Toronto

PMA’s Toronto office is in the Harbourfront area of Toronto, ranked as North America’s most sustainable city by major economics research firms. Toronto’s environmental focus, award-winning public transit, and vibrant multicultural ambiance make Canada’s largest population center an optimal fit for PMA to pursue multiple opportunities in the area.

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Jeffrey Plant

Managing Director

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Leadership

•Don Fredlund

•Robert Sanders

PMA People

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Raul J. Fernandez

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Don Fredlund

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Shannon Katt

Q&A with Shannon PMA PEOPLE

Robert Sanders

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Dr. Gui Ponce de Leon

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David Weber

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John Sheridan

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Jeffrey Plant

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Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension Program

Toronto, Ontario

Vale Long Harbour Processing Plant

Long Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador

Region of Peel G. E. Booth Wastewater Treatment Plant: Phase 3

Mississauga, ONT

Curve Lake First Nation Water Treatment & Distribution System

Curve Lake, ONT

Raul J. Fernandez

Senior Director, Toronto

What are you passionate about and how do you pursue that passion at PMA?

I’ve always had a passion for developing businesses, complemented with work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. I’m always curious to know how things work, how they can be improved, and how new things can be created.

What current project(s) are you working on?

We are building the PMA operations in Canada from the ground up. Currently, most of my time is spent generating ideas, initiatives, and activities that will improve our business; identifying opportunities and preparing proposals; working on growth in terms of business expansion; forming strategic alliances; and making strategic business decisions.

Who/what inspires you to push yourself? (Personal heroes, family members, ideas)

The strength that helps me push and keep going comes from my parents. They began their married life with a major car accident, which left them disabled for nearly a year. So, they began their life together heavily in debt. My father was able to start his medical practice as a radiologist interpreting X-rays and preparing reports from his bed, in difficult conditions, since there were no electronic assistive devices back in the ‘50s. They made their way through it all and provided me with a good education as a person and access to a good education as a professional. They taught me the value of perseverance and that you must always push forward regardless of the conditions you find yourself in.

What are the most positive aspects of working at PMA? Or Share your impressions of PMA’s culture.

Although I only started three months ago, I have found that this company cares about the people who work for it and treats them with respect and kindness. I like that PMA is a company that fosters a work environment where people can contribute, innovate, and excel.

What is something innovative happening in your industry that makes you excited about the future?

Advanced project management tools and solutions.

Project management tools and solutions have always been game changers. Most high-performing projects use project management software to plan, implement, and monitor all aspects of project management. It goes without saying that project management tools greatly help project managers to plan projects and deliver them on time. It also gives team members a single platform for communication and collaboration.

What university or college did you graduate from?

BSc in civil engineering from Universidad del Norte, Colombia, 1988

Master of Engineering – Civil, with a concentration on Structural Design and post graduate courses in construction management, Stevens Institute of Technology, USA, 1991

What is your favorite local establishment/feature (restaurant, museum, stadium, etc.)?

I was an Expat for many years until recently when I moved back to Toronto. While living abroad, I loved to walk and spend time in the old wall city of Cartagena, Colombia. Now that I am back in Toronto and especially during this time of the year, I enjoy the Lake Ontario Waterfront with so many people and activities.

Provide a fun fact or secret talent about yourself.

I used to play tennis, racquetball, soccer, and baseball, but after a disc surgery, I slowed down quite a bit. Now I watch those activities on TV.

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Don Fredlund

Chief Operations Officer, Phoenix

What current project(s) are you working on?
Expert Assignments:
• Claims on 3 separate construction contracts associated with the $2.6B Toronto Spadina Subway Extension Project located in Toronto, CN
• Claim on the $140M JW McCormack Post Office/Courthouse Repair and Alternations Project located in Boston, MA
• Claim on the BP-432 (Pods C and D) Baggage Handling System Expansion Project located in Orlando, FL
• Insurance Claims on the $1B East End Crossing Project located in Indiana/Kentucky
Contract Specifications Upgrade:
• Santa Clara Valley Water District

What is your career highlight so far?
Becoming part of PMA leadership when I moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to start our “west coast presence”; I also got involved with corporate matters. That met one of my key career goals and reasons I came to PMA after spending many years working for large contracting firms (i.e., being one of thousands). It gave me much more opportunity to grow professionally in all aspects of management and have a say/control over my career while I helped a small company at the time to grow to what PMA is today.

