At the Intersection of Design and Risk Reduction

Chief Estimator Brian Ficzeri approaches every project like a three-dimensional puzzle. But unlike a conventional jigsaw project, building critical infrastructure involves a level of complexity that requires the industry’s best problem solvers.

Over his nearly 30-year career, Brian has estimated some of Balfour Beatty’s most impactful bridge, highway and water projects. He has seen the industry change and adapt to an ever-evolving variety of supply chain disruptions and project risk scenarios. Through it all, Brian’s expertise has empowered client decision-making and forever improved the way our communities live and move.

Driving Down Risk

Estimators are integral to driving successful project outcomes from the earliest stages of preconstruction by identifying innovative and practical solutions that drive down costs. But far from simply crunching numbers, Brian knows that expert networking and well-cultivated industry savvy is essential to navigating a landscape of escalating risks.

“As estimators, we’re always looking for the best, most cost-effective way to do something,” Brian says. “That often requires some back-and-forth collaboration with our client and designers to arrive at the right intersection of design features, supply chain management and budget considerations.”

Brian maintains a revolving roster of suppliers, manufacturers and trade partners and a near-encyclopedic knowledge of common industry costs, but every component is less predictable than it’s ever been. To ensure our project stakeholders see the best outcomes, Brian keeps a particularly close eye on the prices of steel, concrete and other ubiquitous materials, as well as the strained labor market. Every advantage counts in the pursuit of reducing risk, and Brian finds them at every opportunity.

“In some ways, my role is now more complex, but understanding and facing each new challenge is part of the fun,” Brian says. “I combine my past project experience, knowledge of industry trends and strategic market analysis to determine which escalations are real and lasting, which are temporary and which path works for our client’s and trade partners schedules and budgets.”

Bridges to Success

Brian’s 27 years of estimating experience has touched countless landmark infrastructure projects in Texas. He still has favorites, however, and most are community-connecting bridges. From Houston’s I-10 to the Margaret McDermott Bridge and Skillman Bridge in Dallas, Brian’s preconstruction expertise powers later construction success.

Whatever the project, Brian likes to think of estimating in terms of what he colloquially calls “widgets” – discrete, modular and repeatable packages of design elements that create both cost reliability and eventual efficient constructability. Of course, Brian’s many widgets require constant re-evaluation according to market conditions. They nevertheless provide our estimating teams and the clients they serve with an endlessly useful toolbox of building blocks from which any infrastructure project can emerge.

“Finding opportunities for efficiency during the estimating process is as much an analytical task as it is a creative one,” Brian says. “Balfour Beatty’s estimating teams excel at creative project sequencing, procurement solutions and design revisions that can save our clients money and reduce risk.”

For example, a highway project may require the excavation and construction of a water retention pond. That design element may have a generally reliable set cost based on size and depth, but Brian identifies ways to reduce risk for all project stakeholders. Properly sequencing the pond within the larger project, repurposing excavated material and even strategic over-digging and using the excess to offset backfill costs elsewhere are just some possible opportunities to create savings on any front.

Brian’s project experience has also included a range of contracting models, including smaller hard bid projects and massive, multi-year design-build behemoths like the Horseshoe Interchange and its constituent Margaret McDermott Bridge, now a landmark feature of the Dallas skyline.

No matter a project’s contracting model, Brian strives to understand local municipalities, their construction regulations, project site conditions and how each factor might affect risk. Especially on large-scale design-build projects, many of which span many miles of highway, managing traffic redirection and utility relocation are critical considerations.

Brian and Balfour Beatty’s team of expert infrastructure estimators manage these risks – and so many more – through a matrix of common issues and a risk register, comprising even more movable widgets in their toolbox.

“No matter how complex a project is, we collaborate with all stakeholders to proactively seek out, evaluate and mitigate risks,” Brian says. “If something happens, do we have a half-a-million dollar problem, a $5 million problem or $50,000 problem? By planning for these contingencies in advance, our clients and trade partners are equipped to make the best decisions.”

By simultaneously satisfying local regulations, creating end-user-friendliness and meeting clients’ design and budget goals, Brian sets up projects for success.

Answering the “Why?”

Interstate highways and landmark bridges transport thousands of drivers every day, providing essential channels of connection for our communities. The design choices and cost considerations that inform these projects matter, not just to direct stakeholders but also the people who utilize them every day. Estimators like Brian can explain the “Why?” behind each such choice made at the strategic intersection of savings and design intent.

