the past 32 years in the Houston area and throughout the state of Texas.

Also, Halff Associates named Gary Bowes, RPLS, LSLS, as regional surveying manager in the Houston office. He is responsible for ensuring that best practices are followed and quality assurance goals are obtained related to land surveying. Bowes is a registered professional land surveyor as well as a licensed state land surveyor in Texas.

Lester E. Carter Jr., PLS, joined Cannon Associates, San Luis Obispo, Calif., as the new director of surveying. Carter brings more than 29 years of land surveying experience working with both private and public entities.

Design Professionals Inc., South Windsor, Conn., promoted Anne A. DeMallie from comptroller to chief financial officer.

Karen Underhill, PhD, joined RBF Consulting, Irvine, Calif., as project manager and associate in the firm's GIS department. Underhill brings more than 14 years of experience in GIS strategic planning, database design, data conversion, systems implementation, staff training and supervision, and systems integration to RBF's GIS department.

Giffels-Webster Engineers Inc., Rochester Hills, Mich., named Sheila Monohon to the newly created position of director of client relations. Monohon has been with Giffels-Webster for five years, previously serving as a senior project manager with the firm.

Clary & Associates Professional Surveyors and Mappers, Jacksonville, Fla., hired Darron Pustam as technology director. Pustam brings 16 years of experience to his position. His duties include: gathering and analyzing current business processes; analyzing current and future technology; creating, implementing and managing new business software applications; and creating central and linked sources for the dissemination of related company project information.

Timmons Group, Richmond, Va., announced four additions to its staff. John Bennett, PE, joined as a senior project manager in the commercial group. Dave Gardy, LS, joined the survey sector as a group leader for the Richmond area. Greg Smith, PE, was named senior project manager in the public safety group. And Corey Garyotis joined as a project manager in the stormwater group.

James W. Sewall Company, Old Town, Maine, announced that Bruce Oswald joined the firm as vice president for public sector geospatial solutions.

Pamela Cote joined the GIS team of Woolpert Inc., Atlanta, Ga., as a project manager. Cote manages GIS projects in Georgia, Alabama and eastern Tennessee. She also provides business development assistance in the GIS/IT market and land records industry.

Trimble acquired the assets of privately held BitWyse Solutions Inc. of Salem, Mass. BitWyse is a leading data management company specializing in 2D and 3D software applications for engineering and construction plant design. Mark Klusza, founder and president of BitWyse, and the staff of BitWyse will join Trimble as part of the transaction. The assets acquired from BitWyse will be part of Trimble's Engineering and Construction business segment.