Ideal Contracting Announces New Promotions

We are proud to announce the promotions of multiple members of the Ideal Contracting team.

Jennifer Torres – Promoted to Director of General Contracting

Jennifer Torres has been promoted from Sr. Project Manager to Director of General Contracting.  Jennifer began with Ideal Contracting in 2004 as a Project Engineer reporting to the Pontiac GC team and has continued to advance her career. Her relentless attention to detail and customer satisfaction are some of her most valuable qualities which have transitioned her into the role of Director of General Contracting. In this new role, Jennifer will be overseeing all General Contracting projects for Ideal Contracting’s competitive bid division. Jennifer will continue to report directly to Rich Brown, Vice President of Operations.

Tom Braden – Promoted to Sr. Project Manager

Tom Braden has been promoted from Project Manager to Sr. Project Manager. Tom recently celebrated his 15th anniversary with Ideal Contracting. Tom started with the company as our Yard Manager and established many of the purchasing and tracking systems we still utilize today. Tom is a prime example of an employee looking for a career change and did so within the company becoming a Project Engineer. After quickly mastering those skills, Tom became a Project Manager. Tom stepped up again and is currently putting in place processes and procedures to run our Small Projects program, networking with all departments within Ideal Contracting to provide quality, safety, and value to each project.

Bill Kostich – Promoted to Project Manager / Estimator

Bill Kostich, prior Ironworker Superintendent, has accepted a Projector Estimator/Project Manager position with the Service/Small Projects Group. Bill has been a union Ironworker with Local 25 for 24 years and has been with Ideal Contracting for 13 years. Bill’s experience on various steel projects over the years brings a tremendous amount of knowledge to Ideal Contracting’s Service Group team.

Courtney Iler – Promoted to Assistant Project Manager

Courtney Iler has been promoted from Project Engineer to Assistant Project Manager.  She has worked in multiple departments over the past 5 years, starting with safety, project engineering, sr. project engineering and has done an exceptional job at facilitating through these roles. She has demonstrated the ability to lead other team members to ensure overall project goals are achieved.  Courtney will be overseeing the Estes Engineering HVAC Safety Upgrades project at the GM Global Tech Center.  Courtney will report directly to Jennifer Torres on her respective projects.

Lauren DeVerna – Promoted to Assistant Project Manager

Lauren DeVerna has been promoted from Sr. Project Engineer to Assistant Project Manager. Lauren has performed an extraordinary job over the past 7 years facilitating multiple projects for our top customers. Lauren has demonstrated the ability to lead team members and has implemented the necessary tools to improve project efficiency to meet overall project goals. Lauren will continue to work with Jason Dyer to complete the Chase Bank project and oversee future projects at the GM Global Tech Center. Lauren will continue to coordinate with Sr. Project Managers and report directly to Jennifer Torres on her future respective projects.

Adam DeHagen – Promoted to Assistant Project Manager

Adam DeHagen has been promoted from Sr. Project Engineer to Assistant Project Manager. Adam has worked on various large steel projects such as the Amazon Distribution Center and most recently a new facility for Pratt & Whitney in Asheville, North Carolina. Adam’s experience working as an Ironworker has made him an asset to the steel operations team. He has demonstrated the ability to meet project goals and deliver a safe and quality project to our customers. Adam will continue to coordinate with Sr. Project Managers and report directly to Patrick Bell, Director of Steel Operations, on future projects.

Chelsey Bejarano-Srivatsa – Promoted to Assistant Project Manager

Chelsey Bejarano-Srivatsa has been promoted from Sr. Project Engineer to Assistant Project Manager. Chelsey began as an intern in Ideal Contracting’s Build U internship program in 2018 and has advanced in the company through her demonstrated ability to manage multiple miscellaneous steel projects. Chelsey will continue to coordinate with Sr. Project Managers and report directly to Patrick Bell, Director of Steel Operations, on future projects.

Andrew Milkey – Promoted to Assistant Project Manager

Andrew Milkey has been promoted from Sr. Project Engineer to Assistant Project Manager. Andrew has excelled through the years in his advancement from an intern in Ideal Contracting’s Build U Internship Program to Project Engineer and now to Assistant Project Manager. He is currently engaged in projects from RFQ to working with the owner during the estimating process. Andrew also handles supervision of the work along with project meetings and schedules. Andrew’s role has made him an integral part of the Milford region team.