Relentless Ally since 2023

As a project executive with more than 14 years of experience, David oversees the winning and execution of our Special Projects throughout Georgia. He has delivered more than 2,000,000 square feet worth of projects throughout his career across multiple market sectors including corporate office, hospitality, aviation, education, and retail. David takes great pride in his team and delivering success for his client all while driving quality and safety in every aspect of his work.

Relentless Ally since 2014

Tom Murray serves as senior project manager for Balfour Beatty's Civils business in the west region, overseeing operations and delivery of water and wastewater projects.

Since joining Balfour Beatty in 2014, Tom has lent his extensive heavy civil construction experience spanning over three decades to Balfour Beatty clients. In his tenure with the company, Tom has managed or overseen some of our most notable water and wastewater projects including Sterling Natural Resource Center and the Michelson Plant Biosolids and Energy Recovery Project.

Tom attended New Mexico State University and studied business administration. Tom is a father of three, grandfather of two and loves spending time with his family. He also enjoys camping at the beach and riding motorcycles in the deserts of California.

Problem-Solving With a Personal Touch

Project Executive Michelle Clark began her construction career on large projects with budgets in the hundreds of millions. By the time she reached Balfour Beatty in 2010, she had discovered her true passion for the industry’s polar opposite: fast-paced, high-touch and complex special projects.

In the decade since, Michelle has refined her problem-solving skills and earned a reputation as an enthusiastic advocate for Mid-Atlantic clients with unique project needs. In occupied buildings and on accelerated schedules, through night work and more, Michelle and her teammates leverage their years of special project experience to solve problems no one else can, delivering beautiful renovations and additions suited to each client’s needs.

Tackling Complex Logistics

Balfour Beatty experts like Michelle excel at special projects with truly unique challenges. Converting a mid-level tower floor into parking space or renovating a busy lobby with minimal disruption present a Gordian Knot of logistical considerations, but one that our teams are uniquely suited to untangle and overcome.

“Owners and clients come to us because they know we can see even the most complicated jobs through to success,” Michelle says. “Our clients trust us to solve problems that no one else can with design assistance, complicated or accelerated scheduling and innovative solutions – it’s where we thrive.”

On a current project in Washington, D.C., Balfour Beatty’s Mid-Atlantic special projects team has been tasked with adding an elevator to the interior of a historic downtown building. Beyond the aesthetic considerations of building an appropriately styled addition, the project site logistics are especially complex.

In addition to providing design input to help the elevator mesh with the surrounding structure, Michelle and her teammates are delivering construction solutions tailored to the site’s challenges, including limited space for material laydown, equipment and selective demolition. Backed by years of creative problem-solving experience, the team is performing complex shaft drilling, hydraulic installations and more within a narrow footprint.

Security Clearance: Granted

The Mid-Atlantic construction market, especially near historic Washington, D.C. is such that Balfour Beatty’s special projects teams often perform work for the federal government. Such projects can involve stringent security measures that Michelle loves to approach as another opportunity to solve a complex puzzle of logistical challenges.

“Federal special projects, just like special projects for private clients, are often located in occupied and secure office buildings where you must be a U.S. citizen, you can’t bring in any mobile devices and you can’t interact with surrounding offices in any way,” Michelle says. “It requires more planning and coordination than others in the industry may want to tackle, but we have the experience to ensure success. Every challenge is an opportunity to excel.”

Project coordination in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) also requires a unique approach to project management and Building Information Modeling (BIM) coordination.

When our teams can’t bring smartphones or tablets onto a project site, they rely on paper plans, intensive and intentional day-to-day planning and strategically timed communication with off-site personnel. Our special projects teams adapt to and overcome these unique constraints, carefully coordinating operations to maintain accelerated schedules and reliable budgets.

Making the Impossible Personal

When faced with challenging special projects, Michelle takes a personal, high-touch approach. By getting to know a client and understanding their project goals, she and her teammates can overcome any hurdle through innovative planning solutions, enhanced trade partner engagement and simply thinking outside the box.

Two back-to-back projects in the Warner Building in Washington, D.C. showcased Balfour Beatty’s ability to bring a client’s vision to life, first while converting an office floor into additional parking space. The team needed to avoid disrupting the existing parking structure above the floor and the offices above that, but the added complication of doorway-sized access points to the space precluded any large demolition equipment.

To effectively execute the garage conversion, including pouring a concrete ramp down to the new garage level, the team transported small loads of concrete in buggies that could navigate the space. Avoiding larger equipment also meant they could keep the rest of the garage open, which greatly benefited traffic to the rest of the building.

