Public Policy and Engagement Specialist

Stantec ranks #7 on enr's 2026 Top 100 Green Design Firms. October 15, 2026 In Engineering News-Record, Jill Kurtz shares how building performance data and operational insights help advance sustainability goals, maximize value Stantec ranks #7 on Engineering News-Record's 2026 Top 100 Green Design Firms list, reflecting the firm's continued commitment to sustainable, high-performing buildings. Jill Kurtz, sustainable design leader for Stantec's Building practice, discusses how building performance data and operational insights can help owners advance their sustainability goals while maximizing long-term value. Compressed timelines, tight labor resources, rising costs of materials, and shifting federal policies can mean that sustainability efforts are increasingly based on economic factors, according to Jill. This focus makes it "even more important to ground decisions in building science, operational data, risk reduction, and business value rather than labels or certifications alone." "The future of green building," Jill explains, "will be defined not by what we intend a building to do but by what it actually delivers throughout its lifetime." * Jill is a sustainable design leader with more than 20 years of sustainability experience. She helps clients translate intention into meaningful and measurable impacts. Contact Jill

JE Dunn-Alberici JV breaks ground on $3.2B Texas shipyard. The greenfield shipyard under construction for military contractor Saronic is the first in the U.S. since World War II, according to the JV. Published Oct. 12, 2026 The first greenfield shipyard to be built in the U.S. since World War II has broken ground. A joint venture of JE Dunn and Alberici began construction on the initial phases of military contractor Saronic's Port Alpha, an over $3.2 billion shipyard. There, the contractor will manufacture manned, autonomy-capable and autonomous ships, according to an Oct. 6 announcement from the JV. The shipyard, located at the Port of Brownsville in Texas, will spread across an initially 835-acre site, per the announcement. However, Saronic will have the option to expand the shipyard to nearly 4,400 acres, according to a Sept. 30 news release from the firm. The contract features three overlapping phases, according to the JV. The site preparation and infrastructure phases will include grading, ground improvement, drainage, access roads and utility infrastructure. Then, Phase 1 of shipyard development will begin with the initial assembly buildings, material-handling systems and supporting facilities. When complete, the site will encompass all manufacturing facilities, warehousing, permanent waterfront and vessel-launching infrastructure and employee support facilities. JE Dunn and Alberici, which are headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri and St. Louis, respectively, worked with design partners Stantec and KPFF via the progressive design-build delivery method, per the announcement. Together, the team will overlap design, procurement and construction across all three stages, to progress the site's manufacturing capability as the development takes shape. Scott Shelby, vice president at JE Dunn and program leader for the JV, told Construction Dive via email that the approach allows the team to develop and evaluate the design, scope and cost before agreeing to the final construction price. "That collaboration also helps us determine which portions of the work can advance while other requirements are being resolved," Shelby said. "For example, we can plan early structural and waterfront packages while coordinating later equipment installation and supporting infrastructure." This isn't the JV's first time working with Saronic. Alberici announced in 2025 that the team won a $300 million expansion of Saronic's shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana. The contractors topped out the facility in August.

Stantec recognized for excellence in acquisitive growth. October 12, 2026 Strategic communications help strengthen Stantec's acquisition experience Stantec recently received the 2026 M&A Best Practices Award as part of Morrissey Goodale's Excellence in Acquisitive Growth Awards Series, honoring the firm's clear, consistent communication with employees, clients, and other key partners to help understand the acquisition and how it strengthens the organization. The award recognizes Stantec's communications practices following the close of acquisitions, including its coordinated, multi-channel and multi-stage approach designed to provide clear, consistent, and empathetic communications throughout the integration process. It underscores the important role communications plays in the firm's overall integration strategy and approach as newly acquired teams are welcomed into the organization. Through strategic acquisitions, Stantec has expanded its global capabilities by combining complementary expertise, geographic reach, and specialized services to serve clients across the infrastructure, buildings, water, energy, and environmental markets. Bjorn Morisbak, chief corporate development officer, and Kim Austin, vice president of Mergers & Acquisitions, accepted the award on Stantec's behalf at The M&A and Capitalization Symposium in Houston.