DHA
Construction Management

Fresh out of Colorado School of Mines with my civil engineering degree, I faced a pivotal decision: Join a big-name engineering firm or general contractor for the prestige, resources, and fast track... or go with a smaller family construction company run by my father-in-law. I chose the less glamorous path—the small firm. And it turned out to be the most rewarding choice of my career. In a small company, there's freedom: Room to experiment with new ideas, innovate on the spot

Picture this: It’s the early '80s, and while most of my days revolved around being a normal kid—rushing to baseball practice, hanging out with friends, and enjoying summer freedom—I'd squeeze in part-time hours on the jobsite with my dad, a general contractor, heading out to build homes in the mountains of Colorado. I remember many things but one thing vividly about those days: how insanely fast my dad and his team of super carpenters were at hand-nailing 16d nails. They'd oc