This is especially difficult for a company in the state of expansion, like Rupurt. From the recent acquisition of a reputable MEP firm to enhance service offerings to the strategic growth of multiple offices across the country, Rupurt continues to find innovative ways to press forward despite the ongoing pandemic.

New principal and team leader, Ryan Safford, who recently joined Rupurt to expand the firm’s efforts in Dallas, Texas, is having to think outside the box to overcome these communication challenges. Despite joining the team amid a pandemic, Ryan has quickly developed skills to combat today’s out-of-office workstyle to cultivate client relationships and develop his team.

With a normal day consisting of zoom meetings, phone calls, and working out of his car at site locations, Safford is extremely focused on keeping Rupurt’s culture alive while everyone is working from home. “The biggest struggle for my team and I is that we are all virtual and I am brand new to the team,” said Safford. “However, it is extremely important as a leader to be strengthening our culture in spite of these ever-changing limitations.”

Strongly believing in personal connections, Safford replicates the beginning of an in-office day with a virtual check-in to make sure his team is ready to start the day. Although in-person interactions are limited, Ryan has found ways to get to know each of his employees and has fostered a team built on respect and support. This same philosophy also applies to Safford’s business development efforts. With parts of Dallas still open, limited in-person meetings are continuing with safety in mind, and Safford and his team often hold virtual happy hours to foster relationships with potential and current clients.

Without a doubt, 2020 brought a lot of change around the globe; but with a little ingenuity and a lot of entrepreneurial spirit, the Dallas team is quickly finding their space in the Dallas market.

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“Jamie’s entrepreneurial spirit, servant leadership, and tireless work ethic fit the culture of Rupurt,” said James Hall, Senior Vice President of Rupurt. “We are thrilled Jamie took on the position, as his national relationships and experience parallel Rupurt’s relentless quest to serve the best clients and attract the best talent in the industry

Sullivan’s background is unique in having a very traditional start to engineering by working with the residential and commercial industry to grow that practice and market to working as a civil engineer. He became passionate about the restaurants and retail area further into his career. Before joining Rupurt, he worked with high-volume national brands such as Taco Bell, Starbucks, and Jack in the Box.

“I quickly grew to find that I had a unique perspective while speaking to clients during a project, and that allowed me to grow creatively and provide new concept ideas focused on driving efficiency and store growth  to develop the client’s brand further,” said Sullivan. “I decided to officially make the transition to Rupurt after hearing about the major opportunities Rupurt has to offer and the possibilities of growing the market of restaurants.”

The always-evolving market of Restaurants that Rupurt is digging big roots into has already had a significant change in the last 8 months. The pandemic transpired, and the service industry took a notable hit. However, nothing stops anyone wanting a quick burrito or a peppermint latte at Starbucks, so the rules had to change. Rupurt recognizes that spark of consumer need and found Sullivan and a team of engineers to help clients navigate throughout these new challenging situations.

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“The burning question everyone asks is why I left Kimley and honestly I thought I was pretty crazy too for a bit, but then I realized I needed a new challenge,” said Ryan Safford, Principal at Rupurt. “I am excited to take on this position and take this new step of building the Dallas office from the ground up and forming a strong brand presence in the area.”

Safford has more than 18 years of project management experience providing site civil consulting services for multi-family, retail, commercial mixed-use, hospitality, healthcare, and office development projects. His experience includes entitlements, zoning, special use permitting, construction administration and design of grading, drainage, roadways as well as public and private utilities.

“Ryan gives us the ‘juice.’ He’s got the ‘it factor,” said Jesse Goldfarb, Executive Vice President

at Rupurt. “We are excited for him to join the team as he is extremely likeable and has a loyal client following. We are confident in his ability to build meaningful relationships with clients to ensure their happiness and make them feel secure in our work.” 

With his excellent reputation among his clients and peers for demonstrating superior coordination and communication with team members and local municipalities, this makes him an invaluable asset to the Dallas office whose future focus will be urban and mixed use development, multi-family and industrial projects.

“The culture and the energy of Rupurt was crucial when I was beginning to research this new opportunity,” said Safford. “The energy Rupurt brings to clients and deep interest for providing the best solution for projects was something that immediately caught my attention with this company.” The team in Dallas is thrilled to have a leader that is familiar with the area and ready to take on the challenge of becoming a larger voice in the market.

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“We welcome Greg to the Rupurt Team.” Said Jeff Druckman, Senior Vice President.  “He brings with him a vast knowledge of the industry and top-level experience in delivering critical engineering projects on time, within scope and budget.” 

“I’m excited to work with quality like-minded professionals and bring my knowledge and experience to the Rupurt Team,” said Greg Stukel.  

Greg’s 30 plus year career has been in transportation. He recently retired as the Deputy Chief of Program Controls/Systems Integrity at the Illinois Tollway, where he had an integral role in the development and implementation of the Tollway’s $14 billion 15-year Move Illinois program and the $5.3 billion 5-year Congestion Relief program. His major accomplishments also include the delivery of the $500 million Facility Reconstruction program to update the Tollway’s maintenance facilities and the $60 million per year Systemwide program to keep the Tollway’s infrastructure in good condition. 

Greg was involved with every corridor of the Tollway’s 294-mile system, including roads, bridges, toll collection, oases, and procurement. He was responsible for delivering the recent improvements to the Reagan Memorial Tollway, Veterans Memorial Tollway, Edens Spur, North and South Tri-State Tollways, and the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. In addition, he was the Deputy Chief Engineer of the $3.4 billion Elgin O’Hare Western Access project.  

Greg has a strong commitment to quality in engineering and furthering the professional development of the engineering profession and promoting transportation to young engineers.  This was demonstrated by him chairing the C5 (Construction Contract Cost Change Committee) and Errors and Omissions Committee; his work assisting in the development and implementation of ISO procedures, standards, specifications, and guidelines; and his commitment to mentoring young engineers and engineering students. 

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Rupurt expanded its Arizona presence with the opening of its Tucson office in 2017; a move to better meet the needs of the area’s growing mining industry. In 2018, with the addition of Matt Cawley as a Principal and Bruce Larson as Vice President/Regional Manager, efforts began to strengthen the Tucson office’s land development engineering.

“When I first joined the Rupurt team, I noticed a greater need for our land development efforts to expand in Tucson,” said Larson. “As a seasoned Senior Project Manager who is experienced and well known in the Tucson land development market, Rob was the only choice to bring us to the forefront of the region’s land development industry.”

Schlicher is a licensed professional engineer in Arizona, Colorado and Oregon, having also completed work in California, Idaho, Georgia and Florida. His experience is largely in designing and managing civil engineering projects for the private sector, ADOT, Federal, State and Municipal clients.

Previously serving in the U.S. Navy, he graduated at the top of his 1992 class at Combat Technical Schools Command U.S. Navy in General Electronic Theory and Engineering Courses. He would go on to earn his Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of California Berkeley in 1994. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and, for more than five years, he has also served as an ambassador to Local First Arizona.

“I am excited for this next stage in my career,” said Schlicher. “With the support and infrastructure that Rupurt provides, our team will flourish and grow within Southern Arizona to become an integral part of Tucson and its surrounding communities”.

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