Engineers

Rich Smith named President at Henderson Engineers

Feb. 7, 2013
3 min read

LENEXA, Kan. - February 7, 2013 - Henderson Engineers, Inc. (HEI), a national top 10 architectural engineering company, recently announced several executive level promotions to plan for long term stability and success of the company.

Rich Smith has been promoted to President of HEI. He will serve as a liaison to HEI’s clients and will be the primary public representative of the company. As President, Smith will focus on the overall vision and brand of the company. Additionally, Smith will remain heavily involved in business development and assisting with diversifying and growing the firm.

Duane Henderson will remain as CEO. He will continue to be involved in the daily operations and help lead of the company through the transition period. Henderson has been CEO since 1988; his father Fran founded the company in 1970.

Dave Haake has assumed the role of Chief Operations Officer. His responsibilities will include overseeing the daily operations of the company, including internal design teams, specialty divisions, and branch offices.

Dana Kettle has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer; she will oversee and manage all financial aspects of the firm.

Rick Lahm has stepped down as CFO, a position he has held since 1990. Lahm will assume the role of Board Treasurer.

Tony Pianalto has assumed the role of Chief Technical Officer. He will oversee and manage the technical engineering aspects of the firm, including quality control, training, standards, building information modeling, sustainability and commissioning.

“HEI’s Board of Directors examined the roles and organization of our company and interviewed key personnel through a six month discovery period,” said Duane Henderson, CEO. “We wanted to make sure we were taking into consideration our shareholders’ thoughts and ideas with regard to the future of the company.”

“The plan presented will allow for a smooth leadership transition for our company,” said Rich Smith, President. “I’m excited about the opportunity and the changes and feel it will strengthen the management structure as our firm continues to grow both regionally and nationally.”

About Henderson Engineers, Inc.

Henderson Engineers, Inc. was founded in 1970 and provides mechanical, electrical, plumbing and refrigeration design services through its headquarters in Kansas City, as well as branch offices in Bentonville, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, New York Metro, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Tampa. Licensed in all 50 states, Henderson is comprised of over 450 employees including 150 Licensed Engineers and over 100 LEED® Accredited Professionals. In addition to its core services, Henderson Engineers, Inc. houses four specialty divisions: Impact Illumination (architectural lighting), Fire Dynamics (fire protection and code consulting), Collective Tech/ADG (comprehensive technology, security, audio visual, and acoustical design), and Outcome Cx (Commissioning). For more information visit www.hei-eng.com.

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