Making the Change
By Dan Dawes, Executive Vice President of Bohannon Development Corporation
I’ve been with Bohannon Development Corporation since 1999. We’re a family-owned business working primarily in the apartment industry to develop, build, and manage apartment communities. Prior to joining the company, I was in banking. Bohannon Development Corporation was actually one of my clients when I worked for the bank, and joining the team seemed like a natural progression for me. I know many people would think it’s crazy to leave the security of a big banking job in favor of a small development company that might not have been as steady, but it was the best choice for me. I’d known the people at Bohannon for a while, I enjoyed working with them, and I was ready for a new challenge. It’s been over 20 years, and I’ve never looked back.
My business card reads “Executive Vice President,” but we’re a small operation, so regardless of the title, everyone does a little bit of everything. It can be crazy depending on where we are in the project cycle, but it’s a satisfying challenge. Every project demands blood, sweat, and tears, but when it’s done and you get to see how all your effort came together, it’s worth it.
In order to make sure every project gets the attention it deserves, everyone on our team needs to be informed in all areas of the industry. Years ago, when we were working on a property in Houston and realized we needed to better understand the air-quality-testing world — and indoor air quality in general — Travis West was a huge help. I am grateful someone gave us Travis’ number. I remember looking at the results of an analysis and having no idea how to pronounce a word or what it was even measuring! Travis offered a wealth of information. He helped us understand what we needed to know to run our company and serve our clients better.
For us, Travis West was a breath of fresh air. He was — and still is! — logical, rational, and could speak in terms that made sense to someone not well-versed in indoor air quality (IAQ). Later, when we suspected we might have an IAQ problem in our building, we didn’t hesitate to call Building Air Quality. Everything went well, and we were very happy with the results.
I cannot recommend Travis West enough. When you want to do what’s best for you and your company, you need to rely on someone who can educate as well as they can deliver.