Relentless Ally since 2004

Travis is an industry veteran that leads a team of construction professionals adept at delivering distinctive spaces ranging from commercial office interiors to unique community facilities. Travis is a team builder and his goal for the Special Projects Group is to achieve high quality work in a team-based, collaborative environment. 

Relentless Ally since 2021

As Vice President, Operations, Dave Dlugosh leads Balfour Beatty's Central Texas office. Before joining Balfour Beatty in 2021, he successfully delivered several notable local projects in our key markets, including the RiverSouth office building, Omni Resort at Barton Creek additions and renovation, and Dell Seton Medical Center.

Relentless Ally since 1989

Denise Hubley began her career with GMH in 1989, a company that was acquired by Balfour Beatty in 2008. Currently, Denise serves as executive vice president and the chief financial officer responsible for overseeing the financial operations of Balfour Beatty’s US Buildings operations. Denise’s previous roles include being responsible for various aspects of shared services in addition to project finance, which includes debt and equity structuring.

Denise earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a concentration in computer science from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In her free time, she likes to travel and spend time with her family at the beach.

Relentless Ally since 2000

Leslee Mallinson is an industry veteran who joined the company in 2000 and serves as our senior vice president of communications. As an experienced and passionate communications advisor, Leslee sits on our executive leadership team and is responsible for delivering strategic communications counsel and marketing and brand management across our entire U.S. business.

Leslee works closely with our operational, marketing and shared services teams to devise impactful communications that support our overall business strategy and our most valuable asset: our people. Among her team, Leslee is known as a caring and dedicated leader whose infectious laugh can be heard from a mile away.

Leslee is a graduate of Austin College and an active volunteer in the Dallas community that Balfour Beatty has helped build. In her spare time, Leslee enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and two teenage sons.

Putting the Quality in Quality Control

As someone who grew up working with his father and uncle on different build and repair jobs, Balfour Beatty Quality Assurance/Quality Control Director Terry Marsh always enjoyed working with his hands. Given his natural abilities, construction may have seemed an obvious career path, but in his earlier years, Terry was more interested in becoming a pilot. 

Fresh out of high school and only a mere 17-years-old, Terry was eager to launch his career. As part of his job search, Terry took a leap and responded to an ad for an electrical superintendent position. The only catch was, at such a young age, he didn’t have any of the necessary background for it. Little did Terry know at the time, taking that small leap would set him up for a successful 30-year career in the construction industry. 

When asked why he applied to a role for which he didn't initially meet the qualifications, Terry explained that he wanted to learn the trade and simply needed the right opportunity to get his foot in the door. From there, the leap didn't seem so far off. "The owner apparently liked my drive and hired me immediately," recalls Terry. 

Terry was a natural fit for the construction industry, easily surpassing most of his peers and quickly obtaining his master's electrician license. After Terry worked alongside Balfour Beatty on several projects, our team quickly recognized his potential and offered Terry a full-time position in 1991. It was a move that established the foundation for Terry’s career as a highly esteemed quality control expert. 

Working with teams in Nashville, Tennessee and later, Dallas, Terry quickly rose through the ranks and honed his craft in quality control. Praised by teammates for his attention to detail, drive for excellence and unrivaled knowledge of building systems, Terry has built a reputation for significantly improving the quality of every project he touches. 

In his role, Terry provides critical recommendations to improve processes and mitigate risks or adverse trends that have the potential to impact the successful delivery of best-in-class projects. Through consistent and accurate execution of quality control procedures including reviewing installations and assisting teams in improving their execution of installations and systems, Terry is a consummate Relentless Ally for our people, partners and projects. 

Providing the foundation of a successful and safe project, effective quality control programs can mitigate the likelihood of costly rework and associated schedule delays, promote greater collaboration between trade partners and resolve design challenges that arise as projects progress. Balfour Beatty’s quality control plans are founded on delivering the owner’s vision and goals and empowering trade partners to execute quality work in rewarding team environments. 

