WILMINGTON, NC — Tom Myers joins HDR as Principal Asset Management Consultant, Dennis Vonasek, AIA, ACHA, CID, joins as a Health Principal, James Shapard joins as a Senior Power Project Manager, and Kent Bonner, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, joins as Managing Principal.Based in Wilmington, North Carolina, Myers will partner with clients to develop strategic asset management plans, benchmarking evaluations, emergency response evaluations, and process-centric strategies for efficiency.

“I am impressed with HDR’s breadth of capabilities and focus on asset management, and I am excited to join such a dedicated team of professionals,” Myers said.

Myers has more than 30 years of global experience navigating the technical, operational, and business challenges related to utility operations and asset management. He has collaborated with over 80 utilities in 10 countries to develop business plans, implement technology to reduce costs, and improve operating performance. Most recently Myers completed a major asset management transformation effort at Companhia de Electricidade de Macau in Macau SAR, China.

“Tom’s depth of experience and education in both engineering and accounting stands out,” said Lisa Larson, Vice President at HDR. “He’s able to collaborate with engineers, project staff, and financial staff at utilities to develop efficient solutions.”

Myers is on the executive board for the Institute of Asset Management USA Chapter, and he frequently speaks and writes on industry issues.

Based in the Arlington, Virginia, architecture studio, Vonasek will lead HDR’s health practice in the Arlington area, employing more than 30 years of leadership experience as a Principal, Project Manager, and Designer.

“I am excited about the scale and diversity of projects at HDR, as well as the approach HDR takes toward international work,” Vonasek said.

Vonasek joins HDR in the midst of the challenges brought on by COVID-19. “I have been incredibly impressed with the nimble, welcoming, and flexible approach of everyone within the firm I have met virtually, and I look forward to meeting them in person," he said.

“Dennis brings his great depth and diversity of health care experience to our Arlington health practice,” said Chris Bormann, HDR’s Health Director in the Eastern U.S. “We are really excited to add his engaging personal style, broad perspective and enthusiasm to our team.”

Before joining HDR, Vonasek served as the Vice President and Health Care Practice Group Leader at HGA Architects and Engineers in both the Washington, D.C. and Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul offices. He also brings experience in project management from his time as a Project Manager at BWBR in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Vonasek earned a Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Arts in environmental design at North Dakota State University.

Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Shapard will partner with clients to develop efficient, economical siting and routing solutions for energy, commercial, and industrial infrastructure.

Shapard has more than 20 years of experience in civil engineering work related to power delivery, environmental, and transportation. He spent the past seven years as the Carolinas West Region Siting Lead for Duke Energy after serving as a City Engineer for the Charlotte Department of Transportation, and as a Civil Engineering Consultant.

“James’s combination of client and consultant experience is uncommon, and especially valuable in creating solutions for long-term success,” said Michelle Bissonnette, Vice President at HDR. “By bringing his expertise into the fold with our engineers, scientists, and strategic communications professionals, we can help customers reduce time and costs while achieving their goals.”

“I see tremendous opportunity to team with clients and solve challenges by backing my experience with HDR’s depth,” Shapard said. “For every siting and routing project, my goal is to build positive customer experiences based on quality and consistency.”

Shapard has a Master of Business Administration from Wingate University, and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Virginia Tech.

Based in HDR’s Arlington and Glen Allen, Virginia, offices, Bonner's responsibilities include setting the strategic vision for the $35-million practice, developing and retaining talent, delivering design excellence and technical quality to clients, managing HDR’s risks and strengthening the firm’s presence in the region.

“Kent brings the right balance of industry experience, design excellence, and operations management to help lead the Arlington and Glen Allen architecture offices, which are part of HDR’s legacy architecture program, including the centerpiece of federal architecture,” said Tom McLaughlin, Northeast Regional Director of Operations. “We are most excited to bring Kent’s experience as a trusted and dedicated HDR employee-owner to the Managing Principal position.”

After earning his Master of Architecture from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1998, Bonner began his professional career in the HDR Alexandria office, which is now located in Arlington.

“I look forward to leading these two architecture practices and supporting the talented staff who have contributed in countless ways to my career at HDR,” Bonner said. “I’m excited to leverage the Managing Principal role to drive excellence in design, quality, and innovation while remaining focused on client and community engagement. As we emerge from the pandemic, our team is poised to continue the strategic growth and business development goals we’ve set to increase HDR’s market share in the Washington, D.C., and Richmond areas.”

Bonner has played roles in many HDR projects across all architecture market sectors, notably: Brookhaven National Laboratory Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Upton, New York; City of Alexandria Police Headquarters, Alexandria, Virginia; Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland; National Guard Long Term Care Facility, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and the USACE Fort Gordon Cyber Center of Excellence, Augusta, Georgia.