John A. Garrafa Email & Phone Number

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Amusingly, after several attempts to permanently 'hang-up my cleats', I seem to have failed at retirement! I’ve come to the very fortunate realization that there are only so many exotic trips to take, rounds of golf to play, and antique automobiles to restore. Consequently, I’ve recalibrated and have set my compass in a new direction – a course tracking towards a more philanthropic and altruistic destination. My vision is a benevolent path forward encompassing volunteerism, centered in our Industry. I’ve reached out to a select group of leading organizations in our Industry to evaluate the level of interest in someone with a background and experience such as mine to function as an advocate and ambassador of good will, to perform various liaison activities with business and community organizations. After many meetings and careful deliberation, I’ve concluded that my time and energy could be best put to productive use by supporting two local entities: the first is the highly esteemed Engineers’ Club of Philadelphia and its Philadelphia Engineering Foundation; and the second is an acclaimed technical consulting firm – GREYHAWK North America, LLC.GREYHAWK is a recognized leading edge construction consulting firm which provides state-of-the-art services including Program, Project and Construction Management, Owner’s Representation, CPM Scheduling and Schedule Management, Construction Claims Analysis, Mediation, Arbitration and Litigation Support.The prestigious Engineers’ Club of Philadelphia is the country’s oldest Engineering Society established in 1876. The Philadelphia Engineering Foundation is the charitable arm of the Engineers’ Club, designated as a 501(c)3. Its charter includes dispensing financial assistance and scholarships to deserving young men and women pursuing an education and careers in engineering.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Independent Consulting - Professional Business Development / Project & Construction ManagementProvided independent consulting services encompassing business development, marketing, proposal development and related marketing support services for construction management, CPM scheduling, dispute resolution, claims analysis, litigation support and innovative project development services.Business Developer with extensive experience providing professional engineering and construction services to firms specializing in the “built environment”. Proficient consultative selling and relationship building competencies with excellent oral and written communication skills, and a proven track record of results and success. Seasoned expertise in key functions important to effectively promote and sell professional services associated with sophisticated commercial, industrial, institutional, pharmaceutical and energy facilities including: Leads Generation Proposal Development Client Presentations Contract Negotiation Experienced in Strategic, Business, and Operational Plan Development  Extensive Marketing / Market Research and Analysis Experience Adept at Organizing, Planning, Implementation and Execution Refined Analytical and Strategic Thinking CapabilitiesResults oriented with a sensitivity to P&L. High energy level with a personal commitment to integrity and achievement. Polished business acumen and demonstrated leadership capabilities focused on today’s competitive business environment.

Mullica Hill, New Jersey

Directed business development for the complete suite of construction consulting services offered by Envision Consultants including CPM Scheduling, Cost Estimating, Construction Claims Analysis, Document Control, Public/Community Outreach, and Primavera Training services.

Philade;Lphia, Pennsylvania

Served as Senior Business Development Manager in the Philadelphia Office covering the Mid-Atlantic region. Responsible for new business development for project and construction management services provided by Hill International for commercial, industrial, governmental, educational, transportation and water/wastewater facilities throughout the region.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Served as regional Business Development Manager for the Mid-Atlantic, New England, and Great Lakes regions of the US. Responsible for new business development for the full array of professional consulting services offered by Trauner Consulting Services including construction dispute resolution, claims analysis, litigation support, surety evaluation and completion, construction management, CPM scheduling, research, training, and innovative project development services.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Managed business development for the Construction Division including new construction, major upgrades and retrofit projects. Developed business relationships and bidding opportunities for mechanical construction projects throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware service territories. Close interactions with the region’s leading Construction Managers, Architects, and Engineers serving Owners, Developers and Property Managers.Identified approximately $200 million of mechanical construction bidding opportunities annually, translating into a 15%-18% win ratio or approximately $30+ million annual project awards. Conducted detailed Market Analysis for the service territories and identified expanding markets. Efforts shifted corporate direction resulting in increased market share in pharmaceutical work from less than 10% to 20% of workload. Spearheaded the annual corporate “Measure the Mission” evaluation and analysis – key to Strategic Planning. Initiated a comprehensive survey to evaluate performance among current clients, past clients, vendors, and suppliers. Results, based on a 70% response rate, guided operational improvements leading to increased revenues and profits.

Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Elected as full time chief executive officer of the respected 900 member organization. In Charge of 10 member staff and responsible for managing the day-to-day operations including P&L, strategic planning, business / membership development, legislative affairs and other Chamber functions and activities in support of members’ business needs.Implemented formal policies and procedures to improve operations and cash flow via more efficient management of accounts receivables and collections. Efforts resulted in strengthening the financial position of the Chamber. Originated the “Membership Survey” to better understand constituents’ business concerns and interests. Resulting in the development of targeted programs and activities to more effectively serve and benefit member businesses.Instituted the “Board Retreat” which transitioned the group from essentially a ceremonial Board to a more hands-on working Board with specific goals and objectives – revitalizing the organization and its commitment to the mission. Directed the strategic planning efforts of the Chamber utilizing the findings of the Membership Survey and Board Retreat, which resulted in increased membership and greater participation in Chamber programs and events.

Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Managed a staff of 12 skilled professionals that produced sophisticated proposals and tailored qualifications packages, including government SF 254 and SF 255 submittals, in response to formal RFP’s and RFQ’s. Duties included marketing, business development, technical and commercial proposal development, presentations, marketing budget control, strategic and operational business planning and other marketing / business development support activities. Produced and submitted approximately 400 proposal / qualification documents annually, representing close to 2 million billable man-hours of engineering and construction management services, consistently achieving a 20% or greater win ratio on proposals submitted. Coordinated and supervised all of the marketing and proposal efforts of two large full service offices: the Cherry Hill office with approximately 2,000 employees; and the New York office with about 800 employees. Targeted assigned clients in the Utility, Industrial, Process, Pharmaceutical and Transportation industries in the northeast and along the eastern seaboard from New York to Florida.

Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Implemented computerized and fully automated project management control systems to manage major engineering and construction projects. Assigned to various projects during all phases of the work including: from preliminary engineering, and detailed engineering and design; to construction, and final systems start-up and testing. Served as Lead Project Planning and Scheduling Engineer directly in charge of overseeing all project planning activities including the development of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Responsible for the application of computerized state-of-the-art project planning and control techniques to manage complex multimillion-dollar construction projects. These techniques included a working knowledge of computer system operations, critical path method (CPM) scheduling analysis, and resource allocation and manpower levelizing methods.Selected to participate in an advanced pioneering effort as part of an elite task force to develop a sophisticated “in-house” project planning and control program to manage engineering and construction projects. This effort was successful in incorporating an “integrated management system approach”, a concept well ahead of its time in the mid-1970’s. Integrated management system approach, commonplace in the industry today, was a precursor to today’s PC based project management programs such as Primavera P6, SureTrak and Expedition developed by Primavera Systems, Inc. Our efforts, in developing this customized in-house hybrid program, resulted in reducing operating expenses by approximately $200,000 per year by eliminating expensive user fees for the proprietary system in use at the time.

Willow Grove, Pennsylvania

Reserve status: various Naval Air Bases and Facilities within the United States and overseas.EDUCATIONB.S. Construction Management 1975Spring Garden CollegeA.S. Engineering Technology 1967Spring Garden Institute