MEET OUR TEAM

As President of Total-Western, Payman is responsible for the overall business success and strategic direction of the company. With over 10 years’ experience working in the Engineering, Construction, and Services industry, 10 of which was in a leadership position. With a focus on customer and employee satisfaction, Payman believes in a team atmosphere focused on Personal Accountability and doing what is right.

Payman earned a bachelor’s degree in Math and Computer Science, with a minor in Economics from Colorado School of Mines. He also earned his MBA in Global Management from the University of Phoenix. In 2022, he was named as an ENR 2022 Top Young Professionals California & Northwest.

With more than 30 years’ experience in construction and operations management, Lou recently served as Senior Vice President at Aegion Corporation. He began his career in the field where he started as a planner and project manager, before working his way up to serve in more senior roles at Timec Company and Team Industrial. During this journey he led regional operations and oversaw transitions into double-breasted organizations, while also expanding their geographic footprints to serve more customers and developing apprenticeship programs to comply with state legislation.

Lou earned his bachelor’s degree in Construction Engineering and Business Administration from Oregon State University.

Merrick brings with him more than 15 years of experience in sales, engineering, project management, and construction, having started his career at Fluor Corporation as a Process Engineer. He transitioned to sales and eventually became the Director of Sales at Aegion Energy Services, where he managed major corporate accounts with a combined value of $80 million per year. From there, he moved to ARB, Inc. as Director of Business Development and oversaw accounts for customers such as Chevron, Phillips 66, Valero, Marathon, PBF Energy, California Resources Corporation, and Air Products. He developed strategic partnerships on various projects targeting renewable energy that included green and blue hydrogen, solar, wind, battery storage, and fuel cells. In his previous role, Merrick served as Executive Vice President of Strategy & Development for Huddl3 Group and was responsible for mergers and acquisitions while also developing and maintaining strategic plans for sales, marketing, and HR.

Merrick earned his bachelors of engineering in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He is also a licensed and certified Professional Chemical Engineer for the state of California.

Annette Denny serves as the Business Manager for Total-Western. In 2005, she joined the accounting department as our staff accountant. Since then, she has held various roles in the company, working her way up from Project Controls Lead Administrator to Business Manager. In her current role, Annette oversees project reviews along with forecasting, AR, AP, billing, and managing office managers and supervisors across all Total-Western offices. Prior to joining Total-Western, Annette spent six years with Hilton Global Hospitality Company where she was responsible for forecasting, managing rates, and revenue management.

Annette earned her AA Degree in English from El Camino Community College and her bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix.

John brings with him more than 20 years of experience in the construction and engineering industries. John has been involved in the pursuit and execution of design-build projects, including FEED of over $6 billion across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. He has worked for top ENR firms such as Bechtel, PCL, Michels, Teichert, and subsidiaries of Artera Services and the API Group. John is experienced in delivering a broad range of projects including heavy industrial, manufacturing, grid modernization & resiliency, solar, biofuel, aerospace, oil & gas, petrochemical, specialty waste recovery solutions, and water conveyance & treatment facilities. His experience across a myriad of alternative contract delivery methods such as progressive design-build, CMGC, CMAR, and target price/fixed fee will strengthen Total-Western’s industry position and provide customer opportunities to optimize funding and bring their projects to market sooner.

John earned his bachelor’s degree in Fire Protection Administration and Technology from California State University as well as his graduate degree in Urban Planning from UCLA.

Dane brings with him more than 15 years of management experience, having most recently worked as Service Sales Manager for Southland Industries, a design-build-maintain MEP contractor. While there, he created and implemented a sales and business development program that expanded sales, improved client satisfaction, and created a path for continued organizational growth and leadership succession. His ability to create and implement strategic growth strategies, diversify client portfolios, and proactively anticipate market changes have proven instrumental to achieving business goals throughout his career.

Dane earned his MBA from Pepperdine University, and his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration – Finance & Operations Management from Western Washington University.

Ali brings more than 20 years of construction and engineering expertise to his role, overseeing the entire engineering department and ensuring alignment on customer needs. His career includes pivotal positions such as Engineering Construction Manager at Fluor Corporation and Operations Manager at IQA Solutions.

Holding a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from Azad University and a PMP Certification from the Project Management Institute, Ali is a seasoned professional known for his strategic vision. His commitment to excellence and client satisfaction epitomizes Total-Western’s dedication to innovation in engineering solutions.

Angel’s passion for employee engagement and recognition is evident through her successful implementation of nationwide craft engagement and retention programs. In her previous role at Matson Money, Inc., she developed and lead the company’s first human resources department by focusing on performance management and compensation restructuring to significantly reduce turnover, resulting in cost savings and employee engagement increasing by 68 percent. While serving as Director of HR Operations at Swinerton Builders, Angel showcased her exceptional leadership abilities and her commitment to driving positive change by developing the first-ever HR Craft Services division, spanning 18 locations nationwide and supporting over 2,800 employees. She also implemented best-in-class talent development strategies, aligning talent management with the organization’s mission and strategic objectives.

Angel earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Hanover College and her MBA in Business & Human Resources Management from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Oscar is a results-driven CPA with experience in private industry and professional service firms. He has worked in numerous positions throughout his career, including Senior Associate, Senior Corporate Auditor, Finance Manager/Regional Controller, and Business Unit Controller & Corporate Manager, and for various companies – PricewaterhouseCoopers, Parsons Corporation, AECOM Corporation, and Tutor Perini Corporation. As Controller at Total-Western, he is responsible for overseeing monthly, quarterly, and year-end financial activities and reporting, as well as leading the company’s annual budgeting process and providing forecasting to executive management.

Oscar earned his bachelor’s degree in Accounting at California State University, Northridge and is a licensed certified public accountant.

As the Corporate Safety Manager for Total-Western, Collin provides direction and leadership when it comes to safety as well as direct coaching and advanced safety training to safety personnel across all operations. He frequently travels to job sites and other office locations outside of Bakersfield, where he is currently based, and provides strategic direction on the development of specific curriculum and training programs for employees through Total-Western Institute. He is also responsible for ensuring that all employees understand, communicate, and enforce our company’s Safety, Quality and Accountability Program (PASS).  Collin has been with Total-Western for a decade with much of his career in safety, moving into roles with increasing responsibility over the years. Prior to moving into the role of Learning & Development Manager, he held the position of Safety Superintendent.