Impressed with the team’s work on the garage conversion, client JBG SMITH engaged Balfour Beatty to build a fitness center and renovate the Warner Building lobby. The client desired a green space despite the limited natural light, so Michelle and the team found a film set design specialist in California who could construct a 10-foot-tall artificial tree inside the lobby.

All the while, the team worked closely with JBG SMITH and the Warner Theater, a major occupant of the building, to coordinate work around live theater performances and peak activity hours in the lobby.

Near project completion, the team navigated even more complex logistics with the client and the city to deliver, assemble and install massive steel trellises, a key design feature of the renovated lobby. Though prefabricated in pieces off-site, each trellis component was large enough that the team worked with our delivery partners and the city of Washington, D.C. to coordinate lane closures during low-traffic hours.

The team needed to deliver the trellis components through the lobby’s front door, so constant communication with the client and its tenants was critical to mitigating disruptions to the Warner Building’s daily business.

Chasing the Next Challenge

Like many Balfour Beatty special projects experts across the U.S., Michelle feels uniquely suited for the fast-paced nature of these projects and loves what she does.

Every project has at least one especially unique, challenging or interesting feature. Whether she’s tackling an accelerated schedule, the challenge of delivering massive steel beams down a crowded city street or performing a complete lobby renovation without disturbing stage performances, Michelle is a passionate and respected Relentless Ally for our clients and communities.

Relentless Ally since 2022

Jeffrey Dorf serves as project development director for Balfour Beatty’s Civils business in the west region, overseeing rail, water/wastewater and other heavy civils pursuits across California and Arizona.

Prior to joining Balfour Beatty in 2022, Jeffrey’s 25 years of industry experience has led to notable project wins. Most recently, he played a key role in alternative delivery pursuits which yielded $1.6 billion in secured contracts across various market segments.

He attended Penn State University and received a bachelor of science in civil engineering prior to earning a master of business administration (MBA) from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Jeffrey has had the honor of being previously named the 1997 Pennsylvania Entrepreneur of the Year, by then Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, as well as receiving the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Arizona Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.

Relentless Ally since 2017

As Business Development Manager, Preston leverages his relationships and project expertise to aid our client development and work-winning efforts. Prior to this role, he gained over six years of project management experience working with our Large Projects and Interiors & Special Projects team. Preston joined Balfour Beatty in 2016 after graduating from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

Right on Track

Whether they carry commercial goods, raw materials or people, trains rarely have the luxury of stopping for long. That’s rarely an issue on an active rail line, but when railways require new construction, renovation and modernization, you need a hands-on expert who can keep things on track.

As one of Balfour Beatty’s leading rail experts, Commercial Director Chuck Chapman understands the importance of solutions-driven rail construction. Throughout his impressive 35-year career, Chuck has honed his skills as an innovative problem-solver, a master communicator and a creative project scheduler for public and private clients alike. Every dollar and every hour saved counts, and Balfour Beatty’s forward-thinking rail professionals like Chuck skillfully identify them at every turn.

Hands-On Problem Solving

Project leaders must display innovative problem-solving and the willingness to roll up one’s sleeves, take a personal role in the project plan and execute the best path forward.

Chuck’s storied career is replete with such situations, both as an estimator and as a project manager, and where the two disciplines converge. On a former employer’s bridge project, Chuck and his team were faced with a dilemma: the project required the creation of a dewatered area to facilitate bridgework, but traditional methods of sinking a cofferdam using sheet piles wouldn’t be adequate.

The approach spans of the bridge offered too little clearance to install cofferdams, and splicing sheet piles to handle the task would have increased project costs. So Chuck and his team got creative. They combined the strengths of each method by securing sheet piles to the cofferdam base using bulb seals.

“On each phase of the bridge, our solution probably saved four to six months,” Chuck recalls. “You multiply that across 36 segments, and the time and cost savings made an incredible difference for our client.”

While that level of creative problem-solving can come with the territory of complex infrastructure construction, it remains one of Chuck’s favorite aspects of his job and something he sees as wise stewardship of clients’ valuable time and money.

“There’s always an opportunity to partner with our clients, develop solutions and proactively prevent problems,” Chuck adds. “We get the right people together to create solutions that serve a project technically, fiscally and safely.”

