\u201cMy internship with SEDALCO Construction made a huge impact on my career,\u201d Navalta said. \u201cI was part of the project team building the Texas A&M White Creek Community Center. Working with vendors is one of my major responsibilities with Opifex, and the internship helped me develop better communication skills and taught me how to build positive work relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n
Navalta has final authority over all daily operations of the company and oversees a multimillion-dollar budget requiring sound management of trucking, labor, and maintenance costs. In addition to his role overseeing the business, he is currently managing the construction process for Opifex\u2019s new multimillion-dollar facility.<\/p>\n
<\/figure>\nJoseph “Jay” Vaughn III ’19 \u2013 Chief Financial Officer<\/h3>\n \u201cMy internship with world-renowned architect Luis Vidal + arquitectos in their home office in Madrid, opened my eyes to how massive some construction companies are,\u201d Vaughn said. \u201cSome of the Spanish construction companies own the largest U.S. contracting firms, the roads we drive on, and even famous professional sports teams. It gave me a broader understanding of the scale and intricacies of the industry and it helped me think big!\u201d<\/p>\n
A fifth-generation builder, Vaughn manages relationships with lenders and manufacturers, oversees the company\u2019s investment portfolio and maintains its capital structure.<\/p>\n
Vaughn will pursue a Master of Business Administration degree at Harvard Business School beginning in fall 2021. Academics will fill much of his time, so Opifex\u2019s future growth will be dependent on the continued leadership of Gresham, Hicks and Navalta.<\/p>\n
They might be newly minted former students, but they have momentum and are building a bright future as entrepreneurs and construction industry leaders.<\/p>\n
For more information, contact rnira@arch.tamu.edu<\/a> or doswald@tamu.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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