Fast 15: Adam White

Adam White started an internship with the state’s largest engineering firm in 2006 and was exposed to the operations within several of Garver’s major service areas.

But it didn’t take him long to discover his favorite.

“I really like the quick turn of aviation,” White said. “And it’s not all paving runways. It’s terminal buildings, hangars, fuel farms, parking decks, parking lots … you get to see a wide variety of projects and that sort of keeps you from getting pigeonholed.”

White, a Russellville native, eventually joined Garver on a full-time basis as an aviation project engineer after graduating from the University of Arkansas in 2008. His career path since then illustrates an A&E professional who is good at what he does.

White was promoted to project manager in December 2012, and in January received another promotion to oversee the entire aviation group in the company’s Fayetteville office, which consists of seven full-time employees.

He has managed more than $10 million of airfield construction in his time with the company, and since 2008, he’s helped the Fayetteville aviation team’s annual revenue grow from $420,000 to a record high of $2.5 million in 2013.

He has also led the company’s aviation standards committee since 2012, and that same year was a finalist for the Spirit of Garver award, an internal recognition for an employee who goes beyond the call of duty to further the mission of the company.

White also maintains close ties with his alma mater, serving as president of the Civil Engineering Alumni Society at the UA. He and two former classmates also started an annual $1,500 scholarship for civil engineering upperclassmen. It’s now in its seventh year.

“It’s not a whole lot, but I think it does help some of those juniors and seniors get through the last couple of semesters,” he said. “It’s been very rewarding.”

White is also a guest lecturer at the UA on a variety of topics ranging from engineering to work/life balance.

He teaches Sunday School at his church and leads a team of young professionals at WorkMatters Inc., the Fayetteville nonprofit that focuses on building faith at work.

As for the immediate future, White and his wife are expecting their first child this summer. At Garver, his short-term goal is continuing the transition into management.

“I’ve managed projects for a long time, but it’s a different ballgame when you start managing people; I want to be the best manager I can be and just continue to grow my network.”