BRPH’s Curtin is elected to National Academy of Construction

 

The National Academy of Construction (NAC) recently elected Brian E. Curtin, P.E., president, CEO and chairman of the board of BRPH, as one of 45 new members in its Class of 2026.

Founded in 1999, the NAC is an organization of more than 500 industry leaders who have made significant, lifelong contributions to the construction industry. The Academy promotes collaboration, industry advancement and the development of future leaders.

BRPH is headquartered on U.S. 1 in Palm Shores.

Curtin was elected to NAC for his contributions as a design-build innovator with an exceptional professional history of success with private and public owners nationwide and for being an active advocate and mentor for future generations.

“I’m honored to be elected to the National Academy of Construction and to stand alongside such a talented Class of 2026,” stated Curtin. “The NAC plays a vital role in advancing our industry, and being recognized by my peers in this way is deeply meaningful. I’m proud of what my team and partners have accomplished throughout my career, and I’m eager to contribute to the NAC’s mission of guiding the next generation of industry leaders.”

Curtin, P.E., serves as president/CEO and chairman of the board of BRPH, an employee-owned international architecture and engineering services firm. Since joining BRPH in 1990, Curtin held leadership positions including director of operations and executive vice president. During his tenure, BRPH has more than doubled in size and expanded both its national and international presence. Currently, Curtin oversees the firm’s business strategy, financial performance and growth, with a focus on client service, operational efficiency and strengthening BRPH’s position across its markets.

Curtin’s extensive background in aerospace and aviation includes leadership roles on major projects for NASA, Boeing, United Launch Alliance, Lockheed Martin and Space Florida. His experience spans work on launch pad design and redevelopment, spacecraft manufacturing and facility integration, aerospace manufacturing centers and spaceport planning across the U.S. and internationally. Curtin is actively involved in professional and community organizations, serving on the boards of the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast and Orlando Economic Development Commission, and supporting workforce and education initiatives through the United Way and Junior Achievement.

Elected by their peers, the ballot for NAC Class of 2026 was set in April and the final vote took place in May. Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during the NAC’s Annual Meeting on September 25, 2026, in Nashville, TN.

BRPH, founded in 1964, is an employee-owned clients in the aerospace, defense, manufacturing, commercial, education, entertainment and hospitality markets to plan, design, manage and construct facilities and solutions.

Florida Tech’s weVENTURE gets new executive director

Liz Llinás is the new executive director of Florida Tech’s weVENTURE Women’s Business Center at the Bisk College of Business.

An experienced and accomplished leader, Llinás is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and small-business owners start, grow and scale successful businesses. She brings valuable experience from a career that spans leadership, business banking, change management and small business advising.

“I am excited to connect business owners with the resources, education and networks they need to succeed,” Llinás he said. “Programs that combine mentorship, education and training strengthen both entrepreneurs and the regional business community.”

She replaces Kathryn Rudloff, who recently left weVENTURE to become president of the United Way of the Space Coast.

Llinás has more than 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur, business owner and vice president and private client branch manager at J.P. Morgan Chase and Emprise Bank. Fluent in both English and Spanish, she believes in creating opportunities that help individuals transform ideas into thriving businesses while also strengthening their communities.

Currently enrolled in Florida Tech’s Doctor of Business Administration program, Llinás has an associate degree in education from the University of Florida and a bachelor’s degree in general studies and minor in business and master’s degree in strategic leadership, all from Friends University.

Llinás is an active community leader who values collaboration and lifelong learning. She has seen firsthand the power of entrepreneurship to create positive change.

“Fostering inclusive business growth helps create opportunities for the next generation of entrepreneurs to achieve their goals,” she said. “I am thrilled to lead weVENTURE forward in its critical mission.”

Earlier this year, weVENTURE was recognized as the 2026 Florida Small Business Community Partner of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. It was the Center’s eighth time earning recognition from the SBA for excellence in service.

Two local high school grads come back to Brevard to practice medicine

Orlando Health marked the opening of its new primary care practice in Viera with two doctors, who attended Cocoa Beach Junior/Senior High School together, as physicians.

The physicians are Dr. Anita Fazeli and Dr. Srividya Kannan. They are part of Orlando Health Physicians Associates.

“As someone who was born and raised in Brevard County, it’s incredibly meaningful to return home and care for the community that helped shape me,” Kannan said. “It’s important for patients to see a primary care doctor quickly rather than sit on a waiting list, and we’re focused on helping reduce those wait times to help meet the needs of this community.”

Kannan was born at Cape Canaveral Hospital and raised in the area; her parents still live here. She will provide family medicine services for patients of all ages, including children of all ages.

Kannan earned a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and immunology at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, and received her medical training from St. George’s University in Newcastle, United Kingdom, and Grenada, West Indies. She completed a family medicine residency through Florida State University at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare in Tallahassee.

