A Lifetime of Building Relationships
If you ask Dave Alexander what he’s most proud of from nearly 50 years in construction, don’t expect him to start listing projects, awards, or job titles. He’ll probably start talking about people.
Born in Roseburg, Oregon, Dave Alexander is a lifelong Oregonian who grew up in the small town of Winston. Like many people raised in rural communities, he attended school with many of the same classmates from first grade through high school graduation. Active in sports, Dave played baseball, basketball, and football, and enjoyed both the academic and social aspects of school, developing friendships that would last a lifetime.
Construction was a constant presence in Dave’s childhood. Raised in a blue-collar family, he was surrounded by tradespeople: his father was a plumber, his brother an electrician, and his brother-in-law a carpenter. He grew up in houses his father built and learned at an early age how to use tools and work with his hands. Although athletics occupied much of his time, he spent high school summers hauling hay with friends, earning a penny per bale and learning the value of hard work.
Football played a role in Dave’s early years. Recruited by some Division 2 and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletic (NAIA) schools, he ultimately chose Clackamas Community College. Realizing that college football was not as fun as high school, he shifted his focus to academics. After attending Umpqua Community College for a year, he transferred to Oregon State University.
At Oregon State, Dave initially enrolled in electrical engineering but soon discovered the curriculum was not a good fit. He moved into civil engineering and eventually into civil engineering technology, which later evolved into the university’s Construction Engineering Management program. In fact, Dave was a member of the final graduating class of the civil engineering technology program.
OSU was a natural choice. His brother had attended, many of his friends were enrolled there, and it offered strong engineering programs. While at Oregon State, Dave joined a fraternity despite knowing little about Greek life. He credits the experience as an important contributor to both his academic and social success. The fraternity provided lifelong friendships, a strong support network, and plenty of late-night study partners within the engineering program.
During many summers, Dave worked at Roseburg Lumber. The work was demanding and occasionally dangerous, but it provided valuable experience and funded much of his college education.
Just before his final year at Oregon State, one of his fraternity brothers arranged a blind date with Kara Kemple, who directed Oregon State’s summer orientation program. With little happening in Corvallis during the summer months, the two spent considerable time together and quickly formed a strong connection. That same summer, Dave began working for L.D. Mattson, a general contractor specializing in commercial and public works projects in northwest Oregon, as an intern.
After graduating from Oregon State in 1979, Dave launched a career spanning nearly five decades in the construction industry. He initially worked for Cascade Construction Company out of college, gaining experience in estimating, bidding, and project management. Cascade Construction was a great company with very knowledgeable people who worked and played hard. Following Cascade, a significant portion of his professional life was spent with Lakeside Industries, where he remained for more than 30 years.
Dave has truly enjoyed being able to complete his career at Brix Paving Northwest, an asphalt paving, concrete, and excavation contractor where he has worked for the past six years. Brix Paving has some of the same characteristics as Cascade Construction: very hard-working and knowledgeable people who care about each other, their clients, and their workmanship.
Meanwhile, Kara completed her degree at Oregon State and briefly returned home to Bend before accepting a teaching position in Molalla. Dave and Kara married in 1983. In a fitting reflection of Dave’s construction roots, one of his fraternity brothers was pouring the foundation for their first home in Tualatin on the very day they were married. Interest rates were high, and the house was modest, but it quickly became home. Kara later taught home economics at Tigard High School, where she developed an Early Childhood Education program and served as the cheerleader coach and senior class advisor.
Together, Dave and Kara raised three children, Kyle, Joslin, and Andrea. Dave was active in their lives, coaching youth sports and supporting their activities. All three children attended Oregon State and participated in Greek life, continuing a family connection to the university that has spanned generations. Today, Dave and Kara are also proud grandparents to four grandchildren, and they enjoy spending time with their growing family whenever possible.
Dave’s involvement with the Associated General Contractors began as a member of the student chapter at Oregon State. Over the years, he became deeply involved in chapter leadership and governance. He served in the Highway, Heavy, and Utility Contractors Council. He also chaired the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program and Construct by Contract committee, served on the Finance Committee, and joined the chapter’s Board of Directors. In 2007, he served as chapter president and later became an AGC of America Life Governor. Dave was also active in labor relations, serving as a trustee on the operator and labor union trusts. Dave won the Ross B. Hammond Award in 2015 and the Rick VanCleave Labor Relations Award in 2019. He was also awarded the Bill McNutt award in 1999. Beyond AGC, Dave has also been active with the Asphalt Pavement Association of Oregon and served on the OSU School of Civil and Construction Engineering (CCE) Industry Advisory Board (IAB) for many years.
When reflecting on his career, Dave points not to specific projects but to the relationships he has built throughout the industry. Through AGC and his professional work, he traveled with fellow industry leaders, met local and national policymakers, and he and Kara have developed friendships that have endured for decades. He encouraged those he managed and mentored to give more than the minimum and emphasized honesty, fairness, and trust in every business relationship.
Dave approaches projects as partnerships. He believes that when all parties treat one another fairly and earn each other’s trust, challenges can be resolved collaboratively and successfully. That philosophy guides both his professional life and his involvement in industry organizations.
The friendships Dave formed during his years at Oregon State remain strong today. He continues to travel, hunt, and fish with lifelong friends and their families, maintaining connections that have lasted for decades. Throughout his career, he has worked to foster the same sense of camaraderie among colleagues, employees, and industry peers.
For Dave, the most rewarding part of life has never been the titles, projects, or accomplishments. It has been the people. The relationships built over a lifetime, and the experiences shared with family and friends, are what matter most. Those connections have shaped his career, enriched his life, and remained the foundation of his legacy.