It’s no secret that one of the biggest impacts of the pandemic was felt in the job market and affected both employers and employees alike. It’s one of the reasons we’re so proud of our 2021 Top Workplaces designation. Our focus has always been on our people, but that’s never been more evident from our leadership team on down than since the workplace shifted in March 2020.

This year, especially, pushed us to put more of an emphasis on our recruiting and retention strategies in this new and ever-changing climate. “In 2021, we found there was more competition for new hires against other engineering firms,” says Vice President of Human Resources, Kendahle Artis. “Because of that, we really focused on the areas that make us stand out when it comes to our hiring practices and found that potential employees are really looking for balance, a positive culture, and a genuine commitment to a mission and core values – luckily these all ring true for us.”

Kendahle and her team have been the busiest they’ve ever been, onboarding more than 50 employees this year while supporting retention efforts to keep our current employees happy. Their work has paid off as Primera saw some major players step into new roles, as outlined below:

1. 2021 brought us Stacie Dovalovsky, Vice President & Transportation Division Manager. Based in both our Lisle and Chicago offices, Stacie leads our transportation division and works to support our client loyalty efforts. Read more here.
2. Our Utilities division saw M. Tom Monostori’s promoted to Civil Engineering Group Manager. In this role, Tom manages our utility and site design projects while also leading project teams and resources. More here.
3. As mentioned above, Kendahle and her team were working overtime this year and because of her hard work and efforts, she was promoted to Vice President of Human Resources. Check out her announcement here.
4. No stranger to the Primera family, 2021 also brought the return of one of our favorites, Howard Eaton, as our new Substation Department Manager. Howard is now in charge of our substation team and works daily to empower the team to find better solutions for our utilities clients. You can read more about Howard’s return here.
5. Elizabeth Odegaard has been non-stop since she started at Primera back in 2019. Her efforts in ensuring a five-star experience for all our clients have earned her yet another promotion to Project Delivery Department Manager, read about it here.
6. Our Transportation group was proud to see Matt Villanueva move up the ranks to the division’s new Roadway Group Manager. He will continue to tackle tough infrastructure challenges with a laser focus on safety, while continuing to share his technical knowledge across the firm. Check it out here.
7. Marking her tenth year with Primera, Angie DeAlba was recognized for her efforts with a recent promotion to Director of Communications on our Corporate team. As we continue to expand Nationally, Angie will help ensure that we maintain a positive image and reputation across the industry. Read more here.
8. As one of our lead utility team engineers since he joined the firm in 2015, Scott Kuyken’s hard work has earned him a move up to Distribution Engineering Director on our Utilities team. He now works to provide QA/QC on all distribution projects and mentors our utility engineers on industry standards and best practices. Check out his announcement here.