Our Management Team
William (Bill) Throop, PE
Director of Project Management and Construction Services
Phone: 512-475-8478
Alternate: 512-471-3042
Bill Throop was appointed director of Project Management and Construction Services in August 2005. He is responsible for all renovation and minor construction projects on The University of Texas at Austin main campus and satellite campuses, including the Marine Sciences Institute and McDonald Observatory. His organization consists of a fifty-member project management and contracting staff and a ninety-member shop construction section. Bill is responsible for an annual construction program that includes more than 300 projects, totaling more than $25 million.
Before assuming his current position, Bill served as the associate director of the university’s Architectural and Engineering Services section, in which he was responsible for design, construction, contracting, and project management services for the renovation program. Prior to joining the university, Bill served with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a variety of leadership and engineering management positions.
Bill holds a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from Clarkson University, a master’s degree in civil engineering from North Carolina State University, and a master’s degree in Procurement and Contracting Administration from George Washington University. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas and Virginia, and is a LEEDTM Accredited Professional with the U.S. Green Building Council.
Bernard Bhatti, PE
Associate Director, Project Support Division
Phone: 512-475-8476
Alternate: 512-471-3042
Bernard Bhatti leads the Project Support division. This multi-disciplined division provides mechanical, electrical, structural and civil engineering services. It also offers CADD support for the entire Project Management and Construction Services department.
Before The University of Texas at Austin, Bernard worked for seventeen years at Motorola Austin, where he served as the site engineering manager and distinguished member of technical staff. Bernard joined the university in 2003, bringing along his broad experience in engineering and facilities management. Until October 2005, he served as the manager of Engineering Services for Architectural & Engineering Services. Since then, he has served as associate director of the Project Support division.
Bernard holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Oklahoma, and is a registered professional engineer in Texas, Arizona, and Oklahoma. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Industrial Energy Technology Conference.
Michael J. DeBow, PE
Associate Director, Project Management Division
Phone: 512-475-8409
Alternate: 512-471-3042
Mike DeBow provides leadership to the teams that develop, plan and execute client-requested renovation projects across The University of Texas at Austin campus and in outlying campus facilities. He oversees the renovation management process and contracting activities, which support project execution and construction coordination for PMCS. His leadership responsibilities include six areas: Laboratory and Technical Projects Section; Classroom, Office and Auxiliary Projects Section; Special Projects Section; Minor Renovations Section; Contracting Section; and Construction Coordination Section.
Mike joined Project Management and Construction Services and The University of Texas at Austin in April 2006. Before then, he was a project director for a large military housing company. As an engineer officer in the Army, he has significant experience in facilities management, construction management and project management. He is also a registered professional engineer in Texas.
C.J. Wiles
Associate Director, Construction Services Division
Phone: 512-471-1549
Alternate: 512-471-7776
C.J. Wiles leads Construction Services, which is the in-house renovation and minor construction program for the campus. The program includes the handling of all client requests (SR10s) for facility renovation services, and management and planning of shop projects by the Project Planning and Production Control Section. Construction Services eight specialty trade shops execute projects; these trade shops include Abatement, Cabinet, Carpenter, Electric, General Construction, Paint, Sheet Metal/Insulation, and Steam and Plumbing. Additionally, the division coordinates special event support, working with colleges and departments to ensure the Facilities Services and PMCS shops meet their needs, from the smallest setup for tables and chairs to Commencement.
C.J. joined the former Physical Plant as assistant director of Planning and Construction in February 1999. He became associate director of Construction Services with the reorganization of Physical Plant and the creation of the Project Management and Construction Services department in January 2006. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree in facilities management.
Paul Shelander, NCARB
Senior Project Manager, Laboratory & Technical Section for the Project Management Division
Phone: 512-475-8438
Alternate: 512-471-3042
Paul Shelander leads the Laboratory and Technical Projects team. He provides project management services for the design and construction of the College of Natural Sciences research, teaching laboratories and offices. As liaison to the College, Paul assists in the overall coordination of their renovation program projects. Paul is also involved with managing special renovations for various colleges, schools and units on campus.
Paul joined The University of Texas at Austin in 1998, after working as a practicing architect with the Boston architectural firm of Hill, Miller, Friedlaender, and Hollander (HMFH). His previous experience includes managing educational facility design teams, as well as designing complex institutional projects for the commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Paul is a registered architect in both Texas and Massachusetts, is certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, and has a master’s degree in architecture from The University of Texas at Austin. In addition, he holds a bachelor’s degree with a major in biological sciences as well as a certificate in cytotechnology (the study of human cells to detect signs of cancer or other abnormalities) from The University of Texas School of Allied Health Sciences in San Antonio. This unique educational background provides additional support to Paul’s management of design and construction of his team’s projects.
Bethany Ramey Trombley
Senior Project Manager, Project Management Division for the Classroom, Office & Auxiliary Section
Phone: 512-475-7722
Alternate: 512-471-3042
Bethany Ramey Trombley leads the Classrooms, Offices and Auxiliary team. Since 2002, she has served as the project manager for The University of Texas at Austin Main Building and the College of Liberal Arts.
Bethany received her bachelor’s degree in the history of art and architecture from Rice University, and earned her master’s degree in architecture from the University of Houston where she received the AIA Gold Medal as valedictorian. She was named one of that university’s top fifty graduates and inducted into the University of Houston College of Architecture’s Lifetime Hall of Fame. Bethany has served as adjunct faculty at The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture.
As a sole practitioner for thirteen years, Bethany has worked with the City of Austin Library System and the Dallas Museum of Art, and designed Girl Scout camp facilities. She served as the interior designer for the City of Austin’s ARCH men’s homeless shelter, which received an AIA Green Building award in 2005. In 1991, Bethany received the Woman of the Year Award in Business and Professions and a national design award from Girl Scouts U.S.A.
Robyn S. Green
Manager, Project Control and Customer Relations
Phone: 512-471-7580
Robyn Green manages Project Control and Customer Relations. To ensure that Project Management and Construction Services delivers quality products and meets organizational goals, she coordinates the client satisfaction program and manages the strategic planning and metrics programs. She supervises a design group of interior and graphic designers, as well as the historically underutilized businesses coordinator and a data analyst.
Patrick G. Quinlan
Manager, Project Planning and Production Control
Phone: 512-471-1715
Patrick Quinlan manages the Project Planning and Production Control divisions. He is responsible for overseeing the university’s small renovation projects typically done in-house, as well as the scheduling of work from Construction Services’ eight different shops. He has been with The University of Texas at Austin since 1980.
Elizabeth (Bettie) Simpson-Weeks
Manager, Project Management Division for the Construction Coordination Section
Phone: 512-475-8462
Alternate: 512-471-3042
Bettie Simpson-Weeks manages the Construction Coordination staff for all renovation projects managed by Project Management and Construction Services. Their duties include reviewing project plans for constructability, scheduling and coordinating utility outage, keeping building occupants and project managers informed throughout all phases of construction and working closely with the contractor to assure the project is completed on time and to specifications, among other tasks.
Prior to joining The University of Texas at Austin in 2004, Bettie held the positions of director of inspections for the Texas Building and Procurement Commission, and manager of inspections for the City of Austin. She also owned and operated her own construction/inspection firm, was regional manager for a well-known insurance company, and was involved with Occupational Safety and Nursing Management for a number of years.
Bettie has a degree in nursing and was licensed to practice in Florida and California. She has been active in organizations including The Women in Construction Network and The Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Austin, Texas.