Dylan Cook – Promoted to Assistant Project Manager

Dylan Cook has been promoted from Sr. Project Engineer to Assistant Project Manager. Dylan has worked at a multitude of sites and most recently is working with Tom Braden kicking off our Small Projects program. As a former Build U intern, Dylan has continued to advance the internship program with his mentorship and recruitment of students from his alma mater. Dylan is known for raising his hand and constantly challenging himself to grow. We appreciate his passion for our industry and our people.

Chris Fooy – Promoted to Assistant Project Manager

Chris Fooy has been promoted from Sr. Project Engineer to Assistant Project Manager. Chris began as an intern in Ideal Contracting’s Build U program and has steadily advanced in his career. Chris has made significant gains as a Project Engineer in the Service Group, PDPM, and Competitive Bid programs. His last four years have been spent with the GM Warren Global Tech Center PDPM team. Chris takes pride in his work with precision detail and is always willing to teach others.

Sabella Ammiano – Promoted to Senior Project Engineer

Sabella Ammiano has been promoted from Project Engineer to Sr Project Engineer. Sabella has been with Ideal Contracting since 2018 when she entered the Build U intern program. Sabella continued to work at Ideal as a full-time intern until 2019 when she graduated from Eastern Michigan University and became a full-time employee. She is a strong advocate for the Intern Program and continues to work diligently at the Pontiac Region PDPM program sites. Sabella also handles our JLL customers at PGPS and PCCA for our region. She is an invaluable asset to the Pontiac Team and Ideal Contracting.

Dakota Harness – Promoted to Associate Project Engineer

Dakota Harness has been promoted from Intern to Associate Project Engineer. Dakota began as an intern in Ideal Contracting’s Build U internship program. During his time at GM Factory ZERO, he has persistently worked to achieve goals and challenge himself to continue to grow and learn.  Dakota will continue to coordinate with Sr. Project Managers and report directly to Patrick Bell, Director of Steel Operations, on future projects.

Josh Smith – Promoted to Sr. Safety Representative

Josh Smith has been promoted from Safety Representative to Sr. Safety Representative. Josh began as an intern in our Build U Internship Program in May of 2019 and was hired full-time as a Safety Representative in August 2019. Josh has worked on various projects with Ideal Contracting’s GM Program Project Delivery Management (PDPM) and competitive bid teams. He continues to work diligently to improve both the safety culture on his projects and his skills as a manager. Josh’s responsibilities in the future will continue to grow at Ideal Contracting, and his ability to manage larger projects within the organization.

Roger Pontious – Promoted to Safety Manager

Roger Pontious has been promoted from Sr. Safety Representative to Safety Manager. Roger has been a part of the Ideal Contracting team since 2008. Roger’s passion for safety and his respect for the hardworking tradespeople in the field has been instrumental in his transition from an ironworker to a safety representative. Roger has worked on several projects that have pushed him to take on new challenges. He is an excellent example of what it takes to advance in this industry and will continue to remind us of all of how far dedication and respect can take us.

Bryan Stephens – Promoted to Safety Manager

Bryan Stephens has been promoted from Sr. Safety Representative to Safety Manager. This promotion comes to him the same way his start in safety did, out of pure determination. Bryan started with Ideal Contracting as an ironworker and was determined to use his skills to help people return home safely to their families. Bryan began by asking for a simple opportunity in 2016. He was given safety-related tasks such as leading stretch and flex, reading Toolbox Talks at morning huddles, and inspecting workers’ fall protection equipment while working as an ironworker at the Little Caesars Arena project. Bryan stayed determined and never turned down an opportunity that would help him achieve his goal. Bryan has worked with both the Program Project Delivery Management (PDPM) and competitive bid teams.

Dave Weidner – Promoted to Sr. Safety Manager

Dave Weidner has been promoted from Safety Manager to Sr. Safety Manager. Dave began with Ideal Contracting in 2017 and has had to adapt to many different situations over the last several years. His adaptability has made him a valued member of the team and a resource for many of the individuals in the safety department. While with Ideal Contracting, Dave has been the site lead for the Milford PDPM site and has worked on various GM competitive bid projects. Dave’s new assignment will be overseeing all GM Program Project Delivery Management (PDPM) and Service Group safety operations.