Forty Under 40: Jerry Kelso

Jerry Kelso figures he stepped out of college into the perfect job.

At 32, Kelso is vice president of Crafton Tull & Associates Inc. The Jacksonville native received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Arkansas in 1993, and he’s been with the Rogers-based company ever since.

“The atmosphere is great,” Kelso said. “They’ve given me a lot of opportunity to grow. I have good people to work with. And the company is well respected in Northwest Arkansas.”

Kelso runs the civil engineering department out of the Rogers office. His department oversees engineering services for commercial centers, residential subdivisions, apartment complexes, golf courses and more. Crafton Tull also works with municipalities, such as doing improvements with water and sewer and drainage projects.

Kelso said he believes Crafton Tull is the premier architectural and engineering firm in the area.

“We do have a few competitors, but I look at ourselves as being No. 1,” Kelso said. “If you look at the other facilities and look at what all we do, we’re so much more versatile. We do architecture, civil [engineering] and survey.”