Halff Announces Leadership Transitions

January 6, 2020

RICHARDSON, Texas — Halff Associates, Inc. (Halff), one of the nation’s leading and fastest-growing engineering/architecture consulting firms, announces transitions in the firm’s leadership team. Mark Edwards succeeds Patrick Kunz as president/chief executive officer, Todd Jackson succeeds Roman Plugge as chief operating officer and Joseph Sagel joins the leadership team as chief financial officer.

Halff’s chairman of the board, Michael Moya, stated, “Halff has experienced unprecedented growth in the past several years under Pat and Roman’s leadership and is positioned for continued success. Mark, Todd and Joseph are highly experienced, strong leaders who have played a significant role in that growth and have worked tirelessly to improve key processes to support it. They are also passionate about maintaining the culture that makes Halff an award-winning workplace where people thrive.”

Patrick Kunz will join the board of directors and Roman Plugge will become the Land and Site Development practice leader.

Mark Edwards said, “I am proud to be a part of a company whose leadership—beginning with our founder, Dr. Albert Halff—has carried on a tradition of people-centric business practices. My goal is for Halff to continue our growth trajectory while we improve lives and communities. I intend to keep the needs of our people and our clients a top priority.”

Russell Zapalac will remain on Halff’s leadership team as chief strategy officer.

About Mark Edwards

Mark Edwards has been serving as executive vice president on the leadership team since 2015. He was instrumental in founding Halff Community Initiative, the firm’s nonprofit organization, and serves on its board. Mark served on the Halff board of directors from 2013 to 2015. He started Halff’s Oil and Gas practice in 2008 and became a vice president for the team in 2009. In 2014, he was a key influencer in the TriTex Technologies, Inc., acquisition, which has significantly leveraged Halff’s position in the oil and gas market. Mark joined Halff Associates in 1990. He earned his BS in Geology from Louisiana State University. He is a registered Professional Geologist in Texas and Wyoming.

About Todd Jackson

Todd Jackson has been serving as an executive vice president, overseeing Halff’s Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Conroe and Tyler offices since 2018. He previously managed the firm’s Austin office and was instrumental in growing the Public Works practice in central Texas and the Subsurface Utility Engineering practice statewide. He served on the board of directors from 2016 to 2019. Todd joined Halff upon graduating from Louisiana Tech University in 1996 with a BS in Civil Engineering.

About Joseph Sagel

Joseph Sagel was a civil engineer with Halff from 2005 to 2014 and has been leading the Accounting team since 2014. He has played a significant role in the successful acquisition of two engineering firms, and he serves on the Halff Community Initiative board of directors. Joseph was an engineer on the City of Dallas Mill Creek Tunnel project, the largest tunnel currently under construction in the United States. He received his MBA from Southern Methodist University in 2009 and his BS in Engineering Science from Trinity University in San Antonio in 2005.

About the Firm

Halff is an award-winning, employee-owned, diverse and multidiscipline professional engineering and architecture firm. For more than 70 years, Halff has provided innovative solutions for clients throughout the United States. Halff is committed to the purpose of improving lives and communities by turning ideas into reality by continuously investing in its employees and fostering a culture of collaboration.

Halff has 28 offices in Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas. The firm is ranked No. 97 by Engineering News-Record. Halff is the No. 10 Top Workplace nationally in 2022 as ranked by Energage for businesses with 1,000 to 2,499 employees.

For more information about Halff, visit halff.com.