People

Huitt-Zollars is excited to announce the addition of Rick Belden, P.E., to our transportation team as a Vice President in our Denver office. Rick will initially oversee highway transportation projects across Colorado and Oklahoma, with plans to expand into New Mexico, Arizona, and Washington, while also supporting business development efforts across all our geographic markets. He brings 29 years of experience in planning, design, and program management of transportation facilities, including highways, toll roads, airports, and urban roads.

Huitt-Zollars is pleased to announce Andrew (Andy) Fastman, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C has joined as a Senior Vice President and Commercial Practice Area Leader. In this role, he will lead the firm’s commercial business sector which includes themed entertainment, destination entertainment, and large-scale commercial projects.

Huitt-Zollars is pleased to welcome Chester Nielsen, AIA, as a Vice President of Interior Architecture in our Houston Downtown office. In this role, Chester will lead the firm’s interior design efforts, driving innovative solutions for clients across various industries.

Huitt-Zollars is excited to announce the addition of Veda Montalbano, P.E., to our transportation team as a Vice President and Senior Project Manager in our Austin office. In this role, Veda will oversee highway and transit projects in Central Texas and support business development initiatives in the transportation markets. She brings 37 years of experience in planning, design, and program management of transportation facilities, including highways, toll roads, high-speed rails, airports (landside), and rural and urban roads.

Huitt-Zollars is pleased to announce Steven (Steve) Striffler, Esq. has joined the firm as a Senior Vice President, General Counsel. In this role, Steve will represent Huitt-Zollars and provide counsel to its executives on general corporate matters. He will also be directly involved in complex business transactions and negotiating critical contracts.

Huitt-Zollars is excited to announce the promotion of Christian Wegmann, RPLS, to a Principal of the firm in our El Paso office. Since joining the firm in 2020, he has been an invaluable asset to our team, consistently demonstrating dedication, expertise, and leadership qualities that have contributed to our success. In addition to his current role as Survey Manager in the El Paso office, Christian will assist in the firm’s surveying operations for the New Mexico market related to business operations.

We are excited to announce that Thomas (Tom) Granillo, P.E., RPLS, has re-joined Huitt-Zollars as the Survey Manager in our Phoenix office. In addition to managing staff and survey projects in Phoenix, Tom will oversee the survey mapping in Arizona. He brings over 36 years of experience in land surveying and civil engineering serving clients in both the public works and land development sectors.

Tamara joined Huitt-Zollars in 2023 as a Vice President and Principal, where she has played a pivotal role in driving business development and nurturing client relations within the land development practice in Colorado. In her expanded role as Managing Principal, Tamara will assume responsibility for overseeing the Denver office, expanding business by developing existing and new client relationships, participating and being active in the Denver and surrounding communities, and ensuring the continuing delivery of top-notch engineering solutions and client service excellence. 

Huitt-Zollars is pleased to welcome Jacob Elias, P.E. to our Dallas transportation team, joining us as an Associate and Project Manager with a focus on construction management. In this role, he will primarily focus on project execution and client management for construction management projects within our transportation practice in Texas. 

Huitt-Zollars is pleased to announce the addition of Jeff Davis, P.E. to our team as a Vice President in our Urban Development practice in the Fort Worth office. In this role, Jeff will leverage his extensive experience in civil engineering, business development, and team leadership to contribute to the continued success and growth of our firm.