Loading
David Otterness is a throwback.
The construction executive, who says his happy place is the back porch bar at his house, and John Candy would play him in a movie about his life, has worked at one company since college.
That’s 15 years with the same firm, working his way up from entry-level projects to shareholder. Projects he has worked on include the Sarasota Opera House and Sarasota Memorial Hospital outpatient facilities.
In an era of jumping from company to company in construction, especially since the recession, Otterness has been a mark of consistency for Willis Smith, one of the region’s consistently strong construction firms. The company had $85.4 million in revenue in 2016, and will likely surpass $100 million in sales this year.
Otterness was promoted to a project executive role in 2013, where he’s now responsible for the overall cost, schedule and budget evaluation for a project, in addition to construction coordination.
The son of a construction executive, Otterness says his biggest lesson learned in leadership is also something of a throwback: the ability to listen. “You have to take the time to listen,” he says. “Don’t come to conclusions right away. Take the time to analyze all sides first, and learn the facts.”
Outside work and family, Otterness has a passion for the Easter Seals, where he’s on the organization’s board in Sarasota. He volunteered with a developmentally disabled child for a decade growing up, a boy who lived across the street. Otterness was the boy’s buddy in baseball games. “Being around these kids is really special,” he says. “When you have had a bad day at work, and come in there and get a hug or a high-five from one of them, it really puts everything in perspective.”
— Mark Gordon
Name: David Otterness
Age: 37
City of residence: Bradenton
Employer: Willis Smith Construction
Title: Project Executive
Birthplace: Naples
Years on the Gulf Coast: 37
Marital status/children: Married, two girls
Alma mater/degree: University of Florida, Bachelor of Building Construction
Best place to network: Golf course, sporting events
Messy desk or clean workspace: Clean
Eat lunch out or at your desk: Eat lunch out
Best business lesson ever learned: Don’t take business disagreements personally
Weirdest job you’ve ever had: Tires and Trim dresser at a car wash
A website that makes your job easier: Google
App you use the most: Remote desktop app for iPhone
One thing you do everyday: Pray, give thanks for what has been provided to me
Community group you’re most involved with: Easter Seals of Southwest Florida
Favorite off-hours activity: Golf, spearfishing when I can
Two people, dead or alive, you’d like to have dinner with: My father and grandfather
What you would be doing if you could pick another career: Selling payment and performance bonds
Top item on your bucket list: Retire as soon as possible
Your happy place is: Back porch bar at house
Your biggest fear: Raising teenage daughters down the road
Skill you’d like to learn: Reading people's minds
Who would play you in a movie about your life: John Candy
Describe yourself in three words: Cautious, optimistic and listener
Your free article limit has been reached this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited digital access to our award-winning business news.
Join thousands of executives who rely on us for insights spanning Tampa Bay to Naples.
