A thoughtful and adaptive leader, Dave Barr believes effective leadership depends on understanding people and situations — knowing when to guide, when to listen and when to empower others to find their own way.

With more than 30 years in the architecture, engineering and construction industry, Dave Barr brings deep knowledge in mission-critical facilities and infrastructure systems for military and industrial projects. Since joining Burns & McDonnell in 2010, he has provided strategic guidance to the Aviation & Federal Group and played a pivotal role in growing and evolving the firm’s federal business. His leadership combines technical insight with a collaborative approach, fostering strong relationships and driving innovation across programs.

In the community:

I have been tremendously blessed with a supportive and healthy family, living in a safe and vibrant community, and enjoying a very satisfying career. I try to support organizations that help others enjoy those same benefits, including:

• Jackson County Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), former board member
• Kansas City Friends of the Zoo, former board member
• Catholic Charities
• South Dakota State University College of Engineering

What inspired you to pursue your career?

I always liked exploring and learning how things worked and really enjoyed math in school — that led me to engineering. As my career progressed in consulting, I really enjoyed solving problems and learning how various industries operate from a business perspective, which led me to project management and ultimately leading various market sectors.

What’s the coolest part of your job?

I get to see and hear how our teams solved problems or provided exceptional service to our clients. Knowing that we make a difference in supporting key military, government and aviation programs that benefit society is extremely rewarding.

How do you and your team make the world a better place?

We support the country’s security and peacekeeping goals and the warfighters who serve us all by delivering key operations facilities and supporting infrastructure to our Department of Defense, Department of Energy and other key federal agency clients. We also support the safety and lifestyles of the public through our delivery of modern facilities for our airport and airline clients.

What excites you most when you look at the future of infrastructure and the construction industry?

We are embarking on significant technological advancements through AI, automation, robotics and other tools that will improve the speed, quality and safety of delivering design and construction for our clients.