McKissack & McKissack Taps Sam Boye and Girard Jenkins for Key Midwest Roles
McKissack & McKissack names Sam Boye Jr. as operations manager for the Midwest and West regions and promotes Girard Jenkins to project executive for the Midwest.
These architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry veterans will lead their regional teams in producing results on high-profile prime contracts and joint ventures in architecture, engineering, construction- and program management across a range of industries. Boye and Jenkins are based in McKissack’s Chicago office.
“Sam and Girard are a strategic choice to lead our Midwest team,” said CEO Deryl McKissack. “Their strengths are complimentary. Sam comes from the private sector, and has a developer-side, get-it-done approach and a unique understanding of how to build on our strengths. Girard is the go-to problem solver who can offer clients solid solutions and has the track record to prove it. I’m excited about the value this team delivers across our practices in the aviation, commercial real estate, energy, healthcare and K-12 education sectors.”
Operations Manager Brings Private Sector Approach to Commercial
In his more than two decades in commercial real estate and project management, Boye, a civil engineer with an MBA, has always brought strategic vision to his roles. Before joining McKissack, he was project management director at Cushman & Wakefield, where he managed over $200 million in value-add renovations. Prior to that, he was capital projects director at Golub & Co., a project manager at RSM US and a Special Projects Division (SPD) project manager and field engineer at Turner Construction.
In his role as operations manager, Boye helps McKissack clients explore their options to develop, upgrade or reposition facilities. Currently, he is overseeing the design and execution of a range of complex construction strategies, from capital planning for the Chicago O’Hare International Airport expansion to provide delay-free and reliable travel to updating Exelon Corp. and WEC Energy Group assets for continued reliability and resilience.
In guiding the selection of contractors, Boye is adept at implementing the AEC industry minority procurement practices McKissack advocates. It is a program that helped the minority-owned firm win an Inc. magazine Best in Business award in 2020.
“The business community is trying to find ways to diversify, because it’s a reflection of America,” Boye said. “They need partners they can rely on and trust. We don’t have preconceived ideas of what success looks like. McKissack can draw on resources and expertise from the community to build major development projects without sacrifice to technical knowledge or skill sets.”
The Obama Presidential Center, now under way, is one of many ambitious projects in Boye’s portfolio. When the first shovel breaks ground this year on the landmark Chicago project—a campus featuring a community center, a museum, a public library and recreation space— McKissack will oversee its design and construction.
Boye earned an MBA in real estate investment and finance from DePaul University and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He lives in Morton Grove, Illinois, with wife Regan and sons Trey and Declan.
Project Executive Applies Wealth
of Public Sector, Healthcare
Facilities Experience
As project executive, Jenkins will assure services are being performed to McKissack’s standard of excellence, maintain a positive cash flow and work with clients to meet their needs. He showed his agility as a senior project manager in upgrading mechanical systems for the Chicago Public Schools’ reopening, resolving congestion along Illinois Tollway routes and engaging community stakeholders in Cook County’s redevelopment of the former Oak Forest Hospital.
“Working with McKissack is a great opportunity to address the desires of the client and support all those who are working out in the field and consulting behind the scenes,” Jenkins said. “When a problem arises, I can break down a scenario into smaller pieces, help clients understand things a little better and get the important things done in the right order.”
Jenkins’ nearly two decades in construction management includes healthcare facility planning, design and construction for University of Chicago Medicine and Roseland Community Hospital in Chicago—experience ranging from building a new emergency department to accommodating the strict requirements and precise execution of cutting-edge life-science research technology.
A Tuskegee University alumnus, Jenkins earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture and construction management while learning practical lessons on job sites as a summer laborer. He also earned certification in commercial building inspection from Olive-Harvey College in Chicago. Jenkins lives in the city’s Hyde Park neighborhood with wife Wanda, son Girard Jr. and daughter Brianna.
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