Keeley'n Spotlight: Dave DeBord

Our Civil Energy group works in some of the toughest conditions and self-performs almost every aspect of a project. This group needs team members who are dedicated to safety, customer service, and growth. Dave DeBord, Senior Project Manager, is one of these team members. His passion for people and helping his team members grow is a driving factor of the Civil Energy Group’s success.

Dave joined the Keeley family as a Project Manager in 2018. Throughout his time with the Civil Energy Group, Dave has had the opportunity to be a part of an amazing group of field personnel who keep him excited to come to work every day, assist in the growth of his team, and help manage some of Keeley Construction’s largest projects, including Mark Twain and the first MLS Stadium in St. Louis. The opportunity to work on these projects and more has given Dave a great sense of pride and empowerment in his work.

“I feel incredibly empowered every day at Keeley. I am given the opportunity to manage projects how our teams see fit and the growth of our Civil Energy Group gives us the ability to take on more challenges and roles. The opportunities for growth, experience, and success are endless.”

Dave initially entered the finance industry after college, but shortly into his career, he made the switch to construction. It may seem like an odd transition, but a lot of the principles and commonalities that he learned in the finance industry transferred well to construction. He is grateful he made the decision to join construction as he loves being able to complete the most difficult and challenging projects while being able to see the final product come to life. Civil Energy construction may not be the sexiest construction, but there is something about getting to see his work every day and having the pride to say “we did that” that keeps him coming back for more. 2021 was a tremendous year for construction and Dave is excited for the growth and opportunity that is yet to come at Keeley. The need for Energy & Infrastructure construction is growing and keeps the team excited for the future. Dave wants to encourage those thinking about a career in construction to dive in headfirst, so if he could give one piece of advice, it would be:

“Be open minded, spend time in the field to understand the work we do, and keep learning!”

Since joining Keeley, Dave has fully embraced the culture and found his passions. He feels lucky to work at a company that has a leadership team that genuinely cares about maintaining the family culture as we grow across the country. Keeley is guided by our core values – PRIDE – and Dave has seen just how important the People are. Our CEO, Rusty Keeley, says, “if you get the people right, the results will follow,” and our people in the field and in the office are the reason for our success. We are always looking for amazing talent to join our family and Dave knows that he has found his career destination.

“Keeley is one of the fastest growing companies in the area. The culture is a fun, hardworking atmosphere with results driven Keeley’ns that enjoy the work we produce and have the integrity to do it 100% of the time. We all work hard but enjoy having fun with each other and family…plus we have Larry!”

Dave, thank you for your leadership in our Civil Energy Group. You have helped grow this team to new heights and we can’t wait to see all you accomplish in the future!