Our Champions

The people on the front lines and behind the scenes are the heart of Champion.  

EXECUTIVE TEAM


  • Carlos M. Hernandez

    Carlos M. Hernandez

    Chief Executive Officer

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    As President of Champion, Carlos Hernandez has grown the company to be a leader in heavy construction, specialty services, road and bridge, and military industries. He and Champion are firmly committed to their mission of delivering high-performance services to the public and private sectors while always maintaining the highest degree of safety, quality, and integrity.

    As president, Hernandez leads efforts in business development and building relationships. He also supports the sales, estimating, project management, staffing, and partnerships activities. Hernandez believes that team members are the backbone of the organization and leans into staff development by ensuring that his teams are well-trained and possess the tools to be successful.

    His interest in construction started at an early age through his father. He took that passion, founded a specialty coatings company, and led the organization prior to purchasing Champion in 2012.

    Before his professional pursuit of construction, Hernandez served in the United States Marine Corps. From there, he led a highly decorated law enforcement career in South Florida that spanned more than a decade. Hernandez holds a bachelor's degree in professional administration from Barry University. He also holds certifications as SSPC Protective Coatings Inspector (PCI) Level 2, SSPC Quality Control Supervisor (QCS), and Florida Department of Transportation Advanced Maintenance of Traffic (MOT).

    Hernandez is an active community member and has lent his support to United Way, the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots, New World School of the Arts, DANCE NOW, Miami Children's Theater, and more.

  • Kyle Hough

    Kyle Hough

    Chief Operations Officer

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    Kyle Hough, executive vice president, is a passionate industry leader with more than 20 years of experience in industrial coatings, including a wide range of industries, from power, pharmaceutical, and stadiums, to food and beverage, theme parks, and commercial construction.

    Hough is a proven leader who excels in business and customer growth. He strives to remain ahead of the industry trends and continues to push the boundaries and set standard industry-wide expectations.

    After becoming an apprentice with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades at a young age, Hough has worked his way up through the industry’s ranks. He has written articles for Coatings Pro Magazine and the Journal of Protective Coatings & Linings.

    Hough is an SSPC-certified Level 3 Protective Coatings Inspector (PCI), a C 3 Supervisor/Competent Person, a Protective Coating Specialist (PCS), and a Master Coatings Inspector (MCI).

    When not working, Hough enjoys spending time with his wife, Tracey, and their two adult sons.

  • Charles Jeffrey “Jeff” Gibbons

    Charles Jeffrey “Jeff” Gibbons

    Chief Business Development Officer

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    Jeff Gibbons, Chief Business Development Officer, leads the Champion Specialty Services division. He is a seasoned construction executive with more than 30 years of experience at all management levels of construction, maintenance, modifications, demolition, and plant upgrades serving the power industry — hydro, fossil, and nuclear, along with other industrial markets.

    Gibbons is involved in strategic planning, presentations, and execution related to sales, marketing, proposal writing, estimating, and contract negotiations. He has experience in industrial business market areas, encompassing conventional power, nuclear power, pulp and paper, chemical, food and beverage, U.S. Department of Defense, and Department of Energy industries. He is also responsible for maintaining and strengthening client relationships and developing new business opportunities.

    A proud Florida State University alumnus, he is a previous winner of the Bechtel Annual Award, issued for being one of the Top 50 Subcontractors in the world. Gibbons is a member of SSPC, NACE, NACE Nuclear, and NRCA. When he’s not championing our capabilities, he enjoys playing golf, working out, and spending time with his wife Shirley and their two adult children.

  • Jenny Guzman

    Jenny Guzman

    Chief Administrative Officer Champion Corporate

  • Jim Arnold

    Jim Arnold

    Chief Financial Officer Champion Corporate

  • Duane Hough

    Duane Hough

    President of Champion Industrial

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    Duane Hough, President of Champion Industrial, leads our military outreach and has extensive knowledge and experience in project management, scheduling, estimating, negotiations, budget development, strategic planning, and project closeout.

    In his role as vice president, Hough focuses on business development and overseas expansion, as well as oversight of quality assurance.

    We Champion Quality “Our clients expect the highest-quality work, and we deliver. The longevity of the work we do is important to them, and so it’s important to us.”

