Overview
Congratulations to two of our top engineers for being named a ‘Top 20 Under 40’ by ENR Texas and Louisiana. Heather Guillen, P.E., LEED AP BD+C, ENV SP is a Civil Team Director in our Houston office, and Dirk Kestner, P.E., NCEES, LEED AP BD+C is the Director of Sustainability in our Austin office. Deemed “the best-of-the-best young construction professionals” by an independent panel of judges, Dirk and Heather were chosen from 60 entries submitted from Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas.
From Heather’s submission:
Heather Guillen is the Houston team director for the civil engineering services group at Walter P Moore.
Since she joined the firm in 2001, she has worked in a variety of sectors, including planning and design for educational, institutional, health care, commercial, and park projects. Guillen is a licensed PE in Texas, is LEED AP BD+C certified, and is an ENV SP (Envision™ Sustainability Professional, by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure).
As one of six civil team directors for the Houston office — and the only woman director — Guillen leads a group of 10 people. Currently, she is managing the George R. Brown Convention Center construction as the city prepares for Super Bowl LI in 2017.
Additionally, Guillen is an alumna of Leadership Houston Class XXXIII. She is also a member of the city of Sugar Land Parks, Arts, Recreation, Culture and Streetscapes board and is treasurer for the 2015-16 board of directors for the ASCE Houston Branch. Guillen is an active member in the Texas Society of Professional Engineers, U.S. Green Building Council, and Leadership Houston.
From Dirk’s submission:
Dirk Kestner, Walter P Moore’s first director of sustainable design, keeps the company abreast of changing green building specifications and sustainability polices. Kestner joined the firm’s Austin office in 2001 and has led its efforts to ensure environmental responsibility, sustainable design innovation, and stewardship.
Kestner holds a master’s degree in structural engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated cum laude from Cornell University. He is a licensed engineer in Texas and Georgia and is a LEED Accredited Professional/Building Design + Construction. Additionally, he has published multiple articles and is a past winner of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Lifecycle Building Challenge.
As a third-generation engineer, Kestner’s interest in construction was fostered during summers when he worked at his family’s engineering business in upstate New York. One of his first jobs was as a land surveyor’s assistant. That experience pushed Kestner to educate himself about sustainability.
Kestner founded the Structural Engineering Institute’s (SEI) sustainability committee and served as its chairman for five years. He also has a passion for mentoring young engineers and is a founding member of the young professionals committee at SEI.
Read more about the 2016 class of ‘Top 20 Under 40’
