BC&E Board slate filled with accomplished, diverse leaders
At a time when the construction industry is facing both robust workloads and significant challenges, strong and diverse leadership is helping the Building Congress & Exchange deliver valuable benefits to members.
That’s a key reason why incoming President Ted Bowes is excited about the slate of candidates for the 2024 Board of Directors and Executive Committee.
“You definitely have a group of people who have proven themselves in the construction industry in whatever capacity they serve,” said Bowes, President of Excell Concrete Construction.
Furthermore, candidates’ professional positions run the gamut from some of the largest general contractors in the region to successful architecture, engineering, law, insurance, subcontractor and construction supply companies.
“It’s a fantastic assembly of representatives of the industry,” Bowes added. “We have people from all these different aspects of construction who want to be part of BC&E and contribute to the betterment of the construction community.”
An organization that brings together that range of industry professionals is valuable even in good economies, he said. Opportunities to meet and learn from potential project partners can raise a company’s profile and expand its book of business.
In difficult economies, BC&E and the network it supports are “of the utmost importance,” Bowes said. “If they know your face when you walk into the room, it’s a different relationship… When the market gets difficult, there are general contractors that have an interest in looking out for me and trying to see that I get work. The relationships you have created in the industry mean that you can reach out to people to get work or a loan or a better insurance rate.”
Bowes is concerned that high interest rates could create more challenging market conditions in the next year or two.
“Interest rates are going up, lending is tightening and that has the potential to have a very serious impact on the construction community,” he said. “But I think as an organization we are in an excellent position to support our members and I couldn’t be more excited about the Board slate that will lead the BC&E next year.”
The proposed Executive Committee for 2024 consists of: Ted Bowes, Excell Concrete Construction – President; Jeff Hossfeld, The Whiting Turner Contracting Company – Vice President; Thomas Koch, Plano-Coudon Construction – Treasurer; Marianne Crampton, MK Consulting Engineers – Secretary; John Gregg, GWWO Inc. Architects – Member At Large; and Michael Martin, Live Green Landscape Associates – Immediate Past President.
The new slate of candidates for the Board includes Mark Rich, Baltimore Fabrication and R. Nelson Oster, HMS Insurance Associates both returning for another three-year term.
The board slate also consists of three new people: Timothy Campbell, Clark Construction Group; Chris Eisenhart, Gray & Son; and Rick Kottke, Harkins Builders. We asked them to share a little about their work and their lives.
While I was studying structural engineering at Cornell, one of my professors recommended I intern with a construction company, rather than a design firm. He said I would be a better designer if I saw how the hard work, problem solving skills, and overall resourcefulness of the craftworkers made those designs become reality. While I followed through and finished my degree in engineering, I decided that working as a contractor was where I wanted to go with my career.
I have been at Clark since my first internship and have had the opportunity to work on a myriad of different project types across the region, including mass transit, hospitality, civic, laboratory, government, commercial office, entertainment, and mixed use.
What is your favorite tool of your trade?
I would be lying if I didn’t say it was Excel. As an intern, my first project manager helped me realize that it wasn’t just for running calculations, but that it was a tool for organizing and analyzing the vast amount of information we deal with on a daily basis in our industry.
What is the most unusual thing you have ever had to do for a construction project?
Clean up the mess left by a failed sewage ejector system whose piping (that ran through our jobsite office) decided it no longer wanted to work…on a Saturday afternoon…when I was the last one at the jobsite.
What movie or television character do you currently love the most and why?
Carmy Berzatto from “The Bear.” I finally watched it this summer after my wife chastised me for missing an excellent show, and I absolutely agree with her. He’s definitely a flawed character, but he is hyper focused on doing things right and elevating those around him. That mindset can cut both ways, and it makes him very relatable to me.
I started in the construction industry after graduating from Towson University in 1992. I began in estimating for a commercial roofing contractor which also had a sales component. I enjoyed being part of the early preconstruction process and working with clients to not only win work for the company but to also help the client achieve their goals on project delivery. It became apparent to me that a “win win” approach was a key to long term success in the industry.
I later moved into estimating positions with a Baltimore-based asphalt paving contractor and then with Lafarge-NA. In 1999, I joined Gray and Son as an estimator, working on asphalt paving and sitework projects which included earthwork, utilities, asphalt paving, SWM and other related civil items. Estimators at Gray and Son also acted as project managers which allowed me to develop my skill set further. I was promoted to VP of Project Management where I was tasked with helping to develop and staff a separate PM department working with estimating and operations to drive project performance. I am currently VP of Estimating and Project Management, managing 30 employees.
What is the toughest lesson you have learned?
Always confront a tough issue or what is perceived to be a problem as soon as you become aware and do not hesitate to bring in assistance from those that have expertise in the matter. Problems usually don’t fade away in construction and usually tend to protract out to be even bigger if neglected. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and don’t be afraid to discuss the problem early. Solutions may be available early that are not options later.
What movie or television character do you currently love the most and why?
We are making our way through “Better Call Saul” on Netflix and Saul Goodman is a favorite character at the moment. He has such a conflicted personality and I find it interesting how his personality intertwines with the people and circumstances in his life.
What’s your super power?
Listening skills. I believe I’m best at understanding people’s perspectives and able to understand what they need and how we can deliver on that. With listening and understanding, I believe we can make a more solid connection which can help establish strong relationships in business and life.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in Structural Design and Construction Engineering Technology, I joined the Harkins team in 2003 as a project engineer. Over the next few years, I held multiple positions, including site manager and project manager. But since 2008, I have focused on renovation and addition projects with particular experience and interest in occupied renovations. These have included projects at Perry Point Veterans Village, Edgewood Commons 1, Paca House, Monument East and Charlestown Retirement Community.
In 2021, I completed an M.P.S. in Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Leadership from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. My education and construction experience enabled me to introduce Lean Construction to Harkins, help cultivate the careers of other Harkins employees and gain experience with LIHTC funding sources and HUD financing.
What is the toughest lesson you have learned?
The power of perceptions. Early in my career, coming from an engineering background, reality as I saw it was very certain. I didn’t appreciate that those around me may not see things exactly as I did. It was quite a learning experience for me to recognize that different people have different lenses.
I adopted a practice of sitting back and listening more than talking and purposefully trying to put myself in the position of others so I could understand how they might see things differently.
What is the most unusual thing you have ever had to do for a construction project?
We celebrated a baby shower on site for one of our superintendents. He and his wife had worked for several years with a fertility specialist trying to start a family and it was quite a process for them. When she got pregnant, our team decided to throw a baby shower on our jobsite which was a seniors’ facility with a nice dining area. It was very memorable and meaningful for our team member and his spouse. Given how rough construction is, it was nice that there was a soft side that we all enjoyed.
What movie or television character do you currently love the most and why?
Willy Wonka. Imagination, creativity and making the impossible possible is an important mindset to hold onto and embrace.