Five Members of Clark Team Recognized as 2021 Top Young Professionals by ENR

Clark is pleased to announce that Engineering News-Record (ENR) has recognized five employees as 2021 Top Young Professionals in their regions. The award program honors individuals who have built extraordinary industry careers in a short amount of time; judging criteria includes industry expertise, leadership, and community service.

ENR California
Keon West
Senior Superintendent, Clark Construction

Keon West is a senior superintendent at Clark Construction overseeing the construction of the San Diego State University (SDSU) Aztec Stadium.  During his first decade with Clark, Keon led field efforts on high-rise residential buildings, commercial office buildings, and hotels throughout the Washington, DC area. In 2018, Keon moved to California to join the $1.4 billion Chase Center project, where he was the superintendent responsible for the entire arena bowl. In addition to managing arena construction and ensuring quality installation of finishes, Keon also took on the task of mentoring younger superintendents and engineers on the project.

As Keon has grown into his leadership role, he has embraced the opportunity to educate and shape Clark employees into high-performing builders. For Keon, the ability to provide both informal mentorship on a jobsite and formal training through Clark programs has molded him into the award-winning leader he is today.
 

ENR MidAtlantic
Michael Trabucco 
Vice President, Shirley Contracting Company 

Michael Trabucco is a vice president at Shirley Contracting, a road-building and infrastructure-specialized subsidiary of Clark Construction. In this role, Michael is responsible for all aspects of project delivery including owner relations, strategic planning and forecasting, acquisition of new work, and execution of work.

Since joining Shirley in 2005, Michael has helped deliver some of Northern Virginia’s most complex civil projects – the Route 28 Corridor Improvements, Fort Belvoir Main Post Infrastructure Improvements, I-66/Route 29 & Linton Hall Interchange, and I-66 Widening from Gainesville to Haymarket.

Over the course of his career, Michael has earned a reputation for creatively solving constructability issues, developing value-based solutions for both project owners and Shirley, and leading high-performing teams.

Molly Raglani
Vice President, Clark Construction

In her role as vice president at Clark Construction, Molly Raglani leads project development and delivery in the Mid-Atlantic Region. She plays a key role in project development, new work acquisition, and cultivating client relationships for residential and mixed-use projects in the region. Throughout her tenure at Clark, Molly has led many marquee projects such as Shakespeare Theatre’s Sidney Harman Hall, the Residences at CityCenter, Rosslyn’s Central Place apartments, the renovation of 800 K Street, and The Anthem Theatre at The Wharf.

Molly attributes her success to the supportive leadership team above and around her who have believed in her capabilities. The faith others have shown in her throughout her career has given her the confidence to analyze situations, make difficult decisions, and implement the right solutions. As she has evolved into the leader she is today, Molly is dedicated to taking that level of consideration from her peers and providing the same environment for the young members of her team, offering opportunities and support to take on responsibilities that foster learning and growth.
 

ENR Midwest
Chris Smith
Construction Executive, Clark Construction

As a construction executive at Clark Construction, Chris Smith oversees construction on the new one-million-square-foot single terminal at the Kansas City International Airport. This $1.26 billion project in Kansas City, Missouri with joint venture partners Weitz Company and Clarkson Construction Company, is the largest infrastructure project in the city’s history. 

Chris began his career in Clark’s Mid-Atlantic Region on several large, high-profile projects in the Washington, DC area including CityCenter DC and the US FDA, Phase IV – Consolidated Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). In 2015, Chris moved to the Midwest to serve as lead superintendent on the $230-million University of Kansas Central District Development project.

Chris is passionate about client service, believing that strong relationships and transparency are the keys to success. This firm commitment allows Chris to effectively communicate the project plan to subcontractors while also ensuring that project stakeholders are in alignment with the project vision.
 

ENR Northwest
Taylor Johnson
Senior Project Manager, Clark Construction

Taylor Johnson is a senior project manager at Clark Construction at the International Arrivals Facility (IAF) at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, one of the ten busiest airports in the United States. He works in conjunction with the airport and airlines to carefully orchestrate construction efforts around active gates, runways, and taxi lanes with minimal impact on commercial air travel.

As a U.S. Army veteran, Taylor cites his time studying at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and his military service as crucial life experiences that have made him a successful leader. Taylor’s personable leadership style has motivated the team to deliver incredible milestones on the Sea-Tac project, including the elevation of the pedestrian bridge’s center walkway. Taylor kept his team focused throughout 18 months of rigorous planning, which culminated in moving the 3-million-pound structure down a three-mile route and successfully hoisting it 85 feet over an active taxi lane.