Shawmut Design and Construction, a leading $2 billion national construction management firm, has expanded its Large Project Division in the New York Metro region, adding key hires who bring decades of experience in commercial, healthcare, and large vertical projects.
Shawmut welcomed Kasia Mickowska, a 23-year industry veteran, as project executive; Thomas Howard, who has 40 years in the new construction and renovation markets, as senior MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) manager; and promoted Brian Troast, a specialist in high-rise construction, to senior director of construction operations. Their additions to the Large Project Division are a key element of the firm's aggressive strategy to grow market share in large-scale projects. Shawmut first started building out this division in 2022, when Charlie Avolio came on as head of major projects, bringing nearly four decades of experience in New York City construction. During this time, Shawmut has continued to build out its preconstruction team with key hires to support and bolster the division.
"Over the last decade, our work mix in New York has broadened significantly to include commercial, education, cultural, and healthcare construction management services," said David Margolius, executive vice president of Shawmut's New York Metro region. "As a 100% employee-owned company in a client-service business, our people are our value to clients. I'm thrilled to announce the addition and promotion of these team members to continue to bolster the capabilities and technical expertise we deliver across the city."
In his new role as senior director of construction operations, Troast is responsible for leading teams in preparing and executing the highest level of project delivery, including technical capabilities, through every phase of work. He will ensure the team's technical growth in addition to cultivating the next generation of builders. Starting at Shawmut a year ago as senior project executive, Troast has more than 20 years of industry experience, with work on iconic projects across New York City including base building construction at One Vanderbilt and One World Trade Center, and 550 Madison Avenue's repositioning. Troast supports local organizations including All Souls NYC Friday Soup Kitchen, IronMatt, The Charlie Landers Foundation, and The CAM Foundation. He was named an ENR New York Top Young Professional, recognized for his construction acumen and leadership.
Mickowska joins Shawmut from Tishman, where she managed construction of ground-up towers and major projects in healthcare, including for NYU Langone Health, HSS, and NYC Health + Hospitals. As project executive, she oversees her projects' entire office and field teams, acting as the key owner liaison for clients to ensure their goals and visions are achieved. Mickowska is an active member of the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE), Association of Medical Facility Professional (AMFP), Women's Builder Council (WBC), NYC Builds Bio+, and the U.S. Green Building Council. She also serves on The Kosciuszko Foundation, American-Scandinavian Foundation, and Catskill Strategic Planning Advisory Group (via DEC).
With an extensive wealth of engineering and construction knowledge, Howard leads MEP budgeting efforts as senior MEP manager, bringing best practices for preconstruction planning and project execution. His portfolio includes healthcare and education facilities, previously working on NYU Langone Health's campus transformation and on projects for One Brooklyn Health, Northwell Health, Mount Sinai, and Memorial Sloan Kettering.
The expanded Large Project Division works closely with Shawmut's preconstruction team, which includes recent additions of estimator Vimalkumar Patel, senior estimators Bobby Burgess and Ravi Patel, and chief estimator Kenneth Perry.
Shawmut's recent projects include St. John's University's new ground-up St. Vincent Health Sciences Center; life science and academic projects at Columbia University and New York-Presbyterian; Taconic Partners' life sciences hub at the Hudson Research Center; Barclays Center renovations; Time and Tide at 360 Park Avenue South; and the current renovation of New York Public Library's Aguilar Branch.
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