Objective
The objective is to obtain a director or principal port development engineering position with full responsibility of contract administration and control of port development projects. The employer would be with a port or with a program management firm working for a port.
Experience
Argosy Commercial and Residential Development, LLC-Fort Myers, Florida
Vice President of Operations 4/06 to 12/07
Project responsibilities include managing and implementing company strategies for acquisitions, due diligence, entitlements, and the design and construction of vertical and horizontal infrastructure. Prepare pro forma reports, monitor profit and loss statements and coordinate private equity and debt funding sources for each project. Direct, supervise and manage office and business operations. Review and prepare all in-house legal documentation with limited assistance from outside counsel. Schedule projects and prepare cost estimating as well as create, manage and coordinate turnover of each homeowners association. Serve as the owner representative and responsible entity for daily operations with direct reporting to each project’s limited liability corporation. Negotiate all contracts necessary including the assignment of the marketing and sales team for each individual development. Create and maintain relationships with professional consultants and contractors. Development projects total an excess of $150 million. Completely fluent with Microsoft business software.
Major Achievements:
Developed approximately 200 acres of residential and commercial property including horizontal infrastructure and marine facilities.
Port Everglades-Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Director, Construction Management and Planning 3/99 to 4/06
Direct, supervise and guide professional staff of twenty. Serve as contract administrator and lead negotiator on all contracts totaling over $100 million annually. Instrumental in obtaining federal and state grants that totaled over $40 million between 2002 and 2006. Budget and direct the implementation of the capital improvement program. Evaluate and provide final recommendations on all publicly bid projects. Prepare cost estimating and project scheduling for land, building and harbor development with emphasis on value engineering. Partner with in-house legal counsel on all contract preparation and legal documentation associated with capital improvement program. Serve as owner-representative on permit acquisitions from outside regulatory agencies for construction permits and licenses. Responsible for communicating and presenting port development plans to tenants, municipalities, government agencies and the general public. Oversee inspections of port building systems, bulkheads, docks, piers, water and wastewater systems and other infrastructure.
Assistant Director, Construction Management 9/98 to 3/99
Assist the Division Director in planning, directing and coordinating division activities involving administration of design and construction contracts. Perform design reviews on the work of consultants for accuracy, efficiency and compliance to port and Broward County procedures, policies and standards before soliciting bids. Complete subsurface inspections as a PADI certified diver.
Engineering Projects Manager 11/93 to 9/98
Perform construction supervision and administration on capital improvement projects. Direct, instruct and review work of staff. Provide engineering designs and calculations relating to water, sewer and roadway projects. Perform inspections to maintain water, wastewater, roadway and infrastructure construction projects. Served as a project manager responsible for $30 million worth of new construction with cumulative change orders under two percent.
Major Achievements:
1. Plan, design and construct 35 acre container terminal yard.
2. Plan, design and construct approximately 2.5 miles of roadway facility within the port authority jurisdiction.
3. Plan, design and construct the water distribution and wastewater collection system program within port authority jurisdiction.
4. Plan, design and construct waterfront berthing facilities including gantry crane rail, bulkhead and cathodic protection system.
5. Plan, design and construct three (3) cruise terminal buildings with warehouse facilities.
6. Plan, design and construct the security improvement program within the entire 2000 acre port facility.
7. Plan, design and construct the harbormaster tower and 2000 space parking garage.
8. Plan, procure and construct three (3) low profile container gantry cranes.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
University of Miami, Florida
Graduation: 1988 with a 3.3 Grade Point Average
Certification
Registered Professional Engineer in the states of Florida and Tennessee.
Skils
Leadership Skills at Port Everglades:
As the Director of Construction Management and Planning at Port Everglades, I was responsible for leading a team of twenty individuals consisting of registered professional engineers, architects, planners, surveyors, environmental technicians, project managers, and administrative staff. This included handling annual reviews, bonus distribution, disciplinary actions, continuing education and team building. As the director, I interacted with directors and staff within Port Everglades and Broward County. This included the Port Everglades Business Administration Division, Finance, Operations and Public Works Division and the Legal Department. I successfully assisted Broward County in several lawsuits through expert testimony and depositions. I also had to establish excellent working relationships with the engineering and planning divisions of the respective cities within the jurisdictional boundary of Port Everglades.
I created and administered the capital improvement budget for Port Everglades. On an annual basis, approximately $100.0 million was assigned to projects where I served as the contract administrator for its implementation. Successful management and scheduling of the projects required a very specific knowledge of the complex procurement process that the Port Everglades Board required. It was my job to monitor the process and motivate the team to focus on project completion within the assigned budget and schedule. Budgets and schedules were monitored through MicroSoft Project and Excel Spreadsheets on a weekly basis. Through excellent value engineering techniques, I successfully achieved change order percentages below the standards set forth by the Board. This included utilizing design-bid, design-build and construction manager at risk as the delivery method for successful design and construction projects.
As the Director of Construction Management and Planning at Port Everglades, I took the responsibility as the chief negotiator for all design and construction contracts. Through my previous experience as a consultant and as an owner representative, I was fully qualified and prepared to negotiate fees and rates for consulting and construction contracts in very specific detail. During my tenure at the port, I successfully negotiated contracts that routinely resulted in a 40 to 60 percent decrease over the initial vendor proposals. Despite being a tough negotiator, I was able to maintain a positive, professional relationship with the consultants and contractors because I was fair and always prepared with statistical data.
Public communication is a necessity in order to implement a capital improvement program in the magnitude of Port Everglades. It was my job to relay this information to Port Everglades tenants and users in a positive, effective manner. I gave presentations to departments, consultants, tenants, commissioners, neighborhood committees and even classrooms. I often utilized Power Point slides to enhance my presentations. As community building was important to achieve company goals, I believed in building these relationships in as many ways possible. I organized an internship program for high school students and participated in company retreats. I believed in leading by example and hoped that this inspired my team in some way. I donated plasma quarterly, run marathons for charity and participated in charitable golf tournaments. All of these experiences have allowed me to evolve as a leader that is focused on success and profitability.
PADI Certified Underwater Diver for inspection of subsurface marine facilities.