    Hough is an SSPC certified Level 3 Protective Coatings Inspector (PCI), a Level 2 Bridge Coating Inspector (BCI), a Level 2 Concrete Coating Inspector (CCI), a C 3 Supervisor/Competent Person, a Protective Coating Specialist (PCS), a Master Coatings Inspector (MCI), and a SSPC BCI instructor. He previously served as a project manager/foreman for a large national contractor. In this capacity, he managed scheduling for projects, determined labor requirements, and oversaw team members.

    Prior to joining Champion, Hough served in the United States Marine Corps, where he led, trained, and counseled Marine Corps infantry. A decorated veteran, he has conducted combat and humanitarian operations throughout the world. Hough is husband to Julie and father to four children. Outside of work, he enjoys working with philanthropic organizations such as No Kid Hungry.

  • Anthony Maracic

    Anthony Maracic

    President of Champion Infrastructure

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    Anthony Maracic, President of Champion Infrastructure, has significant experience in the steel and painting industry that spans a four-decade career. Prior to joining Champion, Maracic served at every level of a large bridge painting contractor based in New York, starting as an apprentice and working his way up to partner.

    While he has been involved with many large-scale projects, including the George Washington Bridge and the 1,776 foot antenna of Manhattan’s Freedom Tower, Maracic was most notably awarded what was the largest US paint project bid to date at that time – the $168 million Queensboro Bridge project. He prepared the estimate and then directed the entire project to its successful conclusion, exceeding owner and GC expectations.

    Maracic is an active member of the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (both the former SSPC and NACE). He is also a founding committee chairperson of FOP Ashley’s Cure, a nonprofit organization that supports research for Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP).

    When he’s not providing exceptional expertise and service to Champion’s clients, Maracic enjoys spending time with his wife Joanne, visiting with his four daughters, and watching his son play collegiate baseball.

  • Kelly Powers

    Kelly Powers

    President Champion Nuclear Services

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    Kelly Powers has more than 25 years of power & energy industry experience on major construction projects and programs in the government and commercial sectors. He has a proven track record of strong business growth and project/commercial performance.

    Powers attributes his history of success on endeavoring to be a servant leader, always focusing on the needs and support of those for which he is responsible.

    Prior to Champion, Powers worked as a Program Manager for Aircraft Carrier Nuclear Propulsion (joint DoE/DoD program), Corporate Functional Area Manager of Capital Projects for Entergy Nuclear, Vice President of Major Projects for Entergy Services, and President of Williams Industrial Services Group.

    Mr. Powers holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and a Masters in Nuclear Engineering earned through Naval Postgraduate training. He also holds Project Management Professional (PMP) and Program Management Professional (PgMP) certifications from the Project Management Institute.

  • Mat Bryant

    Mat Bryant

    Vice President of Operations Champion Industrial

  • Andrew Wieber

    Andrew Wieber

    Vice President of Operations Champion Infrastructure

  • Rusty Gasser

    Rusty Gasser

    Vice President of Operations Champion Nuclear Services

INFRASTRUCTURE


  • Anthony Maracic

    Anthony Maracic

    President of Champion Infrastructure

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    Anthony Maracic, President of Champion Infrastructure, has significant experience in the steel and painting industry that spans a four-decade career. Prior to joining Champion, Maracic served at every level of a large bridge painting contractor based in New York, starting as an apprentice and working his way up to partner.

    While he has been involved with many large-scale projects, including the George Washington Bridge and the 1,776 foot antenna of Manhattan’s Freedom Tower, Maracic was most notably awarded what was the largest US paint project bid to date at that time – the $168 million Queensboro Bridge project. He prepared the estimate and then directed the entire project to its successful conclusion, exceeding owner and GC expectations.

    Maracic is an active member of the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (both the former SSPC and NACE). He is also a founding committee chairperson of FOP Ashley’s Cure, a nonprofit organization that supports research for Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP).

    When he’s not providing exceptional expertise and service to Champion’s clients, Maracic enjoys spending time with his wife Joanne, visiting with his four daughters, and watching his son play collegiate baseball.

