E.T. Gresham Co., Inc.

Thomas Fortney was promoted to Pre-Production Manager with Gresham Steel. His new responsibilities include streamlining practices and procedures to ensure steel fabrication projects are on time and on budget. He has been with E.T. Gresham since 2016, working with the construction division at various job sites and in the Gresham Steel fabrication shop. Thomas graduated from ODU in May 2020 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering Technology and a concentration in structural steel design.

Vamsi Krishna Vuggaraju has been hired as an Estimating Assistant with responsibility for assistance with project planning, scheduling, budgeting, and implementation. Specific duties include assisting in obtaining competitive subcontractor bids, providing detailed quantity take-offs, ensuring bids are compliant with contract requirements, and attending on-site pre-bid meetings as required. He has working knowledge of Building Information Modeling (BIM), Primavera P6, and AutoCAD.

Vuggaraju grew up in a family of civil engineers in India. In keeping with family tradition, he received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from the Vellore Institute of Technology, where he achieved the 2015-2016 award for Best Academic Project in Civil Engineering. After graduation, he attended The University of Texas at Arlington, where he became a fan of the Dallas Cowboys while earning his M.S. in Construction Engineering and Management in 2018. Vuggaraju began his construction career as an estimator for a drywall company in Iowa but, growing up near the ocean in India, he decided to relocate to Hampton Roads where he could enjoy a more familiar environment.

E.T. Gresham Company is excited to announce that Michelle Heide has been promoted to Project Manager. Heide began working in the construction industry soon after graduating ODU with a B.S. in Civil Engineering Technology. Since joining the Gresham team as a Project Engineer in 2018, she has achieved her LEED Green Associate certification from the U.S. Green Building Council and worked on a variety of projects, including Surry County Rescue Squad + Emergency Operations Center, Hope Springs Veterinary Clinic in Virginia Beach, Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) Gross Anatomy Lab, and several historic projects.

Outside of her primary job duties, she is involved in corporate business development–recently joining Norfolk’s Downtown 100 (DT100)–and serves as company liaison for our Construction Management tool, Procore. Her proactive approach to Project Management, positive feedback from project team members, and successful client relations have built the foundation for Heide to thrive as Project Manager.

Perhaps eclipsing these many accomplishments, Heide is one of our youngest employees to hold this position and the first female Project Manager in the company’s 104+ years!

Mike Krank has been promoted from Superintendent to Project Manager. Mike has over 30 years of construction experience in a variety of positions; while attending Old Dominion University, he worked as a construction laborer at Naval Station Norfolk and, after graduating with a B.S. in Civil Engineering, he began his construction career as a Field Engineer. By 1996, he had worked his way up to Superintendent. Mike joined E.T. Gresham in 2018 as a Project Superintendent. Since his promotion, Mike has served as Project Manager for the following projects in southeastern Virginia: Wells Theatre Renovations in Norfolk, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Portsmouth, Bayside Presbyterian Church renovations in Virginia Beach, and currently the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) Eastern Shore Laboratory Education, Administration, and Research Complex in Wachapreague. Mike’s background in all stages of the construction process have resulted in an elevated level of proficiency in establishing construction schedules, providing expertise about construction means and methods, developing efficient project work plans, and providing a full range of construction management services during the construction phase.

Ron Rouse, P.E., LEED AP BD+C has been hired as a Project Manager with responsibility for managing project progress and quality, preparing and monitoring project schedules, negotiating change order proposals, and maintaining communication with the owner and site superintendent throughout each phase of construction. Ron has over 40 years of experience working for various construction and engineering design firms in Hampton Roads. After receiving his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech, Ron joined NAVFAC Atlantic as a Civil Engineer while also serving in the U.S. Naval Reserves as a Seabee with the Civil Engineer Corps. Ron later achieved his Master of Engineering in Structural Engineering from Old Dominion University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Virginia and North Carolina, he is LEED AP BD+C certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, and he is certified by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) as both an Associate Safety Professional (ASP) and a Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST).

Tony Griffin has been promoted to General Superintendent for E.T. Gresham’s construction division. Tony has over 38 years of experience directing full scope construction projects for commercial, industrial, educational and government clients. His new responsibilities include overseeing the labor/equipment force, coordinating schedules with project managers and superintendents, training field crews to use project management software, and attending internal project turnover meetings.