John Almond – The Man Who Built Austin’s Largest Airport

If you are a native of Austin, Texas, it is very likely that you have heard of the name of John Almond. His name rose to fame shortly before the turn of the millennium when the construction of the Austin Bergstrom International Airport, which was then the city’s largest public works project to date, got under way.

Almond was the new airport project director of the highly successful construction project. In fact, he has earned numerous accolades for his work from all over the city, even before the completion of the construction. Among the notable people who sang his praises was Austin City Mayor Kirk Watson, who was very proud to give Almond “a very high grade” for the overwhelming success of every aspect of the venture.

An Attitude Built for Success

The people who worked with and under Almond have nothing but good things to say about his work attitude and his leadership abilities. Most notable is his calmness in the face of even the most drastic situations. Almond remained unfazed by the difficult challenges that typically besiege such massive projects. Never once did his employees see him lose his temper or get into a nasty confrontation.

With his steady attitude and wise decision-making, Almond was able to keep setbacks to a minimum. Indeed, for the size of the project, it surprisingly had only a few major problems, which was due in most part to the stellar quality of leadership displayed by its director.

A Humble Nature

When he hears such praises though, Almond would automatically try to deflect credit, directing his attention and gratitude to his workers and all the other people who have contributed to the success of the airport construction. Instead of basking in the compliments, Almond prefers to take time in acknowledging his employees for a job well done, no matter how minor the accomplishment.

He feels that his daily rounds on the construction site are the most important part of his day, not only to check the progress of the project but also to encourage his employees to keep working well and to help them if they are having issues. He truly appreciates the hard work that everyone has done in pitching in towards the success of the project.

In his rich and fulfilling career as a civil engineer, there is no doubt that the $690M Austin Bergstrom International Airport is one of Almond’s biggest accomplishments.