“My goal is to help our project teams succeed through consistent and accurate execution of quality control procedures," says Terry. "Safety, quality and schedule are the foundation of a successful project. When I step on a project where it is evident that everyone cares about safety, it is always well-organized and clean. It is obvious at that point that everyone there is proud of what they do, they enjoy their work and they place a high degree of importance on getting things right."

Preferring to keep his boots on the ground, Terry makes it a priority to visit as many jobsites as he can. And although he might seem like more of a behind-the-scenes operator, over the last 30 years of working with our business, Terry has played an integral role in hundreds of projects across the Southeast and Texas. 

Terry’s influence far transcends the projects on which he has directly worked. When Balfour Beatty launched a new national Quality Control program in the early 2000s, Terry was a key contributor to the initiative. He also had a hand in our most recent development of an Integrated Quality Control plan launched in 2020, an innovative approach to quality control that incorporates project stakeholders’ expectations into our jobsite specific plans. Before construction begins, project teams obtain input from trade partners, owners and designers to build a plan that holistically incorporates every concern and expectation. This process builds on itself in bitesize pieces throughout the project lifecycle instead of creating a partially complete quality control plan at the beginning when pressure is high to complete design and begin construction. 

On a more personal level, Terry is known by his peers for being a natural teacher and mentor. Willing and able to make his technical expertise easily understandable for a wide range of skill levels, Terry’s extensive knowledge and research often helps teams discover and implement innovative solutions before they become problems. 

"What struck me most the very first time I met Terry, that still rings true today, is his ability to share knowledge with others without being overbearing while doing it," says Titus Rodriguez, senior project manager for Balfour Beatty. "In my 20 years with the company, Terry has never failed to provide assistance when called upon, which is an invaluable asset to his teammates."

That trust isn’t just one-sided. 

“Three decades is a long time to spend with one company,” says Terry. “But the people and the relationships I’ve built over the last 30 years have truly been the best part about working at Balfour Beatty. I trust my teammates and our leadership to always make the right decisions based on what is best for the business to thrive.”

After successfully celebrating 30 years with Balfour Beatty, it’s hard to believe that Terry could have ever ended up in any career other than construction and quality control. But much like the pilot he once yearned to be, he has used his knowledge, training and natural skills to help our project teams soar to new heights at every opportunity. 

Make Every Moment Count

Safety, Health and Environment Director Ryan Little recalls a life-changing conversation that forever impacted his approach to Zero Harm

Do you remember where you were around noon on Saturday April 28, 2007? Were you eating lunch, playing golf or maybe enjoying an afternoon in the park with your children? That day may be a distant memory for most, but fourteen years later, I can still recall every detail because it fundamentally changed me as a safety professional. It changed me as a person. And it reinforced my view of our responsibility to ensure safety is within everyone’s reach – on every task, every day, on every jobsite. 

At the time, I was working for another major general contractor on a high-rise project in Miami, Florida. Before I joined the team, the project had already gone wrong in almost every way a project can. Significant and ongoing staffing turnover led to poor management, catastrophic schedule delays and communication breakdowns such as the mass overstocking of drywall. With a booming local economy, second-tier trades were pressed to meet aggressive production targets on advanced scopes. We even dismantled the first tower crane as a hurricane was approaching. This project had nearly every risk factor for a serious safety incident. 

But we never expected that on April 28, someone would lose their life on our jobsite. A 26-year-old young man from Nicaragua fell 90 feet to his death while moving some of the building’s extra drywall onto an outrigger. This tragedy was entirely preventable—the result of a series of unsafe choices, an acceptance of unnecessary risk and a toxic ‘rip and react’ project culture that failed to address either dangerous dynamic. 

But before I explain the technical circumstances that led to this young man’s death, I’d like to set the stage for the challenges our workforce faces and why I immediately recognized that I could have done more to ensure safety was within his reach. 

This young man was being paid $.25 cents for each board of 70-pound drywall he moved. It was physically demanding, repetitive and production-driven work. Every night, he went home to a one-room extended stay motel that he shared with six brothers and sisters. 

