Forty Under 40: John Strack

John Strack’s career in the construction industry was put in motion by some advice from his mother.

Strack was a business student at the University of Arkansas when his mom turned him on to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s construction management program. Since he was a kid, Strack recalled, the building process and construction job sites had intrigued him.

The interest was still there. Strack moved back to Little Rock and worked as a general laborer. Working during the day and attending classes at night, Strack earned his construction management degree in December 2003.

He moved back to Northwest Arkansas two months later to start working for a company whose name is synonymous with construction in Arkansas. Strack’s career with Nabholz has been upwardly mobile. He’s worked on several notable projects and with increasing levels of responsibility. They include Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Scott Family Amazeum, ArcBest corporate headquarters and the University of Arkansas’ Adohi Hall, the largest mass timber building in the U.S.

Strack is one of three project executives in the company’s Northwest Arkansas office, overseeing a team of seven project managers.

“We have a strong team in place, and that’s what helps us succeed,” he said.

Building a framework that helps the people who work for him become leaders in the industry is a professional goal, Strack said.

Professionally, Strack has certifications from the American Society for Healthcare Engineering, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Strack graduated in 2019 from Leadership Fayetteville, and he was also on the inaugural advisory board for Northwest Arkansas’ first Catholic high school, now known as Ozark Catholic Academy.