Ryan Companies US, Inc.said Tuesday that Rick Collins, currently vice president of Development for company's NorthCentral division in Minneapolis, was promoted to president of the company's Southwest region.

Collins' new role will include management of all business development, employees and operations for projects in that region, which has offices in Phoenix and San Diego.

"We could not be more excited about this new opportunity for Rick," stated Collin Barr, president of Ryan's NorthCentral region, in a statement. "His contributions to this market, and to the Ryan culture, have been significant, and we know he will bring that same energy and enthusiasm to his new role."

Collins' major projects have included the historic preservation of the Grain Belt Brew House, the Midtown Exchange mixed-use development, the conversion of the landmark Foshay Tower into the W Foshay Minneapolis hotel, and Two MarketPointe in Bloomington.

He is currently in the midst of working on the $400 million Downtown East five-block mixed-use project in Minneapolis which includes a nearly two-block park, two office towers for Wells Fargo, nearly 200 apartments and retail and restaurant space.

"Rick's strategic vision, creativity, and natural leadership skills will make him a great fit for the president role," said Jeff Smith, executive vice president at Ryan. "In addition, his strong commitment to the industry and the community will enable him to quickly settle into the Phoenix market."

Collins has held leadership roles in several Twin Cities non-profit organizations including the Minnesota Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Children's Cancer Research Fund. He is also active as a leader locally and nationally in NAIOP and the Urban Land Institute.

Collins will be taking over for longtime Southwest president John Strittmatter, a 29-year Ryan veteran who opened the Phoenix office.Strittmatter, who will be staying on with Ryan to manage the development and construction of the multi-year, 2 million square foot Marina Heights mixed-use campus, is winner of NAIOP's 2011 Lifetime Achievement award.

During his tenure, the office has won numerous awards including NAIOP Developer of the Year and Ranking Arizona's No. 1 Commercial Developer 12 times since 2001. Significant recent projects include the FBI Phoenix Division, the Hayden Ferry development, Maricopa County Courthouse, the Musical Instrument Museum, Unisource, One North Central (formerly Phelps Dodge) and WL Gore headquarters.