When I was notified about the fatality, I remembered riding up an elevator with that young man earlier the same day. As I went through a roller coaster of emotions, I replayed every moment of the interaction in my mind. After a quick PPE check, I asked him to put on his eye protection in my best Spanish. With a smile and a nod, he did just as I’d asked. But I didn’t check for his orientation sticker or verify what task he was working on. I didn’t engage him in a personal conversation. By not maximizing that moment, I felt I had failed him. 

When I spoke to his mother just a few hours later, that missed opportunity flashed before my eyes. She asked me a haunting question no parent should ever have to ask and no safety professional ever wants to answer: “Why did you let my son die on your jobsite?” 

I could have told her that the outrigger subcontractor had gone to lunch, leaving the system unmonitored. I could have told her that his crew grabbed some unattended harnesses they hadn’t been trained to use and loaded boards onto an outrigger they weren’t authorized to work on. Or that they’d removed their retractables, so when the load on the outrigger shifted, they had no adequate fall restraint measures in place. But none of those responses would have brought her any comfort, and none would have brought her son back. They didn’t bring me any comfort either. 

We owe the people who work on our projects more than leaving their lives to luck or chance, but far too often in this industry, we believe we are safe when we just got lucky. Or, we assume that people will make safe choices because we think they seem like common sense. But that’s not always the case. Yes, these young men made misguided and unsafe choices, but their only motive was to get a job done to provide for their families. No one sets out on any given workday with the intent of getting hurt. 

This tragedy reminded me that safety isn’t about a sign or a rule. Rules are important and help save countless lives on jobsites every day, but those measures don’t work in isolation. 

Safety must be an authentic value we live and operate by every single day. To make safety within everyone’s reach, we must engage in personal conversations with our trade partners and take the time to examine our work through the eyes of the people performing it. By forming meaningful, authentic relationships, we can empower people to make safety, quality and production so deeply ingrained into their everyday operations that it’s as routine as putting on a seatbelt. They also need to understand it’s their right and responsibility to speak up if they see something unsafe. 

At its core, safety is rooted in trust—trust our workforce places in us to create safe jobsites, trust they place in one another to make safe choices and trust that everyone operates with one another’s best interests at heart.

In the wake of any safety incident, there are always difficult questions to answer. Some questions, like the one the young man’s mother posed to me, can’t be answered because there are no do-overs. To honor his memory, challenge yourself today to honestly evaluate whether you embody the leadership, courage and commitment to make safety within everyone’s reach on your team, jobsite or office environment. 

Don’t let a single ‘elevator moment’ pass you by.

Dependable, Devoted Dream-Builder Makes His Mark in the Mid-Atlantic

Sean Graham’s potential to emerge as an industry star has been apparent throughout his entire 13-year construction career, as he quickly rose through the ranks from project engineer to senior project manager. During this time, he has contributed to some of the Mid-Atlantic team’s premier projects, including the $856.9M Walter Reed National Military Medical Center expansion and renovation as well as the 561,000-square-foot, Class A Republic Square office building. But even more notably, Sean has demonstrated an innate ability to lead, solve problems quickly and build solid relationships with clients — reflecting the qualities of a true Relentless Ally.
 
A quiet achiever, Sean lets his project execution speak for itself, and the noise is deafening. Balfour Beatty receives consistent positive feedback from a repeat client, which once offered to fund Sean’s bonus as a token of appreciation. After teaming with Sean on the 220 Twentieth Street project, Paul Sowter, now senior vice president at Fivesquares Development, praised his “hard work and detailed knowledge of the project.”
 
According to his teammates, Sean’s success lies in his diligent and proactive approach to operational leadership. Balfour Beatty executive vice president, David Laib, expressed that he finds ‘comfort’ working with Sean, because he “simply takes care of business as efficiently and effectively as anyone I know.” In addition to his passionate drive to overcome obstacles, Sean is equally skilled at avoiding them. Sean has closely aligned himself with Balfour Beatty’s Zero Harm safety policy, drawing praise for the personal accountability he takes in reducing risk on his jobs and by inspiring others to do the same. By consistently taking the initiative to ensure his projects are not only utilizing existing procedures but also implementing the most beneficial new processes, Sean has become a trusted steward of his clients’ dreams who is respected by peers and partners alike.
 
