Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS), Livermore, Calif., announced that its dealer Position Partners, Australia’s largest distributor of precision positioning systems, opened a new national headquarters in Melbourne. The company’s new facility is located at 7 Transit Drive, Campbellfield, Victoria.

McKim & Creed, Raleigh, N.C., acquired JMR Surveying Group LLC, a 3D laser scanning and surveying company near Orlando, Fla.

Langan Engineering & Environmental Services opened a new office in Irvine, Calif., at 18662 MacArthur Boulevard. Rudolph P. Frizzi, PE, GE, is principal in charge. The new office operations are led by Dan R. Eberhart, PG, CEG, who joins Langan as an associate, and Diane Fiorelli, PE, LEED AP. The firm now has 12 offices in eight states, including New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Virginia, Florida, Nevada and California, as well as international locations in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Athens.

Pennoni Associates relocated its Baltimore office to 323 West Camden Street, Suite 600.

Dewberry, Fairfax, Va., promoted several surveyors in its Infrastructure Engineering Service area. David Taylor, Jr., RLA, project manager in the Survey and Land Development Division at the firm’s Baltimore office, is promoted to senior associate. Additionally, the following individuals are promoted to associate: Gary D. Simpson, PLS, director of survey technologies in the firm’s Lanham, Md., office; Robert H. Bengston, LS, manager of the survey department in the Danville, Va., office; and Thomas English, PLS, PP, director of surveys in the Bloomfield, N.J., office.

Kuker-Ranken Inc., Seattle, hired Kevin Brown as customer support and sales in its Seattle store. Brown has extensive industry experience. Prior to coming to Kuker-Ranken, he most recently worked at PPI in Kent, Wash., and at Topcon.

MAPPS, Reston, Va., announced election results for its board of directors. Jeff Lovin, of Woolpert Inc., is president and serves as chairman of the board of directors. Lovin is the vice president and managing principal of the Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Division of Woolpert. He has served as a member of the MAPPS board of directors, president-elect, chairman of the Aviation Bill Task Force, and as a member of the Legislative Affairs Committee. Richard “Dick” McDonald, of Geospatial Corp., is president-elect. McDonald is the executive vice president of GIS Operations for Geospatial Corp. He has been a member of the MAPPS board of directors for the past four years, serving as secretary for the past two, as chairman of the Underground Utilities Task Force and co-chair of the MAPPS Agency Liaison Committee with the departments of Defense and Homeland Security. Mike Tully, of Aerial Services Inc., is secretary, and Robert “Bob” Hickey, of Photo Science Inc., is treasurer. Newly elected directors are Eric Andelin, of Aerial Data Service Inc., Craig Molander, of Surdex Corp., and Mark Safran, of BAE Systems. Re-elected to the board is Brant Howard, of CompassData Inc. Rounding out the nine-person board is incumbent director Scott Perkins, of Wilson & Co. The elections took place June 26 during the annual business meeting.

Spalding DeDecker Associates, Inc. (SDA), Detroit, announced the election of Paul Wade, PE, to president of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)/Michigan. Wade previously served ACEC/Michigan as treasurer, chair of the Scholarship, Transportation, and Annual Meeting committees and chair of the Michigan Design & Construction Coalition.

V3 Companies Ltd., Woodridge, Ill., promoted Rob Getz, PE, to director of land strategies services. Getz has spent the last two years growing the land strategies service line for V3, which includes advising clients on the highest and best use of their land assets. He is a licensed real estate broker with 10 years of experience focused on designing, managing and entitling land development projects, most recently for Pulte Homes.

Clary & Associates Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., announced that Marketing Director Shari Schurr was recognized as the “Member of the Year” by the North Florida Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS). Schurr received the award for her service as public relations/communications chair for the nonprofit, professional organization during fiscal year 2008-2009. Schurr joined Clary & Associates in 1999. In addition to her award, she is president-elect for the chapter for the 2009-2010 term, which begins in September.


Associate Editor Wendy Lyons compiles “Turning Points.” Contact her at 248/786-1620 or lyonsw@bnpmedia.