It’s all about the people one works with and it’s rarely the result of one person’s efforts. That said, I have numerous highlights as an expert where a team of PMA professionals’ technical excellence resulted in a “win” via a ruling by a judge or jury that went the way we saw it, and our client was extremely happy with the result. Perhaps the most notable on a personal note was our firm’s expert work in South Carolina for a major pharmaceutical client that involved over a 2-3 year period and as many as 25 PMA employees flying back and forth to South Carolina from many offices. Testifying in a 100-year-old courthouse in the “south” (velvet curtains and all) was surreal! Plus, we got the ruling we and our client hoped for…can’t beat that. It was a complete and total team effort by many PMA employees who sacrificed a lot personally, a shining moment for PMA, and an opportunity to work with one of the country’s premier construction law firms.

What is something new or innovative happening in your industry?
While this is not so new or innovative relatively speaking in PMA standards, there is a continued trend toward the use of project delivery systems that allow for public and private clients to pick contractors on a qualifications basis or not strictly on price. Being the relationship firm we are and what we have to offer our clients technically, that trend is right up our alley. Throw increased use of and appreciation by some large players in the industry of NetPoint® and GPM® (PMA’s proprietary scheduling software) into that mix and we (meaning PMA, the consultants, contractors, and owners) will all benefit from that in the future.

What university or college did you graduate from?
Michigan Technical University located in Houghton, Michigan, where they only allow in and train technically smart and physically tough engineers as evidenced by PMA’s tendency to hire lots of people from there, including some of its best leaders.

What is your favorite local establishment/feature (restaurant, museum, stadium, etc.)?
I have eaten at so, so many restaurants in the U.S. and a few international spots (e.g., Mexico City and Shanghai, China) over the last 30 years and have flown into/out of every major airport in the U.S. it seems. Impossible to pick a favorite. Now if the question was the most unusual food eaten, that is an easy one. In a nice, quaint, and upscale restaurant just outside of San Francisco, one time I had “pigeon legs.” Yes, we were with a client. The things one does for client relationships. Guess what? It tasted like…wait for it…chicken.”

Fun Fact!
Now that is a good question. My wife of almost 44 years says we really have only been married 22 years because I am gone half of the time. That is technically not true, but one reason I have been married that long is because I have learned not to argue technicalities.

Looking back to the major pharmaceutical client assignment described above, after testifying on the witness stand and in response to some question from the judge, I actually said, “This was fun.” He laughed and gave me a strange look. Go figure.

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Shannon Katt

Director, Phoenix

What challenges exist for women in the construction and engineering industry? Any path you’ve taken to overcome these?
The construction industry has changed significantly since I first started on jobsites. The construction arena used to be a very tough place to work. There were constant challenges from men to a woman’s knowledge and authority, both in the field and in the trailer. To overcome these challenges, you had to do your job well and know everything there was to know about your work. You also had to have very thick skin and be able to ignore a lot of negativity and misogyny. That posture doesn’t happen much anymore. Enough women have joined the industry, such that we aren’t an anomaly, and we aren’t assumed to be unqualified.

What current projects are you working on?
A claim for the Toronto Transit Commission, scheduling support for a Brewery in Mexicali, Mexico, scheduling support for a hospital in New York, helping a contractor with some change order issues in Edmonton, a schedule risk analysis in an undisclosed location in Asia, and a schedule risk analysis for a mega-project in Texas.

What is your career highlight so far? (at PMA?)
There’s not really a single highlight. I’m very lucky to get to travel all over the world doing scheduling and schedule risk analysis work in the oil and gas industry. It’s challenging work in interesting locations.