As Sean has grown throughout his career, he has honed his natural gifts and talents through hands-on experience with some of the most signature construction projects in the Mid-Atlantic region. Those who work alongside Sean will surely agree with the following observation made by Stephen B. Kalthoff, vice president at JBG Smith, “With his fantastic memory, calm demeanor, eye for detail and excellent architectural skills, Sean is at the top of his class.” And there’s nowhere to go but up.

Knox Tate has been building Charlotte from the inside-out for 50 years. His favorite project? Not what you’d think.

We live in a time of experts. Whether it’s how to change the cracked screen on your cell phone, how to poach an egg, or how to master the chords of a guitar, access to information and knowledge is as quick as 100 megabits per second. Developing an expertise has become as simple as click-clack-search. With a few tutorial videos under our belts and an equal share of trial and error, we label ourselves experts of any and everything. Stacking cups, throwing frisbees, organizing the kitchen junk drawer? There’s an expert for each. The problem with such instant access to everything expert? We’ve lost sight of one of the main ingredients in the recipe of expertise—experience. No number of videos, message boards or incessant ‘Googling’ can hold the same powerful effect as time.

A connoisseur of his craft, senior project manager, Knox Tate, is an interiors expert who has earned his stripes over the course of fifty years. After five decades in the construction industry, to say he’s seen it all is an understatement. Since joining the workforce there have been seven different Presidents, twenty-one Olympic games, more than twenty-two billion Big Mac’s sold, and the population of Tate’s beloved hometown of Charlotte—more than tripled!

When it comes to construction, he’s been there, done that, seen it, fixed it, tore it down, built it up and lived to tell the tales. Those stories, and the relationships that lay at their core, are all as fresh in Tate’s mind as the day the work began, each experience serving as a key to open the next door. The list of projects credited to his name is long and diverse, including clients from industries such as finance, legal, communications, recreation, hospitality, healthcare and infrastructure.

Joining RT Dooley Construction in 1978, Knox was challenged by President, Tom Dooley, to champion the interiors business, and champion he did. Over the years Knox singlehandedly established the interiors program for corporate giant, Bank of America, and built an impressive resume including many of the landmark corporate headquarters projects in the area for clients such as Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Goodrich, and many more. He would go on to become a partner at RT Dooley prior to the firm’s 2008 acquisition by Balfour Beatty.  To date his placement in the expert category is bolstered by a resume overflowing with heavy hitters and world class clients such as Barings, Duke Energy, Ritz-Carlton and Grant Thornton. While many people admire Uptown Charlotte from the outside looking in, Knox Tate has filled his career by being on the inside, looking out. From the “jukebox” Hearst Tower to the towering “Taj McColl” Bank of America Corporate Center, the dark Charlotte Plaza to the bright 300 South Tryon; if it’s in Center City, Knox Tate has likely been at the center of bringing the interior to life.

Throughout his career, Tate has thrived through more than one tectonic change in the industry, be it the invention and introduction of pagers, mobile phones and computers, or the more recent futuristic ventures into virtual reality and drones, he is not one to resist change, but to embrace it and apply it. He cites flexibility as one of the keys to being successful on any project. When it comes down to it, no project is perfect from beginning to end, but the reaction to challenges and changes is what defines the service excellence he strives to deliver.

As our in-house interiors expert, Tate is a wealth of knowledge and proficiency, reminiscing and reteaching the lessons he’s learned throughout his tenure to those who work alongside him. He’s not just teaching the next generation of builders how to do the hard work, he’s teaching them the mentality it takes to do it better than everyone else. With a tone equal parts proud and self-aware Tate affirms, “We’re the experts, the minute we forget that, we accept mediocrity” something he avoids through the persistent practice of treating every project like it was his own property. This methodology is what has led to a 90% repeat client rate for the Balfour Beatty interiors team; a figure attributed greatly to Tate, and one he humbly credits to his teammates. Those teammates have taken the top spot when Tate reflects back on his project filled career. Developing the next generation of great builders is the passion project that keeps him inspired, engaged and invested.

