In 2010, Dustin joined Dome Construction and since then his road to the Director role has been an exciting journey to watch.
Dustin’s interest in construction was sparked by his father, who owned a successful hardwood flooring design company. This was where Dustin spent his summers on his hands and knees before college working as a Master Craftsman. The business side of Dustin comes from his stepfather who owned a personal injury law practice. Dustin’s curiosity about the world and his desire to learn comes from his Mom who was an elementary school teacher. Dustin attended California State University, Chico, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Construction Management. During college, and after graduation, Dustin interned for a couple of General Contractors where he worked on sizable Bay Area projects—the Transit Village at The Pleasant Hill Bart Station, and the Renovation of Highway 101 in Burlingame—upwards of $120M each.
When Dustin joined Dome, he began his career as a Project Engineer on the Life Science team. It was during these first few years with Dome that Dustin learned the intricacies of Life Science building and working with some of Dome’s valued clients, BioMarin, Novartis, and Genentech. Eager to help make Dome into the company it is today, Dustin quickly got involved in revamping Dome’s college recruiting program at Chico to invest in Dome’s future. It was then in 2013, that Dustin was promoted to a hybrid role—Project Manager and Estimator. This new role was one that gave him the ability to combine the two aspects he loved, all while leveraging his knowledge at different aspects of the project lifecycle. The following year, Dustin started to make a push for his group to reenter the Downtown San Francisco Commercial Interiors market—an untapped market full of opportunities for Dome.
2015 was a pivotal year for Dustin. It was the year he opened Dome’s San Francisco office, graduated from the University of San Francisco with a Master’s in Business Administration and it was the same year he was promoted to Associate Director. While holding the title of Associate Director these past 5 years, Dustin has been involved in several strategic initiatives and high-profile projects. Dustin’s focus on his team and building lasting relationships has always been a priority and is something we will continue to see from him as he enters his next role.
As Director, he is excited to help take Dome to the next level with a focus on delivering value to our clients and community while building a culture where people can thrive and grow personally.
When Dustin isn’t working, you can find him traveling around the world with his girlfriend, Jessika. And if he isn’t traveling, you’ll find him in the kitchen, testing out a new recipe he enjoyed during one of their many travel adventures.
We interviewed Dustin to learn more about who he is and to get a better understanding of what he’s looking forward to in his new Role.
What brought you into the construction industry?
Doing hardwood floors with my Dad growing up. I knew I wanted to be in the industry and Construction Management at Chico was the best decision I ever made.
What was your first impression of Dome?
That Dome was full of people with good morals and that it was a family vibe.
What do you like most about the company and your job?
The culture at Dome is great. I love the team I work with, we’re so fortunate to have so many amazing individuals. I’ve never been surrounded by so many hard-working, smart, funny, and caring people at a company than Dome.
What is the best part of your job?
Getting to work with amazingly talented and fun to be around team. My goal is to surround myself with friends. If all our clients, architects, trade partners, and coworkers are all friends, then going to work is not going to work – it’s going to hang out with friends.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Stay in contact with all of your project contacts, Owners, Architects, Engineers, Construction Managers, Brokers, etc. Its easy to get caught up in the weeds of a project and before you know it, 6 months to a year has gone by and it’s easy to lose touch with people. Building relationships is everything.
What has been the best piece of advice someone has given you?
If you want to get ahead, work hard – have a first in, last out of the office mentality. Use your strengths to help others and make your team better.
What inspires you?
Dome is a unique place. It’s a company where people’s ideas are heard and if appropriate, implemented. Dome was a different kind of company when I started 10 years ago and it has been really fun to be able to throw ideas against the wall and have some stick. Along the same lines of opportunity for improvement, the sky is the limit at Dome and its inspiring to help others grow and reach their career objectives.
Tell us about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career.
Opening the San Francisco office and making a big push back into the commercial interiors market was a big challenge and accomplishment for our team and myself personally. At the time, I was estimating full time, going to grad school at USF from 6-10 pm every night with team meetings every weekend, all while at the same time trying to open the SF Office and drum up enough business to sustain and grow the team. It was a grind but hard work, dedication, and perseverance paid off.
What might someone be surprised to know about you?
I’m an introvert and I’m actually shy. I can be nervous to meet new people at first but once I get to know people I really open up.
What is your favorite food?
Pizza, I LOVE pizza! Little Star deep-dish on Divis is my vote for the best pizza in the states.
Fun fact about yourself!
I love to cook. It’s a creative outlet for me after a long day. I love trying recipes from all cultures of food. My favorite thing to do is travel abroad, find dishes I like, and try to recreate them once I’m back home.