What is something new or innovative happening in your industry?
We are seeing more use of NetPoint from our clients, which is fun to see since I’ve been part of the testing team since the very beginning of the software.

What university or college did you graduate from?
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona. My degree is in Aeronautical Engineering.

What is your favorite local establishment/feature (restaurant, museum, stadium, etc.)?
The Wrigley Mansion. The mansion was built by the Wrigley family (think chewing gum). It’s a historic landmark in Phoenix with a really interesting history. After ownership passed from the Wrigley family, the mansion went through a series of owners and bankruptcies and was finally saved by Geordie Hormel (think canned foods). He remembered spending time there as a child and couldn’t allow the mansion to be demolished. His family wanted local residents to be able to enjoy it, so it’s been turned into a club that includes a bar and restaurant. The mansion has the best view of Phoenix in the city.

Provide a Fun Fact?
I’m on the board of a local charity called SniffAZ that raises money to fund spay/neuter services to low income residents. Did you know that every two s/n surgeries saves one animal from the euthanasia list (at least in Phoenix)?

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Dr. Gui Ponce de Leon

Chief Executive Officer, Ann Arbor

Why did you choose to start Project Management Associates/PMA Consultants?
In July 1969, I was fortunate to be offered an internship as a scheduling consultant with Townsend & Bottum, Inc., (T&B) then the largest Michigan contractor. They had just purchased an IBM 360/30 computer and couldn’t make heads or tails of the scheduling software, which was known as Project Control System (PCS). There were sample schedules provided with the software that included Start-to-start & finish-to-finish logic, and the T&B scheduling knowledgeable personnel had been schooled on traditional CPM/arrow diagrams, and, of course, couldn’t understand the sample schedules.

By the spring of 1970, it occurred to me that if such a huge construction company couldn’t figure out the future of computerized CPM scheduling, perhaps I could develop a career consulting on that. I was already on track to get a PhD in project networks and this provided a pathway for my research. After T&B declined to join me in this endeavor, I set up a company, DBA Project Management Associates. In July of 1971, having learned that Bechtel had just taken a building permit to build a tower down the road from its building, Bill Bottum reconsidered and offered me the opportunity to incorporate PMA as a subsidiary to T&B so that they could remain competitive with Bechtel in the area of computerized project scheduling and project controls. The initial incorporation of PMA, Inc. was as a subsidiary of T&B.

What do you feel has led to PMA’s growth and success?
Some contributors happened without design. Included is our uncanny ability to attract incredible talent who are passionate about what PMA does. Another is an exceedingly conservative approach to managing our finances, something that I picked up from Bill Bottum. We desire to always do the best for our clients, in some cases way beyond what is reflected on the invoice. We take pride in doing good work that is successful for the client.

Be that as it may, in fall of 1988, after nearly crashing like clockwork every four years, starting in 1972, I decided we would not grow again from the 14-15 people in PMA at that time until I figured out the one ingredient that would make our practice sustainable. After 41 years of nonstop reading, I had a ‘eureka’ moment while reading Stanley M. Davis’ Future Perfect: when I realized that it was all about relationships, relationships, relationships. The relationship is where the PMA world intersects with the clients’ world. So we developed a whole new way of thinking founded on seeking strong client relationships, making them stronger and taking a long-term perspective. It is by following relationships that PMA evolved from a scheduling-dominated practice to a full-fledged project management service provider with strong project controls and scheduling expertise that spilled over into claims analysis and expert testimony.

Who has been your influence for directing PMA?
Early on it was clearly my mentor, Bill Bottum. While there are some marked differences between how Bill and I lead, there are also substantive commonalities. Bill was supremely client driven, such that T&B, a David among Goliaths, got beyond their share of the market. He was also always pushing the envelope adopting cutting-edge technology; he was into 3D modeling in the mid-1970s! And of course with the presence of yours truly, a force to reckon with in computerized project controls. Bill and I read pretty much the same books and always stuck to our word.

