Q&A with Kris Upson
Understanding his background and work building K-12 facilities
What inspired you to make the transition from the owner’s side to the construction side?
I was motivated to transition to construction management because I have a deep passion for the school construction and renovation process. I learned quite a bit during my time as an owner and decided I wanted to spend the second half of my career exclusively working with school districts to provide an excellent construction experience.
How has your experience as a Executive Director of Operations shaped your approach to your current role?
80% of the total cost of ownership of a facility is incurred after the facility is built. My time spent maintaining school facilities made this fact very clear to me and changed the way I view capital expenditures. In my current role, I enjoy teaching and informing school professionals about what it takes to maintain different aspects of their facilities. School districts have finite (and often fluctuating year-to-year) resources, and great school facilities should be relatively easy to maintain.
In what ways do you help school districts feel more informed and empowered throughout the construction process?
I enjoy teaching school districts about the construction process from beginning to end, particularly the preconstruction phase. In the preconstruction phase, I like to encourage owners to dream big—dream bigger than your budget. There is rarely enough budget for all the needs of a school district, but all too often I see districts limiting themselves too early in the process. The preconstruction process is all about making choices and trade-offs and tinkering with the scope of your project to get as many of your priorities addressed as possible.
What advice would you give school districts about balancing construction costs with the need for long-term durability and efficiency?
Balancing construction costs with long-term durability and efficiency is a critical exercise for all owners—particularly school districts. The expected life of all construction components needs to be considered when deciding on materials, equipment, and construction types. One piece of advice I have for school districts in a design process is to ask for lifecycle costs and life expectancy for all proposed project components. This data will be very informative and help start a conversation with your designer and construction manager about what kinds of options you actually have.
What are the three most important factors in a successful bond construction process?
The three most important factors are gaining community support for your projects, designing your projects to optimize your funds and scope, and then delivering on the promise to the voters.
