Oswalt Tapped to Lead GFT’s Water and Environment Business Line

Deepening its commitment to delivering world-class infrastructure solutions, GFT is pleased to welcome industry veteran Daven Oswalt as senior vice president and senior director of the firm’s Water and Environment Business Line.

GFT’s clients will benefit from Oswalt’s 35 years of experience in complex infrastructure programs and his aptitude for overseeing high-functioning teams that deliver projects even within the most stringent of schedules and budgets. His history of success is highlighted by his ability to build stakeholder consensus, deliver technical excellence, and achieve exceptional outcomes for clients and organizations in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry.

In this national role, Oswalt will lead a team of nearly 450 professionals by:

• Driving strategic growth and geographic expansion.
• Enhancing operational efficiencies.
• Optimizing financial performance.
• Ensuring client satisfaction through superior project delivery.

He will spearhead the integration of GFT’s municipal water systems, dams, hydraulics, and environmental services expertise to provide comprehensive water resources solutions that help communities address aging infrastructure, plan for future growth, and protect natural ecosystems.

Guided by his strong business acumen, strategic vision, and practical experience serving local, state, and federal clients, Oswalt’s role at the helm of the Water and Environment Business Line will help fortify GFT’s position among the nation’s leading AEC firms, as ranked by Engineering News-Record. A people-focused leader, his collaborative and inclusive style adds immediate value to GFT’s continued recruitment and retention of the industry’s best and brightest talent and complements the firm’s employer value proposition. Oswalt will also serve as a member of the firm’s executive leadership team.

“Daven is a dynamic leader with a wealth of experience in providing public and private clients with innovative solutions to their toughest water and environmental challenges,” said Executive Vice President and Executive Director of the firm’s Earth Sciences Corporate Business Group John Kovacs, PE, PMP, DGE, ENV SP, FASCE. “His proven ability to drive business expansion and build relationships will be vital to our continued goal of helping clients protect public health and enhance quality of life through resilient, sustainable infrastructure. I look forward to Daven’s contributions to the success of our clients and the future of our Water and Environment Business Line.”

Before joining GFT, Oswalt held executive leadership roles at global engineering firms AECOM, Parsons, and MWH Americas – now Stantec – where he led water sector growth and business development initiatives and served as principal-in-charge for high-profile projects with regional impacts, such as HRSD’s Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT), the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s sewer improvement program, and the City of Baltimore’s wet weather program.

Oswalt remarked, “GFT is a storied organization with an impressive record of blazing new trails in our nation’s infrastructure. Its 108-year history is a testament to the firm’s unwavering commitment to quality, relentless pursuit of innovation, and deeply rooted integrity, all of which resonate with my values. I am proud to join this remarkable company and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to its meaningful growth and legacy of positive impact.”

Active in professional societies, Oswalt is a member of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, American Water Works Association, Water Environment Federation, and Association of California Water Agencies. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Colorado Mesa University.