One might suggest that a man with a legacy five decades in the making could take his foot off the pedal and settle into cruise control, but Tate isn’t slowing down just yet. When he makes the loop around Uptown Charlotte, Knox Tate looks in and reflects on fifty years of growth, of himself, and of the only city he has ever called home. Today, he is as committed as ever before to being a part of Charlotte’s changing landscape and shares, “As long as there remains an opportunity for me to give back, I’ll continue to do what I do.”  A mainstay in the Charlotte community, there are few people as deeply-rooted in the evolution of the Queen City as Knox Tate.

Husband to wife Jayne of 33 years, father to sons Tripp and Andy, and grandfather to four littles, Knox Tate is our sharp-shooting, quick-witted, interiors expert and Relentless Ally.

The 45-minute drive to and from the office each day is quite possibly the most consistent part of Kendal Patterson’s workday. No two days on the job have looked the same, and with a tenure spanning a quarter of a century, that speaks to his resilient attitude and flexible demeanor.

Hired at RT Dooley (acquired by Balfour Beatty in 2009) in May of 1992, Kendal began his career in construction as a laborer in the field. His first job, a renovation and expansion project at Vista Bakery in Columbia, SC, was just the first of more than 55 projects across the Carolinas. From the biggest and most notable towers in Uptown, to the smallest, behind-the-scenes tasks in the office, Kendal is absolutely the oil that keeps the Balfour Beatty machine running.

After a decade as a laborer, Kendal was offered the position of dump truck driver. Despite not knowing how to drive a stick shift he said, “I’ll try it and I’ll get it done.” He still carries that same attitude. A perspective that says, there is nothing I can’t accomplish if I give it my best. That mindset has served him well over the years, developing various skillsets and tackling new challenges as they present themselves.

Whether he’s hanging pictures, delivering materials to a jobsite, erecting the office Christmas trees, moving furniture, patching holes in the wall, or finding a place for the many miscellaneous items that come off a job, Kendal checks off each request, regardless of who it came from, with a smile. How many hats does Kendal wear on a weekly basis? We’re not exactly sure, but if someone asked him to build a closet for them, he’d have materials delivered & PPE signage posted by 8am tomorrow.

In the words of Senior Project Manager, Mike Wehner, “Kendal Patterson is always ready to help no matter what the job or task is and ALWAYS does it with a smile on his face. I have called him numerous times for help with deliveries, night work, covering shifts, or even going to a client’s office and helping them move something. He is truly an inspiration to all who know him and is the true definition of Relentless Ally.” 

There is Nothing Shady about this Award Winner

“It’s dark and we’re wearing sunglasses,” said senior safety health and environmental manager Eric Garcia as he strutted across the stage impersonating Elwood Blues during the safety presentation at the Florida division’s annual managers’ meeting. To his surprise he took the stage again to accept the second annual Florida Division Relentless Ally Award in front of over a 100 peers who gave him a standing ovation.

“It was a tremendous honor to receive the award. It caught me completely by surprise as I did not even know I had been nominated,” said Eric. “I feel grateful to have been selected from the group of candidates. The fact that a Loss Prevention manager was selected for this award speaks volumes to this company’s commitment to and support of Zero Harm!”

Eric has made a tremendous positive impact at Balfour Beatty in just three years with the company. He is regarded as an exemplary professional who exhibits a client focus, sound work ethic, solutions oriented thinking, leadership by example, superior technical proficiency and consistent follow through.
 
The Relentless Ally Award is presented to the individual who most embodies one or more pillars of the company’s creed – Zero Harm, Zero Waste, Client Advocacy and Employee Inspiration. Thereby, this individual truly lives the company’s Purpose by definition: “To be a Relentless Ally for the success of each and every dream that we are entrusted to build.” The nomination for Garcia highlighted accomplishments that touched on, not just one, but all four of Balfour Beatty’s creed pillars.
 