  • Andrew Wieber

    Andrew Wieber

    Vice President of Operations Champion Infrastructure

  • Tom Brennan

    Tom Brennan

    Chief Estimator

  • Joe Maracic

    Joe Maracic

    Business Development Representative

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    Business Development Representative

  • Declan Farrington

    Declan Farrington

    Sr. Project Manager

  • David Ofsharick

    David Ofsharick

    Project Manager

  • Frank Erdmann

    Frank Erdmann

    Superintendent

  • Lorri Boccio

    Lorri Boccio

    Administrative Specialist

  • Mary Zmudzinski

    Mary Zmudzinski

    Administrative Assistant

  • Maria Abouchadi

    Maria Abouchadi

    Estimator

  • Neil Wylen

    Neil Wylen

    Accounts Receivable

  • Omar Mule

    Omar Mule

    Estimator

  • Syed Arfeen

    Syed Arfeen

    Project Manager

  • Tom Brennan III

    Tom Brennan III

    Project Manager

  • John W. Burns

    John W. Burns

    Estimator

INDUSTRIAL


  • Duane Hough

    Duane Hough

    President of Champion Industrial

    Read Bio

    Duane Hough, President of Champion Industrial, leads our military outreach and has extensive knowledge and experience in project management, scheduling, estimating, negotiations, budget development, strategic planning, and project closeout.

    In his role as vice president, Hough focuses on business development and overseas expansion, as well as oversight of quality assurance.

    We Champion Quality “Our clients expect the highest-quality work, and we deliver. The longevity of the work we do is important to them, and so it’s important to us.”

    Hough is an SSPC certified Level 3 Protective Coatings Inspector (PCI), a Level 2 Bridge Coating Inspector (BCI), a Level 2 Concrete Coating Inspector (CCI), a C 3 Supervisor/Competent Person, a Protective Coating Specialist (PCS), a Master Coatings Inspector (MCI), and a SSPC BCI instructor. He previously served as a project manager/foreman for a large national contractor. In this capacity, he managed scheduling for projects, determined labor requirements, and oversaw team members.

    Prior to joining Champion, Hough served in the United States Marine Corps, where he led, trained, and counseled Marine Corps infantry. A decorated veteran, he has conducted combat and humanitarian operations throughout the world. Hough is husband to Julie and father to four children. Outside of work, he enjoys working with philanthropic organizations such as No Kid Hungry.

  • Mat Bryant

    Mat Bryant

    Vice President of Operations Champion Industrial

  • Jim Carter

    Jim Carter

    Director of Operations

  • Jack Spurling

    Jack Spurling

    Sr. Project Manager

  • Treyvon Price

    Treyvon Price

    Estimator

  • Dan Gibbens

    Dan Gibbens

    Regional Manager

  • Jerimiah Olson

    Jerimiah Olson

    Northwest Regional Manager

  • Doug Pigue

    Doug Pigue

    Estimator

  • Randy McLauchlin

    Randy McLauchlin

    Project Manager

  • Zack Beehner

    Zack Beehner

    Military Programs Coordinator

  • Ivy Horn

    Ivy Horn

    Assistant Project Manager

  • Travis Revay

    Travis Revay

    Assistant Project Manager

  • Carl Gali

    Carl Gali

    Maintenance Manager

COMMERCIAL


  • Anthony Maracic

    Anthony Maracic

    President of Champion Infrastructure

    Read Bio

    Anthony Maracic, President of Champion Infrastructure, has significant experience in the steel and painting industry that spans a four-decade career. Prior to joining Champion, Maracic served at every level of a large bridge painting contractor based in New York, starting as an apprentice and working his way up to partner.

    While he has been involved with many large-scale projects, including the George Washington Bridge and the 1,776 foot antenna of Manhattan’s Freedom Tower, Maracic was most notably awarded what was the largest US paint project bid to date at that time – the $168 million Queensboro Bridge project. He prepared the estimate and then directed the entire project to its successful conclusion, exceeding owner and GC expectations.

    Maracic is an active member of the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (both the former SSPC and NACE). He is also a founding committee chairperson of FOP Ashley’s Cure, a nonprofit organization that supports research for Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP).

    When he’s not providing exceptional expertise and service to Champion’s clients, Maracic enjoys spending time with his wife Joanne, visiting with his four daughters, and watching his son play collegiate baseball.

  • Joe Maracic

    Joe Maracic

    Business Development Representative

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    Business Development Representative

  • Tom Brennan

    Tom Brennan

    Chief Estimator

  • William Schlenker

    William Schlenker

    Construction Manager – Commercial

  • John W. Burns

    John W. Burns

    Estimator

  • Frank Erdmann

    Frank Erdmann

    Superintendent

NUCLEAR


  • Kelly Powers

    Kelly Powers

    President Champion Nuclear Services

    Read Bio

    Kelly Powers has more than 25 years of power & energy industry experience on major construction projects and programs in the government and commercial sectors. He has a proven track record of strong business growth and project/commercial performance.

    Powers attributes his history of success on endeavoring to be a servant leader, always focusing on the needs and support of those for which he is responsible.

