North Reading, MA Columbia has appointed Josh Blake and Russ Parady to the newly-established vice president | general superintendent position. Blake and Parady are each long-time members of Columbia’s field operations team.

Blake started his career at Columbia nearly 12 years ago as a superintendent, leading many of Columbia’s most complex projects. His methodical, organized, safety-focused, and calm approach has been a key factor in the success of large-scale projects for clients such as Siemens Healthineers and Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Parady began his career with Columbia more than 40 years ago and has proven to be one of the firm’s most knowledgeable and trusted superintendents in his work on many of its most challenging and time-sensitive projects. He is recognized for his commitment to “the Columbia Way” principles of accountability & ownership, safety mindset, and teamwork.

“The promotions of Josh and Russ are a strong demonstration of not only Columbia’s appreciation of their abilities, but also our commitment to the value and importance of our field team,” said Columbia chief operating officer Shawn Gallant. “These new roles mark the first vice president-level field positions in Columbia’s long history, and we expect that Josh and Russ, working in conjunction with director of field operations Chris Hurley, will ensure well-managed projects and successful outcomes, while also providing field staff with direct access to Columbia leadership and support in developing and achieving their career paths.”

“The years of experience that Josh and Russ bring to these high-level roles ensures that safety, quality, and schedule will remain paramount on all Columbia projects,” said Columbia president Shaun Lover. “I’m confident that the benefits of their high-level leadership will be felt both internally and externally, driving team success and client satisfaction alike.”