What type of future growth do you see for PMA? Succession planning?
Starting in 2009, we began planning our future in five-year intervals. We are right on track as to growth in the current 2014-2018 planning cycle. But a key driver toward growth is an intent to grow revenues 5% to 7% annually.

As is well known, Dax was named CEO-elect last November, and we are on track for him to take over as CEO after 10 years in the CEO-elect role. We have also initiated steps to transition leadership from first generation to second generation leaders.

What is your career highlight so far?
Too many to choose from and, to be fair, I would have to rack my brain so that every five-year interval is fairly considered. But if I look back after our last relapse (again in the fall of 1988), I would have to include the Central Artery/Tunnel project in Boston as a sub to Bechtel (1989-2006); the opening of the Chicago and New York offices in 1996 and 1997; the decision to become an innovator in 2000; the Visteon Village and JW Marriott projects (2001 & 2007); the publication of the FSBOK in December 2010; our first patent on the graphical path method (GPM) in 2012; our amazing schedule analytics IP so well captured in our new software offering, Schedule IQ; and the decision to turn over the reins of the CEO office to Dax Ponce de Leon in 2025.

Not to go back too far, but the opening of the Orlando office in 1984 and the Detroit office in 1985 were significant highlights in our history.

What is something new or innovative happening in your industry?
In the project management space, definitely our new scheduling method, GPM; BIM modeling, including 4D modeling; risk analysis; and more progressive strategies to well-established alternative project delivery methods.

What university or college did you graduate from?
I received a PhD from the University of Michigan in May 1972, and an MS in construction engineering management in December 1969. I did spend one year at Vanderbilt University in structural engineering before coming to Michigan to pursue a degree in construction management, and I received my BS in civil engineering from the National University of Engineering in Lima, Peru, in December 1965.

What is your favorite local establishment/feature (restaurant, museum, stadium, etc.)?
I eat way too often at the West End Grill and Chop House. Clearly, while I don’t partake much anymore, going to the Big House for a home game in the fall is an amazing experience. While hardly local, being one hour away from Lake Huron and two hours away from Lake Michigan is an amazing Ann Arbor feature. Anyone who hasn’t been to the shores of any Great Lake needs to fix that. Let’s not forget canoeing in the Huron River, not to mention running along the river.

Fun Fact!
I love getting from home to work in less than 10 minutes. Whenever I meet people on the plane and they learn I am from Ann Arbor, nine out of ten times they ask, “Do you teach at the U of M?”

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David Weber

Senior Associate, Phoenix

What current project(s) are you working on?

I’m currently performing schedule oversight on several ADOT projects. I’m also doing claims and delay analysis on the Central 70 Freeway project in Denver, Colorado, and I’m beginning to get involved with oversight on transportation projects for the FTA.

Do you get to do something at work every day that you love? If so, what is it?

It doesn’t happen every day, but I do like figuring out issues and helping parties arrive at reasonable settlements.

What is your career highlight so far? (at PMA?)

I like being involved in large, interesting projects. The highlights are achieving unexpected negotiated settlements for clients. In particular, I helped my client achieve its desired outcome for delays to work at Luke Air Force Base. This occurred during a meeting that was not intended to be a negotiation. I turned it into one and was able to settle the dispute. I achieved similar unexpected favorable results for my client on a project at Squaw Peak Water Treatment Plant and at the Grand Canyon Airport.

What is something new or innovative happening in your industry that makes you excited about the future?

The creation of schedule software other than Primavera is innovative. The advancement of NetPoint is an example.

What was a transformative project or challenge that you did at PMA?

Being involved in a subway project in Toronto, Canada, introduced me to that type of project, which I can now apply on other transportation projects.

Who/what inspires you to push yourself? (Personal heroes, family members, ideas)

My two sons.

What university or college did you graduate from?

I earned my bachelor’s degree in engineering from Arizona State University.

