Group on jet was to confer on casino work

By JENNA ROSSjross@startribune.com

Last update: July 31, 2008 - 11:30 PM

Karen Sandland was one of three Tishman Construction Corp. employees scheduled to attend an Owatonna meeting about glass destined for a $2 billion casino project in Atlantic City.

The other two canceled late Wednesday when work interfered with their plans to visit the Viracon Inc., the Owatonna-based glass company.

Sandland, 44, died Thursday morning along with seven others who were on a plane when it crash-landed at Degner Regional Airport in Owatonna.

Also on board were three high-ranking employees of Revel Entertainment, based in Atlantic City, and two executives from APG International, the New Jersey-based contractor set to install the glass Viracon is supplying.

The two pilots killed were identified as Clark Keefer of Bethlehem, Pa., and Dan D'Ambrosio of Hellertown, Pa.

The APG executives were Marc Rosenberg, the company's chief operating officer, and Alan Barnett, its assistant project manager, according to company spokeswoman Amelia Townsend.

"Losing Marc and Alan -- who have been so important to this company and to me personally -- is extremely difficult," said Edward Z. Zaucha, APG's chairman. "I speak for all of us when I say that we are in total shock. This has been a sad, sad day for all of us."

Revel spokeswoman Valerie Edmonds confirmed that three Revel employees were killed in the crash, but said their identities would not be released until Friday at the earliest.

"Everyone at Revel Entertainment is deeply saddened by today's tragedy," Revel CEO Kevin DeSanctis said in an e-mail statement. "The loss of Revel executives and our partners from Tishman Construction and APG is a heartbreak to all on the team."

Richard Kielar, spokesman for Tishman Construction, declined to identify the employees who missed the fatal flight. They were too upset by the news to comment, he added.

"All of us in the Tishman Construction family extend our deepest thoughts, prayers and sympathies to the families of the victims of today's plane accident," CEO Daniel Tishman said.

Kielar said visits to suppliers like Viracon are routine.

"On any big project like this, it's typical to visit the plants of major suppliers," he said.

Atlantic City Mayor Scott Evans called the crash "devastating" for his community, adding that business people there are "extremely shocked and extremely sad."

"These two [businesses] are working on the largest construction project in Atlantic City right now."

Jenna Ross • 612-673-7168

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