Community leaders, hospital executives, and staff gathered recently at Orlando Health Physician Associates newest office, 8055 Spyglass Hill Road, Suite 102, to celebrate the office’s opening.

“Primary care is about building trusted relationships and helping patients stay healthy throughout every stage of life,” Fazeli said. “By expanding access to care close to home, we can help patients take a more proactive approach to their health and well-being.”

Fazeli received her bachelor’s degree in health sciences from the University of Central Florida and earned her osteopathic medicine degree at William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. She completed a family medicine residency at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Jacksonville.

Fazeli speaks fluent Persian and conversational Spanish and will provide care for patients ages 16 and older.

Kannan and Fazeli, who are both primary care physicians who went to school together at Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School from 2008-2010. Fazeli moved and graduated from Viera High School in 2013, while Kannan went on to become valedictorian of her Cocoa Beach Jr./ Sr. High School graduating 2013 class.

Orlando Health is a private not-for-profit, integrated academic healthcare system with $15 billion of assets under management, that serves the southeastern United States – including Florida and Alabama – and Puerto Rico.

Palm Bay gets funds for Phoenix Business Park project

Gov. Ron DeSantis recently awarded the City of Palm Bay $3.5 million through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund to support wastewater infrastructure for the planned Phoenix Business Park.

The Phoenix Business Park is a key component of Palm Bay’s redevelopment plans for the currently undeveloped northeast portion of the area known as “the Compound.” The project will extend wastewater infrastructure through the construction of approximately 16,000 linear feet of 12-inch sanitary sewer force main, providing the capacity needed to prepare the property for future industrial and commercial development.

“This $3.5 million investment is a major win for the City of Palm Bay and an important step forward in our vision for the Phoenix Business Park,” said Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina. “I want to thank Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Secretary of Commerce Alex Kelly for recognizing the potential that exists here in Palm Bay and investing in the infrastructure needed to help us realize it.”

The planned Phoenix Business Park is part of Palm Bay’s strategy to attract and support targeted industries, including advance manufacturing, aerospace and defense, semiconductor and electronic component manufacturing, technology and engineering services, logistics and distribution, and clean technology and advanced materials.

Kalogon adds chief technology officer

Kalogon, a Melbourne-based health technology company founded seven years ago, recently announced that Marty Evans joined the company as its first chief technology officer.

Evans brings more than 25 years of experience designing and shipping consumer hardware at Microsoft, Meta, Magic Leap and HP. He will lead Kalogon’s engineering and product development teams as the company brings its smart seating technology to more people who spend hours in a seat, from wheelchair users to pilots and passengers.

Evans began his career as a U.S. Air Force avionics technician, maintaining F-16 and F-117A stealth fighters. After earning his electrical engineering degree with top honors, he entered the consumer electronics industry in 1999. He most recently served as vice president of engineering at Magic Leap, and before that was director of electrical engineering at Meta’s Reality Labs. He has also built hardware at Valve and on Microsoft’s Surface product line. He holds more than 20 patents spanning pressure sensing, wireless charging, electromechanical actuation, power management and accessory usability.

At Kalogon, Evans will shape the company’s technology and lead engineering execution from concept through production as the company grows into new markets.

“Joining Kalogon feels like coming full circle, getting closer to the technology again while applying the same principles of empathy-driven design to a new sector,” Evans said. “In (Augmented Reality) we explored ways technology could extend someone’s abilities, from helping someone follow a conversation in a noisy room to making visual information easier to see. Adaptive seating calls for the same mindset – understanding what each person needs, then using hardware and thoughtful design to improve their daily experience. Finding a team of passionate engineers, makers and tinkerers doing exactly that, right here in Melbourne, felt like a match made in engineering heaven.”

For Evans, Kalogon’s aviation work is a return to where his career began. Kalogon’s work with the U.S. Air Force offers a preview of what its technology can do in the air. The company has secured multiple SBIR Phase II grants totaling $3.5 million to adapt its seating for B-52 and E-4B aircrews, who can spend 30 to 40 hours in seats designed decades ago. In Air Force testing, Kalogon’s cushions reduced peak pressure by 51% and significantly reduced pilot fatigue, results that point to real potential applications in long-haul commercial aviation.

“Marty has built some of the most sophisticated consumer devices on the market, and he knows how to make advanced technology disappear into the background of someone’s day,” said Tim Balz, founder and CEO of Kalogon. “That’s exactly what great seating should do. His experience will help us move faster as we take what we’ve learned from wheelchair users into new places people sit, including the airplane cabin.”

To learn more, visit https://www.kalogon.com.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: BRPH’s Curtin is elected to National Academy of Construction

Reporting by Compiled by Wayne T. Price, For Florida Today / Florida Today

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This story was originally published October 8, 2026 at 5:01 PM.