He was burnt out from his work on construction sites and itching for something new when he decided to move to Calgary as a 20-something-year-old with no real plan. A friend convinced him to attend a university job fair where he met Anthony Ferrise from RJC’s infrastructure group. His construction experience stood out, along with his understanding of engineering principles; he was ultimately hired to join the team. Dustin willingly admits he had no idea at the time what RJC did. But that impulse to take a chance on a new job in a new city would be the start of his long and continuing tenure with the firm.

Today he works as a sort of bridge between RJC’s engineers, owner and contractor clients. Dustin believes having experienced construction professionals like him on the team helps RJC stand out in the industry; they can get more involved during the construction phase of projects than other firms, offering additional supports and services to get them successfully across the finish line. And part of what makes Dustin so successful in this capacity are his interpersonal skills and effective communication style. He understands and gets on easily with the owner clients, the contractors on the job site, as well as the engineers. And he makes ongoing learning a priority.

Dustin earned his P. Tech. designation in 2022; he’s proud of this achievement and understands that everyone at RJC has access to new opportunities when they continue to invest time and energy in themselves and expand their knowledge base. But equally important, he believes, is knowing how to work with other people. He advises new hires that they will quickly get up to speed on all the essential technical knowledge and that it will continue to grow, but learning how to communicate effectively with so many different people with varying perspectives and personal styles will ultimately determine how effective they will be in the job. 

The learning happens when he’s away from the office, too. Though Dustin claims he’s an open book he says his colleagues might be surprised to hear he’s taking piano lessons and learning to skateboard with his children. The latter includes a higher degree of risk than the former—physical risk, at least—so he wears all the protective gear, just in case! He never wants to be stagnant, and his kids will no doubt benefit from modelling his “try anything” approach to life. 

The young professionals at RJC will also benefit from this type of leadership as we look for new opportunities to expand the business. No safety padding required here thankfully.