“Eric undoubtedly represents each of the four pillars at the highest level and is a proven Relentless Ally for our clients, business partners and his teammates,” said senior vice president John Harris. “This is in addition to leading our Zero Harm efforts on some of the most complicated projects in our Florida business.”
 
On one such project, Eric led the charge for Zero Harm that resulted in over one million man hours without a lost time incident. He’s able to excel above industry standards because he takes his role personally and creates a bond of trust with the workforce by instilling his belief of working for them and in their best interests.

Apparently, Eric’s favorite number is zero, and he likes to maximize it whenever possible. In addition to Zero Harm, he’s gaining on Zero Waste too. Over $15,000 was saved at just one jobsite by purchasing an alternate fence material that’s durable enough to be reused. Also, with the use of technology he was able to capitalize on time, cost and natural resources by implementing an electronic database and subcontractor badge system. The system saved time by allowing for on-the-spot identification. It also saved enough paper to equal 26 trees and over $1,700 on just one project.

As evidence of his Client Advocacy, an owner that is known literally throughout the world recognized Eric’s dedication to the safety of owner staff members and guests with the owner’s highest level safety award given to an external partner.

Eric’s approach culminates with Employee Inspiration. He works closely with his team to understand the needs of the project in order to implement a timely and practical strategy for operations to run without negative impact or delay. “This is a delicate balance that is hard to perfect, and Eric consistently performs exceptionally well in this arena,” said John. “He has earned the respect of his peers as a go-to leader well beyond his Zero Harm responsibilities.”

To Eric, it seemed out of the blue when his named was called as the Relentless Ally Award winner, but his peers clearly agreed. And the applause must have been music to his ears.

Teamwork is Key to Remaining Competitive in Ever-Evolving Medical Marketplace

With more than 20 years in the construction industry, the majority of which have been dedicated to healthcare, David has been responsible for over $1 billion of healthcare construction projects. The projects that comprise David’s impressive and expansive healthcare portfolio include some of the largest and most complex hospital and medical facilities in the Carolinas and Georgia for clients such as Novant Health, Gaston Memorial Hospital, Roper St. Francis Healthcare, McLeod Health, Tuomey Healthcare System, and the Medical University of South Carolina.  

What career accomplishments are you most proud of prior to coming on board with Balfour Beatty Construction? 

I don’t know if there’s a specific moment or project I’d pinpoint but rather the sum of my career in healthcare construction. I started working in this field as a project engineer and worked my way up through the ranks by learning the nuances of building in a healthcare facility and keeping up with the rapid pace of evolving technological trends. These were certainly factors that helped me build a portfolio that includes over $1 billion in healthcare projects across the Carolinas.

While I’m proud of that figure and the work it represents, I’m even more proud of the cohesive and talented team I’ve had the pleasure of working with along the way. Since coming to Balfour Beatty, I’ve been really proud of the work we’ve secured with McLeod Health in South Carolina – a total of nine projects that represent $90 million - and that work is expected to grow over the years. With so few healthcare customers actively pursuing new construction and renovation of older infrastructure, these wins are especially key to growing Balfour Beatty’s regional presence in the healthcare marketplace. Again, our team’s longstanding relationships of mutual trust and respect with the owner and designer were driving factors behind these project awards.

What excites you most about working in the construction industry and about the healthcare market sector specifically?

You have to understand their challenges, which are primarily fiscal in nature, as well as the logistical issues of working in occupied facilities that operate 24/7, 365 days a year. Maintaining ongoing operations can be challenging, but I think of it as a fun challenge and one our team is well prepared to meet. I also like the fact that no project seems to be exactly the same.

There’s also a “feel good” element to this line of work. When you turn over the keys to a new healthcare facility, it’s always reminded me of the feeling residential builders must get when they do the same for a family. Healthcare workers are some of the most dedicated and passionate people you’ll meet, and for them, a new hospital or medical office building is really like a home in a lot of ways.

The healthcare industry has been evolving rapidly over the past several years due to national legislation and technological advancements impacting facility needs. Where do you see the industry in, say, the next 5 years? 

