MWH Global announced the expansion of the firm’s Southern California practice. The addition of vice presidents Joe Lauria and John Hanula provides increased expertise on a variety of water and wastewater issues for municipalities and companies operating in the region, further strengthening the MWH position as a leader in the area.
Joe Lauria has joined the firm as vice president and area manager – municipal water/wastewater, for the Orange County market, based in the Irvine, Calif., office. Lauria brings more than 30 years of experience in the municipal water and wastewater business. The majority of those years were spent with Malcolm Pirnie Inc. in locations throughout the U.S. The last 13 years have been focused in California. In his new role, Lauria will be responsible for directing, planning and coordinating the MWH business development and growth strategy in Orange County and other portions of the Southern Los Angeles Basin area.
“Joe’s recognition as a successful business leader, practice builder and principal in charge of major engineering projects across the country will greatly strengthen the MWH prominent California consultancy and bring significant value to our clients,” said Dr. Steven Weber, Southwest Regional Manager for MWH in the Americas.
Lauria holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil/environmental engineering from Manhattan College in New York City. He is a registered Professional Engineer in three states, a past member of the executive board of the California Assn. of Sanitation Agencies, current member of the executive board of the Water Design-Build Council and current member of the Civil & Environmental Engineering Committee at the University of California, Irvine.
John Hanula, senior vice president, will lead the MWH Los Angeles operation and be based in the firm’s Pasadena office. Hanula is educated as an architect and civil engineer, and brings 28 years of experience to the role.
Hanula has rejoined MWH after a nine-year period at CH2M Hill. In his previous tenure with MWH, Hanula was vice president, holding leadership positions including director of strategic programs and international business development. As part of his role as director of global business development, Hanula is tasked with managing and coordinating the MWH business development and growth strategy in the Los Angeles market.
“John’s recognized stature as a big-city and major infrastructure visionary will enhance MWH offerings to its clients,” said Marshall Davert, president for the government and infrastructure business segment in the Americas and in Asia Pacific for MWH. “He has the rare ability to frame and shape the most complex infrastructure-related needs into opportunities.”
Hanula holds a Master of Science in civil engineering as well as a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Tennessee. He is a registered architect in 12 states across the U.S., and is a board member of the WateReuse Foundation and the California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy. He was recently appointed to the Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering advisory board at the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering.
Source: MWH Global
