Given every year to some of the best and brightest in the industry, DBIA’s Distinguished Leadership Awards honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the practice and performance of design-build. This year, three individuals were honored at the 2019 Design-Build Conference & Expo in Las Vegas.

Industry Professional – Tim Graybeal, DBIA, Design-Build Manager, Lydig Construction

Tim Graybeal’s commitment to the design-build delivery method has been demonstrated time and again as he continues to play a vital role in changing the way the state of Washington builds its projects. In his role as Design-Build Manager for Lydig Construction, he has been able to maintain an exclusive focus, having completed more than $750 million in design-build projects in the last decade alone. Outside the office, he’s just as active in promoting and presenting on design-build and has been praised for his ability to lead local Owners and help them unlock the potential of their projects. Founder of the Inland Northwest Chapter of DBIA, he also currently serves as Treasurer of the DBIA Northwest Region.

Young Professional – David Badger, Program Coordinator, Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department

David Badger hit the ground running when his career started seven years ago, and he hasn’t stopped since! In the time he’s been with the Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department in Tucson, Arizona, he has been an enthusiastic supporter of design-build, serving as Project Manager for numerous large projects involving treatment plants, pump stations, biofilters and conveyance systems. This led to his current role as Program Coordinator where he is managing the Twin Peaks Gravity Sewer design-build project. Emphasizing communication within the team on all of his projects, Badger also places a special focus on community outreach, so the general community affected by these projects are kept well informed of the impacts and activity.

Owner – David Varoli, Esq., General Counsel, New York City Department of Design and Construction

Design-build in New York City has made incredible strides in recent years, and none of it would have been possible without David Varoli. As General Counsel for the City’s Department of Design and Construction, Varoli not only advocated for integral legislation that expanded design-build authority but has been engaged in making sure that the City is prepared to use design-build once that legislation is official. He has been a leader the passage of the New York City Rikers Island Jail Complex Replacement Act and the New York City Public Works Investment Act, each of which will have an immeasurable impact on the way the City builds. His continued efforts to educate, advocate, and promote Design-Build Best Practices to other City Agencies have gone a long way toward meeting the goal of making the City of New York the Owner of choice for design-build projects.

You can see DBIA’s past leadership award winners online here. DBIA is proud to honor all of these incredible leaders, and we thank them for their contributions to the design-build industry.