There’s still quite a bit of lingering fiscal uncertainty, but with that said, some of the recent activity has been indicative of a gradual shift away from the complete standstill we saw three years ago. I’m also observing some changes regarding the types of projects we’ll be building. With technological advancements improving surgical recovery times, the need for bed towers has decreased significantly. While beds won’t be taking off, other radiology and surgical services are high revenue producers, so I see demand in that arena increasing. At the same time, we have an aging baby boomer population, and coupled with the fact that more individuals now have access to health insurance, it’s going to be a challenge for the industry to keep pace with this growing customer base for decades to come. I foresee a rapid uptick in the need for medical office buildings to provide outpatient services and managed care.

Other fun facts about David:

Most Admired Person: General “Stormin’” Norman Schwarzkopf. I was attending college at Auburn when we were engaged in the Persian Gulf War. I used to rush home after class to turn on the TV to hear his updates. General Schwarzkopf was a brilliant military tactician, but more than that, he was an inspirational leader for whom I have tremendous respect.

Favorite Charleston Restaurant: Coast Bar and Grill

Family: My wife, Kim, and I have been married for more than 20 years. We have two daughters, Laurel and Laine. I’m definitely outnumbered in my house!

Hobbies: I love football – both college and pro – and playing fantasy football. I also enjoy golf and wish I had more time to hit the course.

Batting a Thousand

Like many college baseball players, Dave Campbell had big league dreams. But destiny, steered by a defiant knee that found itself on the wrong end of a surgeon’s scalpel, threw an unexpected curveball. As the University of North Florida (UNF) student considered a future outside the diamond, it didn’t take long for him to discover the similarities between sports and construction, where work ethic correlates directly with success and the final scoreboard reflects the sum of the team’s efforts.

Balfour Beatty’s operations scouts recognized the “it factor” in the young building rookie even as the ink dried on his diploma. Unsurprisingly, Dave didn’t log any bench time his first year with the company, moving three times to build criminal justice projects across Florida and in Georgia. 

Soon, Dave found his niche working at Jacksonville International Airport (JIA), where he spent the next 12 years delivering project after project, including a $100 million concourse replacement. The principles that guided Dave to countless victories underpinned his project management philosophies at JIA. “On a project that long, it’s easy to get complacent,” admits Dave. “You can’t rely on your past performance. It was really important to our team to show the owner that each new phase was as important as the one that preceded it.” 

Aviation work could be likened to matching up against the Yankees in the late 90s – an uphill battle in which each inning seems more impossible than the last. But for Dave, the intense management required to deliver a major, capital program in an active airport operating 24/7 has never seemed the least bit intimidating. In fact, he found the work so inspiring that somewhere along the way he earned the nickname, “Airport Dave,” and it stuck like “The Boss” to George Steinbrenner. Dave isn’t just synonymous with airport construction in Florida. In 2011, the nickname followed Dave to North Carolina, where he played a major role in helping Balfour Beatty win and deliver high-profile projects at Raleigh-Durham International Airport and Onslow County Airport. 

In many ways, the reputation Dave has cultivated as a trusted transportation builder over his 20-year career—the entirety of which has been spent with Balfour Beatty—can be traced to his days playing third base. “The teams that win championships don’t always have the most talent, but they always have the most passion,” attests Dave, who’s long since traded in his well-oiled mitt for a set of irons. “When I assemble a project team, I don’t need the guys with all-star resumes. I need guys who will jell together.” 

Today, Dave serves Balfour Beatty’s Florida operations in a multifaceted role, assisting both business development and operations in Jacksonville, Florida. With his characteristic team-based approach and competitive edge, he’s led the successful completion of the first phase of the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center, and was recently awarded the new Basketball Training and Performance Center for new client Jacksonville University. “We are delighted to have Dave supporting our business on multiple fronts,” praises John Harris, senior vice president. “He has a strategic mind and strong operational background that has enabled him to bring unique win strategies to several recent pursuits in Jacksonville.”  Player-turned-coach, “Airport Dave” has certainly earned his wings.