C-Suite: David Stitt

Fast fact: Stitt helped build his family’s first energy-efficient custom home when he was 12. He joined the family business in 1999 and became CEO in 2015 and president in 2019.

What is the best business advice someone has ever given you? My grandfather served in World War II and was a kind, humble man. When he came back from Pearl Harbor, he sold ladies hosiery door to door to provide for his young wife and daughters. He told me no matter what you do in life, you’re in the people business. Take care of your customers and treat people the way you want to be treated. He went on to have a long a successful career in the natural gas business.

How significant to you is developing a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) culture within your organization? It’s very important. We think our office should be a reflection of the world around us.

Do you think artificial intelligence (AI) can take jobs in your industry? I do think AI will replace some of the tasks many of us do, and in some industries, there will be attrition.

What’s your favorite movie or television show? “Seinfeld” — the events in those episodes really happen.

If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be and why? My father. We are the same in so many ways, yet we are also very different. I admire how he sees things from a unique and nontraditional perspective.

If you had $1 million to give, what would you support? My church. This may seem like a “safe” answer, but it would be more than a gift. The investment would provide returns far in excess of the original dollar amount.

Which skills do you think are most important when it comes to leadership? Humility and grace. As leaders, we exist to serve those who work in our organizations. We’re never too important to help others, and we’ve all been given more grace than we deserve.

What are your thoughts on working from home? Everyone in our organization works in the office, so remote or a hybrid schedule is not an option. I believe there are situations where this (working remotely) is acceptable, but we know there is a competitive advantage to having everyone in a setting where we collaborate, communicate and build relationships.