    Prior to Champion, Powers worked as a Program Manager for Aircraft Carrier Nuclear Propulsion (joint DoE/DoD program), Corporate Functional Area Manager of Capital Projects for Entergy Nuclear, Vice President of Major Projects for Entergy Services, and President of Williams Industrial Services Group.

    Mr. Powers holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and a Masters in Nuclear Engineering earned through Naval Postgraduate training. He also holds Project Management Professional (PMP) and Program Management Professional (PgMP) certifications from the Project Management Institute.

  • Rusty Gasser

    Rusty Gasser

    Vice President of Operations Champion Nuclear Services

  • David W. Anderson, P.E.

    David W. Anderson, P.E.

    Director of Operations Support

  • David Sharek

    David Sharek

    Director of Operations for Spent Fuel Services

  • Anthony Velie

    Anthony Velie

    NW Operations Director

  • Geoff Schneider

    Geoff Schneider

    Operations Manager

  • Jerry White

    Jerry White

    Operations Manager

  • Lynda O’Leary

    Lynda O’Leary

    Purchasing Manager

  • Keith Beam

    Keith Beam

    Operations Manager

  • Michael Fagan

    Michael Fagan

    Site Manager

  • Rob Dilger

    Rob Dilger

    Site Manager

  • Travis Hendrix

    Travis Hendrix

    Site Manager

  • Traci Wallace

    Traci Wallace

    Operations Support Manager

  • Whitley Clark

    Whitley Clark

    Project Controls Manager

  • Bonnie Mayo

    Bonnie Mayo

    Project Support Administrator

  • Gordon Reynolds, CHMM

    Gordon Reynolds, CHMM

    Environmental Manager

  • Lee Roy Culpepper

    Lee Roy Culpepper

    Project Manager

  • Mike Richards

    Mike Richards

    Project Manager

  • Alena Jackson

    Alena Jackson

    Training & Development Specialist

  • Alina Honea

    Alina Honea

    Office Manager & Executive Assistant

ENVIRONMENTAL


  • Robert DeMarinis

    Robert DeMarinis

    Environmental Consultant

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    Environmental Consultant

  • Patrick McLoughlin

    Patrick McLoughlin

    Director of Operations

  • William Cullen

    William Cullen

    Manager of Operations

  • Steve Lampasona

    Steve Lampasona

    Manager of Operations

  • Amanda Vallone

    Amanda Vallone

    Manager of Contracts and Proposals

  • Raymond Tutiven

    Raymond Tutiven

    Director of Asbestos, Lead & Mold

  • Justin Halpin

    Justin Halpin

    Geologist & Environmental Scientist

  • Alicia Patti

    Alicia Patti

    Geologist

  • Courtney Lampasona

    Courtney Lampasona

    Director of Human Resources

CORPORATE


  • Fred Toler

    Fred Toler

    Safety Director

  • Bryan Monteon

    Bryan Monteon

    Quality Director

  • Eric Barbaglia

    Eric Barbaglia

    Director of Information Technology

  • Helena Bendik

    Helena Bendik

    Controller

  • Tony White

    Tony White

    Director of Taxation

  • Maciel Riccardo

    Maciel Riccardo

    Payroll Specialist

  • Lili Mannino

    Lili Mannino

    Payroll Specialist

  • Tiffany Lopez

    Tiffany Lopez

    Accounts Payable

  • Naimi Lopez

    Naimi Lopez

    Accounts Payable Specialist

  • Brittany Albin

    Brittany Albin

    Accounts Payable Specialist

  • Christian Gonzalez

    Christian Gonzalez

    Accountant, Accounts Receivable

  • Eddy Espinoza

    Eddy Espinoza

    Billing Specialist

  • EJ Coughlin

    EJ Coughlin

    Purchasing Manager

  • Ali Dominguez

    Ali Dominguez

    Contract Department Manager

  • Cinda Schneider

    Cinda Schneider

    Administrative Specialist

  • Josh Emery

    Josh Emery

    Equipment Manager

  • Lawrence Matos

    Lawrence Matos

    IT Support Specialist

  • Dyane DiFrancesco

    Dyane DiFrancesco

    Office Manager

  • Tracey Marx

    Tracey Marx

    Administration

  • Judy Powers

    Judy Powers

    Site Office Manager

  • Judy Yancey

    Judy Yancey

    Office Manager

  • Jamie Yates

    Jamie Yates

    Safety Manager