Our Champions

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

EXECUTIVE TEAM

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

Chief Operations Officer

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Champion’s Chief Operations Officer Kyle Hough is an industry leader with over 20 years of experience in industrial coatings and construction specialty services. His vision for Champion goes beyond annual revenue, focusing on building a diverse footprint with resources that prioritize the development and well-being of their people. Hough believes in bringing great individuals to the team and has cultivated a culture and environment that values continuous improvement.

With Hough’s expertise in business, customer growth and solving workforce issues, Champion has successfully expanded to multiple construction specialty services and construction craft companies in a wide range of industries, from power, pharmaceutical, and stadiums, to road & bridge, theme parks, and commercial construction. Hough’s vision has always been the same: develop an exceptional company culture and dedication to the people.

Hough’s mindset for the growing company has always been to strive for perfection, knowing that it may never be fully achieved, and always aiming to get better. He strives to remain ahead of the industry trends and continues to push the boundaries and go beyond 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 is a true thought leader and has contributed multiple articles to Coatings Pro Magazine and the Journal of Protective Coatings & Linings.

Hough holds 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 spends time with his wife, and their two adult sons. He also enjoys practicing his lifelong passion of martial arts.
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

Chief Administrative Officer
Duane Hough

President of Champion Specialty Services - Special Operations Group

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As president of Champion Specialty Services’ Special Operations Group, Duane Hough has brought more than two decades of experience in business development, specialty protective coatings, and quality assurance to help develop Champion’s skilled global labor workforce. Combining his years of military training with his construction background, he uses cutting edge technology to build and perfect the systems that Champion uses for all its projects.

Drawing from his experience as a Marine Infantry Sergeant, Hough incorporates lessons and principles learned from multiple deployments and humanitarian efforts into his problem solving and leadership approach. His keen project management skills have been the driving force to effectively lead diverse teams at Champion and successfully expand the company’s operations overseas.

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 a husband to Julie and father to four children. Outside of work, he enjoys working with philanthropic organizations such as No Kid Hungry.
Anthony Maracic

President of Champion Painting

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Anthony Maracic, President of Champion Specialty Services Infrastructure division, boasts a remarkable career spanning over four decades, with a particular focus on protective coating and paint systems for the structural steel industry. His unwavering dedication to leadership, quality production, and safety is at the core of his role, where he adeptly oversees a diverse team of over 200 professionals engaged in more than 150 global projects. Maracic's leadership philosophy places a strong emphasis on the significance of each team member's contributions, understanding that their collective efforts are pivotal to the company's success.

Throughout his illustrious career, Maracic has been intimately involved in numerous high-profile projects, including iconic structures such as the George Washington Bridge and the towering 1,776-foot antenna of Manhattan's Freedom Tower. His crowning achievement came with the successful bid and execution of the monumental $168 million Queensboro Bridge project, which was the largest US paint project at the time. Maracic personally managed the estimation process and then directed the entire project to a triumphant conclusion, surpassing the owner's expectations.

Before joining the Champion team, Maracic honed his skills and amassed extensive experience in the bridge painting industry. He began as an apprentice and gradually ascended to become a partner at a distinguished New York-based contractor, where he laid the foundation for his impressive career.

Maracic's commitment to his field is not limited to his role at Champion. He is an active member of the Association for Materials Protection and Performance, representing both the former SSPC and NACE. Additionally, he serves as a founding committee chairperson for FOP Ashley's Cure, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing research on Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP).

Outside of his professional life, Anthony Maracic finds joy in spending time with his wife, Joanne, and cherishes moments with his four daughters, son, and grandson. He also takes pleasure in watching his son excel in collegiate baseball, a testament to his support not only in the business world but also within his family life.
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

Vice President of Operations Champion Painting - SE
Andrew Wieber

Vice President of Operations Champion Painting - NE
Rusty Gasser

Vice President of Operations Specialty Services
Barry Cooper

Vice President of Business Development and Strategy
David Sharek

Vice President Of Decommissioning and Spent Fuel Services
Fred Toler

Vice President of Corporate S.H.&E.
Bryan Monteon

Vice President of Quality
Darin Myers

Sr. Vice President of Operations

CORPORATE

Helena Bendik

Controller
Tina Cordon

Corporate Tax Director
Maciel Riccardo

Payroll Specialist
Lili Mannino

Payroll Specialist
Tiffany Lopez

Accounts Payable Specialist
Brittany Albin

Accounts Payable Specialist
EJ Coughlin

Purchasing Manager
Ali Dominguez

Contract Department Manager
Cinda Schneider

Administrative Specialist
Tristan Hernandez

Accountant
Richard Sharek

Quality Manager - Welding Services
Kyle Brooker

Quality Director

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As Champion Specialty Services’ Quality Director, Kyle Brooker brings over 30 years of coatings expertise to the table, ranging from chemical industry, Depart of Transportation to the nuclear industry and the Department of Defense. He joined Champion in 2020, leveraging deep specialized training to help maintain the highest possible standards of safety and quality. In the course of his daily activities, Brooker does everything from conducting audits to reviewing specifications, working with inspectors, supervisors and craft to assure our quality standards along with site specifications and project requirements are met. In 2022, he was awarded a challenge coin recognizing his actions onsite at the submarine dry dock at Naval Station Kings Bay. Prior to working at Champion, Brooker served in multiple roles at Williams Specialty Services LLC dating back to 2008. He received his high school diploma from Gold Coast Corporate Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida, and currently lives with his wife and five children in Lincolnton, Georgia.
John Serrano

Business Analyst Manager
Millie Barbosa

Billing/Collecting Specialist