FTBA Emerging Leaders Academy

FTBA emerging leaders academy

Program & Mission

FTBA’s Emerging Leaders Academy (FELA) is a program created for next-generation heavy, highway, and bridge construction industry leaders. This program is available as a membership service for FTBA member companies. FELA provides member companies the opportunity to engage individuals within their organization who are the next generation of leaders or individuals who exhibit the potential to become leaders, specifically executive-level leadership, with other like-minded individuals. This program will expose these participants to industry-specific knowledge from technical skills to soft skills.

Our mission is to ensure that individuals who demonstrate leadership have opportunities to expand their industry networks and develop as future leaders of heavy, highway and bridge construction industry.
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FELA Classes

Class of 2025

Joel Acevedo, Preferred Materials, Inc.
Eduardo Arazoza Jr., Arazoza Brothers Corporation
Walter DeWet, Cone & Graham, Inc.
Eric Eliason, Southland Construction, Inc.
David Fingler, Highway Safety Devices, Inc.
Adam Harrell, P & S Paving, Inc.
Evan Lawrence, Superior Construction Company Southeast, LLC
Joseph Minich, Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC
Chris Riley, CWR Contracting, Inc.
Christian Rojas, FDOT District 4, Broward Operations
John Toombs, P.E., Hubbard Construction Company
Judith Villegas, Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority
William “Billy” Whidden, FDOT District 1 Manatee Operations
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Class of 2024

Roy Arias, Red Civil
Andres Berisiartu, FDOT
Eric Boor, Cone & Graham, Inc.
Andrew Carter, Concrete Services LLC
Matt Desotell, Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC
Daniel Esgar, PRINCE Contracting, LLC
Ed Hicks, Gator Grading & Paving, LLC
Brian McGarity, Superior Construction Company Southeast, LLC
Justin Oakes, SEMA Construction, Inc.
Dylan Reed, Anderson Columbia Co., Inc.
Rafael Rodriguez, FDOT
Patric Tuuk, The Middlesex Corporation
Jonathon Upfold, Roberts and Roberts, Inc.
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2023 Inaugural Class

Kevin Buchanan, Anderson Columbia Co., Inc.
Jack Burch, Central Florida Expressway Authority
Greg Deese, FDOT
Robby Graham, Cone & Graham, Inc.
Matt Horan, Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC
Alex Lawrence, The de Moya Group, Inc.
Monika Leware Stander, Leware Construction Company of Florida, Inc.
Leigh Lilla, David Nelson Construction Co.
Clay Morris, Halley Engineering Contractors, Inc.
Joaquin Olivella, FDOT
Blake Roberts, Roberts and Roberts, Inc.
Jacob Unger, Preferred Materials, Inc.
Jarred Williford, J. B. Coxwell Contracting, Inc.