An 11-year veteran at San Francisco-based contractor Swinerton will take over as vice president and division manager of its Seattle office, the company announced in a press release shared with Construction Dive.
Nick Vovakes, who joined the company in 2011, was previously an operations manager and has more than 20 years of experience in the industry. His predecessor, Dave Worley, will retire in October after 21 years with the company.
“We will focus on smart, organic growth, so we don’t lose that touch of family atmosphere, but we can branch off into some diversified markets and have a nice portfolio of work,” Vovakes said in the announcement.
In his previous role, Vovakes was instrumental in increasing the contractor’s healthcare footprint and expanding the Seattle office’s existing target markets, the release said.
One project that he recently oversaw is the Seattle Indian Health Board Clinic, a 2,600-square-foot facility which features a pharmacy and spaces for medical examination and procedures. The facility, run by the SIHB, provides nearby affordable housing units with medical, dental and behavioral health services.
Swinerton is also a leader in pursuing mass timber construction, so Vovakes will continue that with work on projects like the Heartwood workforce housing development, which is using cross-laminated timber. The project will house 126 studio and one-bedroom apartments, ranging from 324 square feet to 488 square feet. Swinerton claims it will be one of Washington’s tallest CLT buildings when complete.
