Tom Merritt and Kristen Braden have been promoted to the respective positions of president and director of construction operations of H.R. Gray (HRG), a subsidiary of Haskell. (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Merritt has more than 14 years with HRG and formerly served as the vice president of business operations. He has more than 20 years of public sector knowledge with more than 10 years of private sector experience in the professional engineering and construction management field. Prior to joining HRG, Merritt served as deputy director of public utilities and director of the public service department for the city of Columbus, Ohio.

Braden has more than 15 years of experience in the construction industry. She has extensive experience with both public and private sector projects including water/wastewater, roadways, airports and offshore oil and gas production facilities. Prior to joining HRG, Braden worked with ExxonMobil in project management roles, followed by a construction litigation career. She will assume overall responsibility for day-to-day HRG construction operations.

Jim Joyce, PE, past president of HRG, will transition to the role of company chairman and will be focused on external relationships, client development, and overall strategy. George Daily, past executive vice president/chief operating officer, will be moving into a senior advisor role focused on construction operations, strategy, and development activities.