2012 Muscle Team® Boston Committee Members
Muscle Team® Coach:
Vice President of Pre-construction and Purchasing, Commodore Builders
Jim is a graduate of Norwich University – The Military College of Vermont, where he earned a BS degree in Civil Engineering. Jim has nearly two decades of construction experience, and has been with Commodore Builders since its inception in 2002, playing a key role in the evolution of the company. Jim leads the firm’s growing Pre-Construction team of estimators and manages all purchasing and procurement. He has served as the chairman of the Young Contractor’s Council, as well as on the Board of Directors for the AGC of Massachusetts and “Coach” for the 2012 Muscle Team. For the past five years, Commodore Builders has been a supporter of MDA-Boston’s mission to improve the quality of life for children living with muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular diseases.
Muscle Team® Committee:
Business Development Manager, Gilbane Building Co.
Raj brings seven years of experience in Business Development, specializing in corporate, mission critical, retail and restaurant upscale interiors work in Boston and throughout Massachusetts. Raj oversees projects being delivered through Gilbane’s Special Projects Group approach—designed to streamline project delivery and meet demands of compressed schedules and budgets for smaller projects. Raj has a BS in Management of Technology from Wentworth Institute of Technology and is currently working on completing his Master of Science in Construction Management at Wentworth Institute of Technology. Raj is an active Member of NAIOP and CoreNet Global.
Vice President, Cassidy Turley FHO
Lauria Brennan has over 20 years’ experience in real estate industry and over 12 years in the Boston commercial real estate market.
For the past 10 years, Lauria has been responsible for leasing over 2,000,000 square feet of space for Equity Office in Boston. In this role, Lauria was part of a six person downtown leasing team. The downtown team was responsible for leasing strategy, asset management, and customer and broker relations. Lauria was directly responsible for leasing assignments that included: One Post Office Square, Rowes Wharf, 175 Federal Street, 150 Federal Street, Center Plaza and South Station.
Equity Office Properties recognized Lauria for two consecutive years as one of the Top Ten Brokers in the country. She has previously served as a National Vice President for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and is a former Vice President for NAIOP’S Charitable Affairs Committee.
Lauria is a member of NEWIRE, Commercial Brokers Association and NAIOP.
Lauria has her Bachelors of Arts degree from Simmons College. She continued her education at Harvard University and obtained a certificate of studies in Business Administration.
Chairman of the Board, Dennis K. Burke, Inc.
Ed Burke is chairman of the board of Dennis K. Burke, Inc., one of New England's largest suppliers of diesel fuel, gasoline and motor oil products. Headquartered in Chelsea, Massachusetts, the fuel distributor services commercial, industrial and municipal accounts in eleven states. The family-owned business has over 50 years of reliable service.
A leading supplier for many of the area’s biodiesel and bioheat users, Burke is well known for their years of experience in the biofuels industry. The company’s biofuels center in Chelsea holds the distinction of being first in the state to offer biodiesel and E85 ethanol at the pump. Greening their operations, Burke recently installed an electric vehicle charging station at their headquarters, which is powered by a rooftop 50 kw solar panel array that the company added a few years ago.
Ed spends much of his time traveling around the country as a guest speaker on behalf of the emerging biofuels industry, sharing his unique marketing experience in bringing the environmental niche into the mainstream oil market.
Consultant, Putnam Associates, Inc.
James Cleary currently works as a Senior Consultant at Putnam Associates, a leading business strategy consulting firm focused on the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostics, and medical device industries. This is his second year serving on the Muscle Team committee; he also serves on the committee for MDA’s Fall Foliage Golf Tournament.
James graduated from Harvard University, where he was a member of the men’s ice hockey and golf teams. He and his wife, Carol, live with their new son, Thomas, in Cambridge, MA.
Vice President, Callahan, Inc.
Van Gikas is Vice President at Callahan, Inc., a full service construction firm specializing in construction management and preconstruction. He has been involved with Muscle Team for over 10 years, having served most recently as Co-Coach.
Van and his wife Nikki live in Peabody, MA with their children Elani and Achilles.
Bard, Rao + Athanas Consulting Engineers
Nick Johnson is an associate and senior mechanical engineer at Bard, Rao + Athanas Consulting Engineers LLC, a Keyspan Business Solution company, headquartered in Watertown. He is a registered professional engineer, a certified energy manager and a certified LEEDs engineer. Johnson earned his B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1985. Johnson has performed a wide range of engineering analyses for medical centers, universities, private corporations and other clients worldwide. He has traveled across the country giving engineering presentations and has been involved with the analysis and negotiation of energy company rebates totaling several million dollars. He has completed energy analyses for several projects that have received national awards from the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers.
