Design Management

James has a strong design background. Having had over 20 years of design management roles, he has taken projects from concept to punch out. He has learned and developed best practices for managing projects of all sizes and complexities. One of the most important lessons he has learned, and developed tools and processes around, is communication. He firmly believes in real time data gathering to produce action worthy information that can be leveraged as a communication tool upwardly, downwardly, and laterally.

He recognizes that an effective constructible design is only possible by leveraging the knowledge and expertise of a mosaic of skill sets, disciplines, and trades. He has set industry standards in a Design Build environment.

James’ work on complex projects was recognized by the Design Build Institute of America (DBIA). This recognition was for his best practices and the development of a comprehensive “Basis of Design” document facilitating an integrated design process. This design process has been carried through the construction, integration, and testing on multiple projects including the $1.2B Houston Light Rail.

James thoroughly enjoys working in a Construction Manager General Contractor (CMGC) or Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) environment. This is where he and his teams have provided cost effective design options that have mitigated risk and maximized scope. He has a proven track record on nearly two billion dollars of contracts utilizing this procurement method. His owner/clients have received the benefit of hundreds of millions of dollars in risk mitigation and value engineering on projects where James has been the team lead in preconstruction.

James is comfortable working with regulators and permitting agencies. He is well versed in American Association of Transportation and Highway Officials (AASHTO) design standards for roadway, drainage, and structures (LRFD). James is skilled in other design standards too, he has a foundation in IBC, AREMA, and most DOT standards.