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ON THE MOVE BURNS & MCDONNELL NEW TRANSPORTATION LEADER Mike DeBacker has been named general manager of the Transportation Global Practice at Burns & McDonnell . With nearly three decades of experience in transportation policy, planning, and design, he assumed the role last July after previous general manager Ben Biller retired. NAMES “In an era of driverless cars and aging infrastructures, the transportation industry is being completely reimagined,” says Ray Kowalik, chairman and CEO, Burns & McDonnell. “It’s more important than ever to have a leader who is visionary and can continue to drive us forward. Mike’s extensive knowledge of transportation policy and bold approach to future planning are critical for our industry.” DeBacker joined Burns & McDonnell in 2007 and has managed and participated in transportation studies and projects with the Federal Highway Administration, turnpike and tollway authorities, departments of transportation, city and county governments, and private industry. He has managed many large, complex bridge, highway
and rail studies and projects around the country. DeBacker has led innovative transportation studies forecasting future transportation needs, including multistate corridor planning projects. He directed the first-ever planning and environmental linkages (PEL) study in the Kansas City region with the Mid-America Regional Council. The study provided alternatives for the aging Buck O’Neil (Broadway) Bridge over the Missouri River. The project identified significant opportunities in the downtown Kansas City freeway loop system and transportation network of the central business district, and the direct impacts to land uses, development and urban revitalization. “Transportation is the lifeblood of commerce, innovation and everyday life for all of us,” DeBacker says. “It is a privilege to lead a team that is committed to partnering with our clients and policymakers across the country. As a trusted partner, our mission is to make our clients successful to reimagining, maintaining and building innovative transportation infrastructure that will support us for generations.”
DeBacker is the co-champion of the Big 5 transportation initiative, an effort with the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce to develop future transportation strategies for the region. He is also past chairman of the American Council of Engineering Companies for Missouri, leadership academy of the International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association and serves in several roles with chambers of commerce and nonprofit organizations. DeBacker holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Missouri- Columbia and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Kansas. He is a registered professional engineer in Missouri, Massachusetts, and Florida. DeBacker and his wife, Darla, have four children and live in Kansas City, Missouri. Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies made up of 7,000 engineers, architects, construction professionals, scientists, consultants and entrepreneurs with offices across the country and throughout the world. We strive to create amazing success for our clients and amazing careers for our employee owners.
MARC FLORIAN, from page 3
doing exactly that; metering their true opinions and beliefs so as to not upset the apple cart. Sure, it’s natural and largely a function of youthful inexperience. However, the “stars” within an organization are often those who aren’t afraid to speak up and voice their opinions, just as the best leaders within the most successful organizations are those who surround themselves with such individuals. Ronald Reagan often said that he owed his political success to surrounding himself with the best people he could find; people who were smarter than him. Perhaps it was also because the people he surrounded himself with weren’t afraid to be themselves and tell him what they thought he needed to know and what needed to be done to carry out his policy. So, what’s my point in all of this? We tend to associate the bluntness of unabashed opinions, true beliefs, and telling it like it is, with being a bit long in the tooth and having a few grey hairs. So, if you are one of those who has already come to that realization by looking into the morning mirror, cheer up. Enjoy the expectation of candor, frankness, and honesty that comes with your age. Your colleagues might find it surprising, but your employer will likely appreciate it. If, however, you’re among the youthful middle or junior ranks of your organization, don’t wait. Share your opinions, offer constructive criticisms, and push thinking that questions the status quo. The sooner you can find your compass, the more value you will have to your organization and your clients. MARC FLORIAN is vice president for Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc., a professional consulting, engineering and scientific services organization serving clients and markets throughout the United States and on four continents. He can be reached at mflorian@ectinc. com.
In many organizations today, it seems that individuals spend a large portion of their careers worrying about what others think, or how their comments or actions might be perceived by others. Ironically, candor, frankness, and honesty are precisely the characteristics that leadership within most high-growth, entrepreneurial organizations crave. Obviously, it will suit you well to exercise some level of tact and decorum, but I trust you get the point. There’s little time (or patience) in today’s fast-moving, technology- driven business environment for the “yes-type” staffer who’s never willing to offer their opinion or “tell it like it is.” “It seems that individuals spend a large portion of their careers worrying about what others think, or how their comments or actions might be perceived by others. Ironically, candor, frankness, and honesty are precisely the characteristics that leadership within most high-growth, entrepreneurial organizations crave.” Think about the people in your firm or the firms you’ve worked for, or with, that were most inspirational to you. Were they the type who simply “played the game” in the sense of telling the boss or client what they thought they wanted to hear, or were they the type who told them what they needed to hear? All too often, I see young consultants
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THE ZWEIG LETTER July 15, 2019, ISSUE 1304
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