Johnson served as Chairman of the Massachusetts State Energy Advisory Committee from 1996 to 2000. During his term as Chairman, the committee developed and implemented a new state energy code. He’s past President of the Boston Chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers. Johnson has authored several articles for national engineering trade magazines.
Johnson is Chairman of MDA’s Massachusetts State Task Force on Public Awareness. He received MDA’s 1993 Personal Achievement Award for the New England Region, as well as MDA’s 1995 State Personal Achievement Award for Massachusetts. Johnson received MDA’s 2004 National Personal Achievement Award. He lives with his wife, Susan, in Waltham.
President, Electric Supply Center
Larry is President of Electrical Supply Company, with over 20 years of experience in the electrical distribution and engineering industry. Under his leadership, Electrical Supply Company has grown to become one of the largest electrical distribution companies in New England, serving a diverse range of clients from electrical contractors, to commercial properties and institutions. Understanding the power of excellent customer service, Larry and his staff have built strong relationships with clients through a responsive and adaptive environment, which has paved the way for the company’s continued success.
Prior to purchasing ESC, Larry worked at All-Phase Electric, an electrical distribution company. He started his career as a sales engineer for Westinghouse Electric. Larry graduated WPI with a B.S in mechanical engineering.
Vice President, Walsh Mechanical Contractors, Inc.
Paul joined Walsh Mechanical Contractors in 1999 and serves as Vice President, General Manager and Director of Marketing for the full service Mechanical Contractor. Paul is a current member of the National and New England Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' Association and the Mechanical Contractor Association of America (MCAA). Paul is responsible for the strategic direction and continuous improvement of all phases of Walsh Mechanical’s construction operations. Paul has a BS in Business Administration from Northeastern University.
Walsh, established in 1918, remains an Industry Leader in Mechanical Construction and has been a proud supporter of MDA-Boston for over six years. Paul and Walsh Mechanical are proud to be strong supporters of MDA-Boston’s mission to improve the quality of life for children living with muscular dystrophy.
Director of Client Services, Dyer Brown & Associates, Inc., Architects
Tara brings over 18 years of project management experience to Dyer Brown's clientele. Working both with the design team and as an individual advisor, Tara develops customized planning to provide clients with support and advocacy at each project phase. Tara began her career working on the corporate/owner side of the retail industry, managing projects at the real estate, design and construction levels. Prior to joining Dyer Brown she worked as an Owners Representative Project Manager for Cresa Partners. Tara is an active member of NEWIRE and CoreNet Global. Tara holds a degree from St. Lawrence University.
Vice President, Lake Contracting, Inc.
For over a decade, Urshula Patel has been a key member of the Lake Contracting executive team. As Vice President, she often brings her expertise in high-end construction for legal firms to bear, providing overall management for multiple projects and developing new business opportunities.
Ms. Patel regularly works with representatives from clients as well as Lake Contracting’s architecture and engineering partners, supervising a project’s total construction effort to ensure that it is built to design specifications, within budget, and on schedule. In addition, Ms. Patel is the Lake Contracting executive in charge of marketing strategy, overseeing the company’s public relations, advertising, and online efforts. She is one of the longest-serving members on the Muscle Team committee. Ms. Patel holds a Bachelor of Science from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and also studied at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Partner, Murtha Cullina LLP, Boston Office
As a member of Murtha Cullina's Litigation and Construction Law group since 1995, Andrew concentrates his practice in Construction Law, counseling owners, general contractors and subcontractors regarding all facets of construction work on both public and private projects from contract negotiations to litigation. Andrew is a graduate of Northeastern University and the Boston University School of Law. He resides in Hopkinton, MA with his wife and two children.
Owner, Total Energy Solutions
Web Design:
President, JM Design Inc.
Joanne has over 25 years experience as a designer and illustrator. After graduating from Brandeis University with a major in painting and printmaking, she did freelance work in Vermont and Boston. She then worked for Lotus Development Corp. for 10 years as an illustrator, user interface designer and project manager for various software and web applications.
In 1999 Joanne formed her company JM Design Inc. She offers a full range of design services, including website design & development, illustration, user interface design for software & web applications, design for mobile devices, icon creation, and graphic design.
In 2006 Joanne became involved with Muscle Team Boston by volunteering to design and develop their website. She has continued for six years to serve on their committee, revising and maintaining their website each year.