ABES is pleased to welcome civil engineer Brett Dunagan to its growing team.
Dunagan joins our team during a dynamic period of development and expansion. “I really see a lot of potential for growth,” he says. “Emmanuel (CEO Emmanuel Tuombe) is very strategic about the work he’s taking on and the trajectory of the company. It’s exciting to be a part of it.”
Joining ABES Engineering brings Dunagan full circle, working again with Brad Davis, ABES Engineering Manager. Dunagan worked alongside Davis in his first civil engineering job at SSR. He was recruited to that position by high school classmate Mike Clay, formerly a civil engineer with ABES. Davis and Dunagan were also classmates at the University of Memphis.
Dunagan honed his engineering skills with SSR for 12 ½ years before being recruited by Clay to join the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After three years there, he was recruited to MS Consultants.
He learned about ABES while at MS and through his relationships with Davis and Clay. He liked what he saw, but admits he was surprised when he received a call from Tuombe with an offer. “He was really blunt. He said ‘Brad and I have been talking and we want to hire you.’ ”
The three men had lunch together where Davis and Tuombe shared their vision for ABES, a vision of making their community stronger through their engineering work. “That one lunch made me step back,” Dunagan says. “I just liked what they said. I liked the type of business they do. Their business structure. Their culture. I could really tell how well the two of them complimented each other.”
Dunagan says he was especially struck by the focus on using engineering to better communities. That’s not something often heard at engineering firms, he says. “That’s refreshing,” he says. “To make it a business focus, honestly that’s not something I’ve ever heard.”
By the second lunch, Dunagan had decided to take the offer. In his position with ABES, he will serve as technical lead on hydrologic and hydraulic projects and work alongside ABES engineer Curtis Thompson on civil site projects.
Davis says having Dunagan join the ABES team bodes well for the future. “I’ve known Brett for a long time and not only is he a talented engineer, but he’s also just a great guy. He’s the best combination of technical competency, solid communication skills and a laid-back personality. He’s an absolutely perfect fit for ABES.”
Dunagan says at large engineering companies, individual civil engineers don’t often have a lot of input on how things are done, how to make things more efficient or effective. He’s looking forward to having more of that control in his new position. Because ABES is still growing, there is room for new ideas and strategic planning. “I feel I’m going to be able to have an impact on how we do things at ABES … And that’s exciting. It will be fulfilling.”
Dunagan also has plans to grow the H&H team in his new role, and hopes to play a part in the growth of the team’s CEI department as well. “My hope is that I can help us strategically grow,” he says.
Tuombe says the addition of Dunagan to the ABES team is an important step forward in the growth of the company. He brings with him enormous strengths and years of expertise. “We’re extremely excited to have Brett onboard at ABES. We think he’s a perfect fit at a perfect time of growth for ABES,” says Tuombe. “His skills, expertise, talent and passion for the work really set him apart. I’m looking forward to his input as we continue to grow ABES.”
