McCrory’s Don Warren in the Spotlight at Design-Build Institute of America’s 25th Anniversary Celebration
Donald G. Warren, Executive Vice President with Columbia-based McCrory Construction, has a long list of distinctions in the design-build arena. Since joining McCrory three years ago to help the century-strong company grow its long-time presence in the industrial market, Warren has continued a 30-year legacy of successful design-build project delivery in the Carolinas. Warren leads McCrory’s full-service Greenville operation in Upstate South Carolina, supported by a seasoned team of design-build professionals – some of whom he has worked with for three decades. Recently completed projects include a significant design-build expansion at Keer America’s 165-acre textile manufacturing site in Lancaster (S.C.) County.
Founding Father of DBIA
Warren’s most far-reaching distinction as a design-build champion is his role as one of the original five founding fathers of DBIA when the association launched 25 years ago in 1993. The only founding father from the Carolinas, Warren was an early DBIA board member whose seven-year term included serving as Chairman in 1998.
A highlight of DBIA’s 25th Anniversary celebration at the 2018 Design-Build Conference & Expo in New Orleans was a panel discussion titled, “The Founding Fathers of DBIA.” The program teaser read, “In 1993, five A/E/C leaders met with a mission – expanding design-build. Even they couldn’t have predicted the industry to be where it is today. Design-build is no longer an ‘alternative’ delivery method and the association they created is leading our industry to new heights.”
Reuniting to talk about their vision for design-build – then, now and into the future – were four of the five founders: Jim Gray, Preston Haskell, Richard Kunnath, and Don Warren (pictured far left).
To give GroundBreak Carolinas readers unique insight from Don Warren and the other founders, we are pleased to share with permission an article published in the special 25th Anniversary supplement to DBIA Integration Quarterly. The article is titled The Rebels. The Dreamers. Doers. DBIA’s Founding Fathers Look at 25 Years of Design-Build (November 2018). Warren is also prominently featured in DBIA’S Founding Fathers podcast and its 25th Anniversary video.
Warren told GroundBreak Carolinas, “I consider the experience of being involved with the founding fathers a high point in my career. It’s rare to have the opportunity to be involved with an organization that has grown and prospered like DBIA. I am proud and humbled to have been a small part of something that has had such a profound impact on our industry.”
Other Design-Build Accolades and Background
Warren was among the first in the nation – and the first in the Carolinas – to become certified as a Designated Design-Build Professional by the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) in 2002. Last month, 16 years later, Warren was the only nominee from the Carolinas to be inducted into the Inaugural Class of DBIA Certified Fellows, a prestigious Fellowship limited to two percent of Designated Design-Build Professionals who are elected to Fellowship by a jury of their peers. He recently became a national DBIA Instructor.
Before joining McCrory Construction, Warren served as Executive Vice President – Carolina Division with Moss & Associates from 2010-2015. Moss had merged with Warren and Associates Design-Build, LLC founded in 2006. The company focused exclusively on design-build project delivery for commercial, industrial and church-related facilities, primarily in the Carolinas. Prior to founding Warren and Associates Design-Build, he served as President and CEO of Suitt Construction Company, a well-known industrial/commercial firm in the Southeast, with a national reputation for its Design-Build expertise. Warren’s career with Suitt spanned more than 25 years.
Warren earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering-Construction option from North Carolina State University. He is a licensed General Contractor in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. He is a past board member for the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and has been a member of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) National Roster of Neutrals since 2006.
What is Design-Build? According to DBIA, it’s the fastest growing and most popular method used to deliver construction projects in America. Visit DBIA’s website to learn more.
