CSI is pleased to recognize the 2019 Class of Fellows and CSI Award Winners. Recipients will be honored during the CSI Honors and Awards Ceremony at CONSTRUCT 2019 in National Harbor, MD, Thursday, Oct. 10th.
John Dunaway will be honored as a member of the Class of Fellows at the ceremony. Here, he discusses what the award means to him, and how CSI has impacted his life and career.
What does being a member of the 2019 Class of Fellows honorees mean to you?
This is an honor I never expected to receive. I know many CSI Fellows and have always admired their work and their dedication to our organization. I’ve always focused on what I loved, serving the CSI members in my Chapter and Region, and never thought of that as a path to Fellowship. I am honored and humbled by the Institute’s recognition of any contributions that I may have made to The Construction Specifications Institute.
As Fellowship acknowledges contributions to the advancement of construction technology, of all your contributions to CSI, which of them are most significant to you?
The joy and fulfillment that I’ve experienced from working with construction industry students to involve, inform, and inspire them has to be the one of the best experiences of my life. Of course, they inspire and educate me and have opened my eyes to their vision of what the construction industry will be in the future.
What was your first job in the construction industry?
My community college professor, Roger Barrett, hired me as a draftsman and encouraged me to seek higher education in order to become an architect. He was my first mentor and was my inspiration to become a productive construction industry member.
What has been your favorite aspect of making your career in this field?
The experience of being an architect has to be one of the most fun jobs ever. I came from a technical background concentrating on producing construction documents, but now have the opportunity to work with young and innovating architects. They challenge me to take their designs and help make them a reality. What could be more fun than that?
How has being a member of CSI informed your life and career?
I can’t imagine my career without CSI. As a specification writer and architect who has mainly focused on the production of construction documents, being able to rely on trusted advisors through CSI has been and continues to be the most valuable asset in my work; because within CSI, you get information you can use from people you can trust.
Is there anyone you would like to recognize for supporting the work you do?
Without the continued support, encouragement, and assistance of my wife, Charlene, I could have never have accomplished what I have in CSI or in my career as an architect. She’s always by my side and is as much a part of CSI as I am.
What advice would you give to newer CSI members just entering this industry, or that you wish a colleague had given you?
Make friends, not just business associates. The friendships I have developed through CSI mean more to me than any business contact I have ever had.
What do you think the most significant changes, or opportunities, will be in the construction industry in the next 5 to 10 years?
The construction industry will most definitely become more streamlined and construction will move even faster. I think this will lead to big problems in the industry if we lose sight of the necessity for good communication skills and properly prepared documents. Teaching new members of the construction industry the real meaning of communication and helping them develop better communication skills will remain of high importance and CSI is the perfect organization to help do that.