Team Members – Wise Construction Company

OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM

DAVID F. ABNEY II

President & CEO
35 Years as a Wise Team Member

David Abney has over 40 years of experience spanning all aspects of the construction business from carpentry, surveying and estimating, to supervising, project management, ownership, subcontracting, general contracting and construction management. He has been a member of several local advisory boards, and is a current member of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce and the Omega Baptist Church Official Board. He has been actively engaged in many areas of community service.

David manages all corporate procedural processes for the Wise companies; Initiates and develops public sector accounts; Negotiates contract agreements; and Assists in major estimating projects.

He has a lengthy record of leadership in the areas of business development and training opportunities for minorities and MBE’s and is committed to promoting MBE involvement in the local community.

Andy Lawrence

Project Manager
15 Years as a Wise Team Member

Andy Lawrence has over 34 years of construction experience taking projects from design to completion in a variety of industries including: commercial, design/build financial institutions, heavy industrial/nuclear, and retail grocery. His roles range from estimating, design review, and bidding to working with subcontractors and vendors, to promoting safety and quality while managing project cost and schedule.

He realizes the importance of communications and working with a client so that client’s goals are met, and the project is built in a timely, safe and cost-efficient manner. He recently complete an assignment as on-site Project Manager for Wise Services at the US DOE’s Portsmouth Plant, handling over 120 projects during a six year, multi-contract span, where the Wise Team was integrated onsite with the Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth Operating Contractor.

John Kanost

CPA, Comptroller
25 Years As A Wise Team Member

John Kanost is a Certified Public Accountant with over 30 years experience in the financial field, from bookkeeping to financial management. He is comprehensive, accurate and well organized in all of his work and extremely knowledgeable and well versed in all areas of accounting, payroll, and tax preparation.

John manages the accounting and financial activities for all of Wise's projects and maintains all corporate accounting records for Wise Construction and its affiliated companies. He is also Wise's accounting department manager.

Karen Lakes

Project Accountant / Accounts Payable Specialist
30 Years as a Wise Team Member

Karen Lakes has over 30 years of diversified accounting experience with clients at federal, state and local government levels, as well as in the private sector. Having excellent managerial and operational skills, she is efficient in tracking expenses, preparing, analyzing and verifying union fringes, as well as processing billings and payroll. She is focused, organized and detail oriented which enables her to succeed in all aspects of construction accounting.

Thomas Durgans

Project Superintendent
3 Years as a Wise Team Member

Thomas Durgans is a career Project Superintendent experienced in running commercial and industrial site development, vertical construction and commercial renovations including high-end design-build projects, hardscapes, parking lots, access roads, mechanical systems, general trades and interior finishes. He is proficient at worksite organization, planning construction installation routing, and trade interaction processes. He has strong management, team-building and multi-tasking skills and is a responsible self-starter who imparts a great degree of personal ownership into the projects he is assigned. Thomas is dependable for bringing projects in on time and within budget.

Renee Abney

Marketing DIrector
25 Years as a Wise Team Member

Renee Abney has over thirty years of design and marketing experience ranging from concept to implementation. She has been producing Wise's marketing materials for twenty-five years. She also assists in website development and maintenance and the planning and production of company events.

Jeffery Mayse

Project Superintendent
New Wise Team Member

Jeffery Mayse is a Project Superintendent with over 30 years of experience in all aspects of commercial construction. He has a broad base of experience in new construction and renovation of existing sites ranging from restaurants and big-box retail to warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and infrastructure. He has a proven track record of establishing and running safe job sites and completing projects on-time and on-budget. Jeff has OSHA 30 and NIOSH 40 safety certifications, and fire extinguishing, CPR/AED/First Aid training.

Surejya Gowda

Assistant Project Engineer
New Wise Team Member

Surejya Gowda is a Civil Engineer who holds a Master’s degree in technology with a specialization in construction management. She is skilled in construction estimating, scheduling, surveying, material and installation inspection, and wastewater treatment methods and processes. Surejya is currently working as an Assistant Project Engineer on one of Wise’s new construction projects.

COMPANY PROFILE

Wise Construction Company, Inc. is a full service General Contractor headquartered in northwest Dayton, Ohio. Wise specializes in new construction and major renovation of commercial, industrial and institutional buildings including healthcare and educational facilities. Founded by the late Warren C. Wise, the company has been actively involved in the Southwestern Ohio construction arena since 1983. Today, Wise Construction continues to build upon its history backed by the solid experience of its leadership team and the cohesive teamwork of its dedicated staff, most of whom have worked together for at least a decade, some for over twenty years.

Wise Construction Management, Ltd., was established in 2001 to fulfill the need for quality CM service providers to the (former) Ohio Schools Facilities Commission. Over the past decade, WCM has played an integral part in the completion of nine new or newly renovated, state-of-the-art educational facilities for our Dayton Public Schools through joint venture projects for the (now) Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.

Professionalism
At Wise, our people are the foundation of our business, from our office staff who organize and support our efforts to our craftspeople who carry out each job with precision and skill, they’re all experienced, hardworking professionals who are dedicated to providing our customers with quality results. Wise is big enough to deliver the best, yet small enough to remember the importance of every customer. We appreciate your business and are truly committed to “Building the Best” for you.

Safety First: 100% of the Time

All Wise Companies take a proactive approach to on-the-job safety. From seminars and safety orientation training to extensive supervision, we do whatever it takes to assure the effectiveness of our safety program. Through the efforts of our full-time Safety Director, Wise established and maintained an excellent safety record. Always striving to attain our goal of “No Lost-Time Injuries” has led us to receive a number of safety achievement awards.

Wise’s Project Safety Program
Our employees are considered valuable assets and their safety is of vital concern. Safety is always given primary importance in planning and operating all company work and activities in order to protect employees against occupational injuries and illnesses. Wise considers accident prevention an important and integral part of efficient production and product quality.

Awards & Recognition

Over the course of three decades, Wise Companies have received numerous achievement awards for safety, quality, entrepreneurial and managerial excellence. Most notable are the multiple awards from Fluor Corporation, including a distinguished recognition for Two Million Safe Work Hours! Additionally, their performance has earned them: US Department of Energy’s NNSA Gold Supplier Award; National Association of Minority Contractor’s, Hall of Fame Induction; Inc. Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award; Black Enterprise Magazine’s Top 100 Industrial/Service Companies of the Year; Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, Supplier of the Year Award; Dayton Business Journal’s Minority Business of the Year Runner Up; and a KeyBank Community Recognition Award for Neighborhood Development.