Strategy points the way; daily actions get us there. In my role, I focus on the following key markets: Class I railroads, short-line railroads, ports, and key accounts. I break those down into repeatable weekly actions: connecting with clients, moving strategic clients’ follow-ups forward, and hitting proposal/abstract milestones. Staying on top of the simple tasks is important, so I keep track of those while maintaining meetings with our market sector leaders to quickly and efficiently clear blockers.

At the end of every week, I set time aside to review what moved, what stalled, and what changed. If necessary, I’ll adjust next week’s plan while ensuring I don’t lose sight of the overall direction. That rhythm keeps me agile in the day-to-day while building steady momentum toward the long game.

The AEC industry runs on relationships and shared purpose. Through participating in organizations like the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA), Texas Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (TSLRRA), Gulf Ports Association (GPA), and the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), I get to collaborate on issues that matter — safety, resilience, sustainability — and represent GFT as a partner who shows up. These interactions turn into industry intel, warm introductions, and co-created content (abstracts, panels, and papers) that spotlight our expertise.  
 
It makes it all worth it when GFT lands a speaker role, wins an award for our great rail and ports projects, or receives recognition from a client on the way we deliver. Internally, that shows up as faster access to the right people, stronger positioning on pursuits, and a brand that’s recognized before we ever submit.

My first major site visit — Port of New Orleans, Louisiana International Terminal — changed everything. As a marketing coordinator only a year out of college, I went in thinking about soils, traffic, and logistics; I left thinking about schools, churches, and small businesses. Exploring the neighborhoods, hearing concerns about access and jobs, and learning about environmental justice reframed how I write and lead proposals. We still focus on engineering, but we lead with outcomes and stakeholders: how the work supports communities, mitigates impacts, and unlocks long-term value.  
 
That shift helped my team tell a truer, more compelling story, and I now bring that lens to every pursuit. 

A private rail client cold-called us about a loop track development with a tight timeline. I became their steady point of contact, set up a rapid discovery with our Kansas City rail team, and within days, we aligned on scope, assembled quals, and mapped next steps. From there, ops owned the technical delivery and day-to-day coordination with the client while I kept communications clear and proactive — single thread, no surprises. That clarity built trust, helped us win the work, and has kept the relationship strong.

This approach reinforces for our clients that we’re relationship-based, not transactional. The partnership between BD and ops is the difference, and GFT truly promotes it.

I’m a lifelong gamer. My middle school crew is now scattered across the country now, so we maintain contact through late-night weekend sessions. It’s nostalgic, a little competitive, and always a good time.

Golf and spending time with my wife and dog fill most days, but gaming keeps old friendships close, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. It’s no secret to my colleagues that my wife is in medical school, so while she hits the books for long hours, I’m able to sneak in a couple of hours of gaming!