On January 26th, the Arizona Builders Alliance (ABA) installed Suntec Concrete President and CEO Derek Wright as Board Chair for 2023. In his role, Wright will facilitate discussions with the board of directors, utilize their direction and support to ensure consensus on industry issues and challenges, and help the organization achieve success in 2023.
“Derek Wright is a difference maker and his thoughtful leadership in our industry has been valuable to the tremendous growth in the Arizona market,” ABA President Tom Dunn said. “His tenure will focus on highlighting the influence the commercial construction industry has on impacting Arizona’s economy and shaping the future of our state.”
Wright has been active in the ABA for 11 years, serving on a variety of committees during his time in the organization. He joined the ABA Board of Directors in 2017 and had a major role in the formation of the Workforce Labor Committee, which he led.
Wright has served in a variety of roles during his 33 years at Suntec, the past nine years as President. During his time leading the firm, Suntec has gone from 700 employees and one office to 2,000 employees across three offices (Phoenix, Denver and Salt Lake City) and more than $700 million in annual revenue. Wright’s tenure as Suntec leadership included the recession of 2009-2010 and part of his focus as ABA Chairman is to ensure ABA members are well-equipped with the tools necessary to weather any challenges that the industry faces.
“The biggest challenges ahead for ABA members will be the changing economy and how we adapt and change as companies and as the ABA,” said Wright. “To prepare for that, we’ll need to look at the offerings the ABA provides to our members and the things they will need as we head into that during the year.”
Wright said the ABA learned a lot during the 2022 election cycle as candidates for state and federal offices met with the ABA board to share their platforms, agendas and ideas. Wright added that he, “looks forward to continuing that dialogue with our legislators as we are in a non-election year and continuing to have ABA be an influential body in the state.”
In addition to naming Wright as the new Chairman, the ABA announced new members of its Board of Directors. Joining the ABA board in 2023 are Brian Brown, Regional Executive at Kitchell; Tucker Macon, Project Director for Sundt Construction; JV Nyman, President of Concord General Contracting; Eric Pach, Insurance Broker for INSURICA SW; Katie Perry, Executive Vice President at Haydon Building Corp.; Keith Sabia, Public Sector Partner at Willmeng Construction; and the new Young Builders Council Board Chair, Julia Staten, Project Manager for Hensel Phelps. The Southern Arizona Board Chair for 2023 is Jamie Olding, Owner of Building Excellence.
Wright joined Suntec in 1990 as a carpenter and was promoted through various roles in the company. Over the next few years, Wright’s role expanded, becoming Vice President and Managing Partner in 1996. He steadily rose through the ranks of leadership, becoming President in 2014. Under Wright’s leadership, Suntec has grown into a Top 5 concrete specialty contractor in the nation and ENR’s No. 1 Specialty Contractor in the Southwest.