What is your favorite local establishment/feature (restaurant, museum, stadium, etc.)?

The Phoenix and Scottsdale areas have many nice restaurants that I enjoy.

Provide a fun fact about yourself?

I’m a pretty good cook, and my smoked salmon is better than I have ever had elsewhere.

Do you have any secret talents?

I’m a wannabe photographer and I’m fairly proud of my Instagram account that I use as my photography platform.

I’m also a bit of an outdoorsman and spend a lot of time in northern Arizona hiking, climbing, exploring, four-wheeling, kayaking, boating, fishing, etc. I also do a lot of hiking on the local trails in the Phoenix area. I used to climb Squaw Peak in Phoenix twice a week during the cooler months. I’m down to once a week now with more moderate hikes in between.

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John Sheridan

Division Director, Boston

What current project(s) are you working on?

Primarily, I am helping analyze and negotiate large time entitlement and cost disputes. My largest focus is supporting MTA on several East Side Access capital projects and analyzing a claim for a large New York bridge project. I am also working with Gary Jentzen on an Eversource assignment and on Nantucket Cottage Hospital, and with Steve Rusteika on the Marshfield DPW and Police Department projects.

Do you get to do something at work every day that you love? If so, what is it?

The reason I am still at PMA after 30 years is because I get to work with bright, talented people, both staff and clients, on large, challenging construction projects. I have a diversified portfolio of assignments that allows me to collaborate and work to resolve complex issues and do it with some of the brightest people in the industry. I have been spoiled at PMA, surrounded by a special group of leaders and professionals who have worked with me for many years and who have a work ethic that is second to none. I also get to draw on the talent from across the company to help with these efforts.

What is your career highlight so far? (at PMA?)

There have been many shared successes over the years, culminating in where I am today as Division Director. PMA NE has continuously been one of the largest, most successful offices within PMA over the years, and that is the result of the excellent team with which I have had the pleasure to work. PMA NE’s success is also a testament to the many, many successful assignments/projects this regional team has pursued and executed, several of which received national awards. The Boston Business Journal award recognizing PMA NE as a “Best Place to Work” is also special to me.

What is something new or innovative happening in your industry that makes you excited about the future?

Not by choice, but the recent events that have forced people to work from home has given PMA another option in its “tool belt” to better service clients. Combined with the variety of services we can provide, excellent communication tools like Teams and NetPoint as our standard, and clients who are more receptive to consultants performing their work remotely, PMA can better service existing and new clients using our “bench” wherever it may be located.

What was a transformative project or challenge that you did at PMA?

If I had to pick one project, the Albert Sherman Center Project (a $420M Life Science Research Facility with supporting Power Plant Upgrade and Parking Garage) might be the best example of great work by the team that I worked closely with. I believe today PMA has name recognition as an organization that provides superior services to its clients. However, in November 2006, this pursuit was considered a huge reach/risk when PMA proposed and beat out the largest program management firms to win this assignment. PMA then executed and received multiple national awards for this project, which helped put PMA’s name on the local map as one of the top OPM firms in New England. The rest is history…

Who/what inspires you to push yourself? (Personal heroes, family members, ideas)

Sports has been a big influence in my life growing up in NY, especially the concept of “team.” I admired many sports heroes from a bygone era, including Mickey Mantle, Willis Reed, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jack Nicklaus, etc. However, the biggest inspiration to be the best I could be came from my parents and family. I was the firstborn of Irish immigrants who had nothing when they came to this country, and they worked hard to raise a family in the Bronx. Nothing was taken for granted, you appreciated what little you had, and understood the value of family and friends. Education was the door opener and you gave 110% whether on the court or in the office. I have always valued and appreciated those who are closest to me. Still do…

What university or college did you graduate from?

My education was all NYC, starting with parochial grammar and high schools, and matriculating to Manhattan College in the Bronx. I received my BS in Civil Engineering in 1976 from Manhattan and then attended Brooklyn Polytechnic for my Masters in CE, finishing it in 1978. Two other prominent PMA leaders who graduated from Manhattan College were Tim McManus who opened the Boston office and Bruce Stephan, our West Coast ED.