Complete Communication

From the earliest planning phases to the completion of a project’s lifecycle, project leaders must be master communicators with every stakeholder. Direct, constant communication with clients, owners and trade partners can help prevent costly delays and any unnecessary impacts to the traveling public or vital supply chains that rely on rail infrastructure.

On Chuck’s most recent project, the electrification of Caltrain in San Jose, California, he prioritizes clear and consistent communication with project leaders, the client and local municipal authorities, ensuring Balfour Beatty adheres to all standards and procedures for working in and around critical infrastructure. Chuck understands that early and proactive team alignment enables the collaborative development of solutions that enhance critical logistics and safety planning. 

Impact-Sensitive Scheduling

Chuck and his fellow rail experts at Balfour Beatty cultivate a shared team understanding our client’s vision and target turnover dates, enabling strategic and successful project schedules.

“Traffic impacts and utility relocation are at the forefront of our minds on any rail project, because we know how mission critical both can be,” Chuck says. “By identifying these constraints early, we’re actually empowered to plan the most effective solutions such as nighttime closures and utility relocations that avoid interference with rail tracks and any permitting necessary to accomplish both.”

Balfour Beatty’s rail leaders can also leverage the many advantages of prefabrication where it can accelerate the schedule, save money and mitigate a project’s public impact. Railway replacements are a prime example.

“Prefabrication is another powerful tool in our planning toolbox,” Chuck says. “If we can build 1,000 feet of rail next to its final location, we can keep trains moving during that process, take the line out of service for a shorter outage period and install the new rail all at once.”

United in Vision

For Chuck, understanding a client’s vision is just par for the course. By communicating that vision to all stakeholders, then planning, designing and scheduling projects accordingly, the entire team stays on track.

Rail is one of our oldest modes of motorized travel but still plays a crucial role in the way we move people and goods around our communities and around the country. We’re proud to serve our clients by making rail construction and renovation as efficient, expedient and economical as possible and empowering leaders like Chuck who can make it happen.

Relentless Ally since 1986

As the Vice President of Operations, Bryan is a seasoned and results-driven leader with a proven track record for driving operational success. With extensive experience working on large, complex projects like 500 Folsom and LAX Automated People Mover, he excels in optimizing processes and implementing efficiencies for his team. Bryan's exceptional analytical skills, strategic vision, and dedication to achieving client objectives make him a valuable asset in overseeing and elevating project success from inception to completion.

Relentless Ally since 2013

In his role as estimator for Total Power Group (TPG), Gary Fields seeks opportunities to provide equipment and services to customers, builds relationships with clients and vendors while also generating business for the manufacturing facility.

Gary leads his TPG teammates to deliver on project materials, equipment and services while maintaining communication with the client. He provides a level of continuity with customers and lends his project knowledge and experience to his colleagues.

While not at work, Gary enjoys spending time with family and friends, especially while boating. He serves as a lifetime member of the United States Power Squadron, a boating safety organization, and combines his passion for music and the beach by playing guitar in a local beach music band.

Relentless Ally since 2016

Kevin Miller serves as general manager for Total Power Group (TPG) and oversees the manufacturing facility in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He leads business development and operations delivering traction power projects in major cities across the country as well as customized energy solutions with a high-level of flexibility and value to TPG customers.

After an extensive career in food processing manufacturing, Kevin joined TPG in 2016. Since that time, he has secured and delivered projects for major city transit authorities in New York City, Los Angeles, Detroit, Denver, Charlotte and Boston. TPG is currently working in tandem with Balfour Beatty’s rail division at the Caltrain Electrification project and Los Angeles World Airport’s (LAX) Automated People Mover (APM) project.

Kevin received his bachelor of science degree in accounting from Ball State University. He is a father of three and enjoys spending time with his family and being outdoors. 

Relentless Ally since 2023

Jeff Jessamine serves as project director for Balfour Beatty’s Civils business in the west region. He currently sits on Los Angeles World Airport’s (LAX) Automated People Mover (APM) project.

With over two decades of experience in the heavy civil market sector, Jeff has led many large-scale government infrastructure projects, including the largest consolidated rental car facility in the world to date at LAX and the Naval Station Pearl Harbor reconstruction.

Jeff holds a general engineering contractor’s license in California and is an accredited alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practitioner. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Forensic Expert Witness Association.

Relentless Ally since 2017

Christine Poll serves as accounting manager for Total Power Group (TPG) with an additional focus on sales.

After an extensive career in healthcare administration, Christine joined TPG in 2017. She has grown in the company from project analyst to human resources administrator to project accountant prior to being named accounting manager.