What is your favorite local establishment/feature (restaurant, museum, stadium, etc.)?

Ember and Oysters were a couple of Marshfield restaurants that Laura and I often would be seen in on a Friday night, sitting at the bar to enjoy a small bite with the locals. If we got the chance, we would head up to Portsmouth, NH and look for a spot to dine overlooking the water. However, recent events have changed that to just enjoying meals at home.

Provide a fun fact about yourself?

Not sure if it is a “fun fact” but those who know me are aware I try to stay active, sometimes with results that were detrimental to parts of my body. For many years, both staff and clients expected me to show up for meetings wearing some bandage or splint based on my last “healthy sports event” (generally pick-up basketball). The only advantage to getting older and slowing down is that there have been fewer bandages!

Do you have any secret talents?

I wish I could claim “fish whisperer”, but alas, no secret talents…what you see is what you get.

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Jeffrey Plant

Managing Director, Montréal

What are you passionate about and how do you pursue that passion at PMA?

I am passionate about delivering value to my clients by helping them conceptualize and deliver the right projects with the right team, using the best project delivery method, and on a realistic schedule and budget.

What current project(s) are you working on?

I am part of the team advising Austin Transit Partnership on the structuring and delivery of their ambitious Project Connect transit system development. I am leading pursuits of major project opportunities in Toronto, Vancouver, and the Bahamas.

Who/what inspires you to push yourself? (Personal heroes, family members, ideas)

I’ve always been curious, disciplined, and self-motivated. I likely gained these values from my parents. My mother, a registered nurse, was disciplined yet curious about the world around her. My father, a mechanical engineer, managed major resource development projects for most of his career. I love new challenges and continuously upgrading my skills and knowledge.

What are the most positive aspects of working at PMA? Or Share your impressions of PMA’s culture.

PMA is a collection of very talented individuals who work well together to deliver exceptional service to our clients. The culture is collegial and supportive. PMA values continuous learning and innovation.

What is something innovative happening in your industry that makes you excited about the future?

Virtual construction and the application of artificial intelligence to improve the means, methods, and constructability of projects reduce project costs and deliver more reliable forecasts of costs and schedules.

What university or college did you graduate from?

BASc (civil engineering) University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada 1978

MBA (executive program), University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1987

I also attended Osgoode Hall Law School (1978-79) in Toronto and successfully completed 1^st year law. (My leave of absence continues!)

What is your favorite local establishment/feature (restaurant, museum, stadium, etc.)?

I enjoyed sailing in Lake Ontario and in the Caribbean as a former member of the Mimico Cruising Club and the Royal Jamaica Yacht Club. My favorite ski resort is Whistler-Blackcomb. My favorite hotel is Rockhouse in Negril, Jamaica.

Provide a fun fact or secret talent about yourself.

I’ve worked on projects in over 30 countries on five continents. I’ve been a competitive swimmer, lifeguard, swim instructor, and ski instructor. My other secret talent that amazes my toddler is my ability to snap my fingers.

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Related Insights

Contact

Jeffrey Plant

Leadership

Don Fredlund PMP

Education

Affiliations

Robert Sanders

Education

Affiliations

PMA People

Raul J. Fernandez

Don Fredlund

Shannon Katt

Robert Sanders

Dr. Gui Ponce de Leon

David Weber

John Sheridan

Jeffrey Plant

Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension Program

Vale Long Harbour Processing Plant

Region of Peel G. E. Booth Wastewater Treatment Plant: Phase 3

Curve Lake First Nation Water Treatment & Distribution System

Raul J. Fernandez

Don Fredlund

Shannon Katt

Robert Sanders

Dr. Gui Ponce de Leon

David Weber

John Sheridan

Jeffrey Plant

Jeffrey Plant PMP, Ing.

Education

Affiliations