Christine graduated from Fayetteville State University with a bachelor of science in business administration, with minors in economics and accounting. She is a proud wife to a retired combat Air Force veteran, mother of three daughters and grandmother to three. Christine enjoys spending time with her family, reading and occasionally line dancing.

Relentless Ally since 2012

Will Pfeffer provides solutions for Balfour Beatty rail clients in transportation, freight and industrial services as the area operations manager.

He leads a strategic team and manages resources to provide a high-level of customer service to the rail business while also developing relationships to attract new projects. Will is a problem-solving servant leader that enjoys providing a personalized experience for clients and for the growth of his teammates.

Will attended California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, commonly referred to as Cal Poly Pomona, and received a bachelor of science in construction engineering technology prior to earning a master of business administration (MBA). He is also a certified project management professional (PMP).

A life-long Southern Californian, Will enjoys camping and making the most of Disneyland Park passes with his three children.

Relentless Ally since 1985

Roger Wilson brings his background as a civil engineer to serve as technical director for Balfour Beatty’s rail business.

Roger is a long-time Balfour Beatty teammate for the U.S. and the UK and is a project advisor on Los Angeles World Airport’s (LAX) Automated People Mover (APM) project. He served as the project manager for the first design-build highway project in the UK before moving to the U.S. Roger serves as an O&M board member for the Eagle P3 Commuter Rail.

While not at work, Roger enjoys skiing, golfing and hiking throughout Colorado and traveling to visit his four children.

Relentless Ally since 2019

Steve Williams is a problem-solving leader for Balfour Beatty’s civils business as the vice president of risk management. While promoting a culture of risk awareness, he supports complex projects and bid pursuits with the development of a corporate risk management policy, program and financial structure.

Steve plays an active role in providing solutions and context to the understanding of risks for Balfour Beatty teammates. He is passionate about integrating new technology into the risk methodologies of daily operations to create value through efficiency, safety and positive outcomes.

Although he began his career as a teacher, Steve’s broad perspective on risk management was born from his developmental work for companies across Australia, Canada, Europe, South America and the U.S. His efforts in leading mergers and acquisitions sparked the desire to continually utilize available technologies to overcome business obstacles.

In his free time, Steve enjoys cooking for his family, camping as well as watching college football and baseball. His love of music and travel combine in his occasional performances for a jazz and big band group that have played festivals and community concerts across North Texas, Italy and France, with plans to continue to play across Europe in the future.

Relentless Ally since 1999

Jay Boyd serves as the area operations manager for Balfour Beatty’s civils business in the southeast region. He brings several decades of extensive supervisory and hands-on experience in complex heavy civil and marine construction projects to the company.

Since joining Balfour Beatty in 1999, Jay has grown from a project manager to specializing in overseeing environmentally sensitive projects within budget and at the highest standards of safety, innovation and quality. He is a licensed tugboat captain, certified crane operator and an expert in working in offshore and coastal marine environments.

Relentless Ally since 1996

Brian Ficzeri serves as the chief estimator for Balfour Beatty’s civils business in the southwest region, overseeing the estimating of all highways and bridges projects across Texas.

Brian joined Balfour Beatty in 1996 after college graduation and participated in the management of large highway projects throughout the Houston area prior to joining the estimating team in 2010.  Brian has assisted in multiple winning design build joint venture pursuits in Dallas (Dallas Horseshoe, The Southern Gateway and I-635 East) as well as Austin (U.S. 183 South and Oak Hill Parkway).

Brian graduated from the University of Akron with a bachelor of science in civil engineering. Brian is a father of two and loves to spend time with his family.  When not at work, Brian enjoys sports, working in the yard and home improvement projects.

Relentless Ally since 1999

Keith Nixon leads alternative delivery efforts for Balfour Beatty’s civils southeast region. He is passionately focused on effectively delivering innovative projects with an emphasis on safety, quality and timeliness.

Since joining Balfour Beatty in 1999, Keith continues to cultivate and utilize decades of industry experience spanning all aspects of project delivery. He serves as the client's single point of contact and is responsible for all planning, design, construction and contractual matters. Keith’s expertise plays a key role in developing and implementing the region’s strategic business plans and covers various contract types, including design-build, progressive design-build and CM-GC.

Keith is a graduate of Robert Gordon University in Scotland where he received a Bachelor of Science in quantity surveying. He is a Designated Design-Build Professional (DBIA) and a member of the Carolinas Association of General Contractors (CAGC).