Employee Spotlight
Andrew Shipman, CCM, LEED AP, Sr. Project Manager
Andrew Shipman, CCM, LEED AP is a Senior Project Manager with AFG Group, Inc., leading the on-site team for the new U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Headquarters Build-out Project in Arlington, VA. He has over 30 years of experience in the industry and has served as Senior Project Manager on two GSA projects that have won Project of the Year Awards from the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA). Andrew recently celebrated 15 years with AFG, and to mark the occasion we decided to ask him a few questions about his career and favorite projects.
Congratulations on 15 years with AFG! How did you come to work with us?
AFG has been good to me over the years. I was actually with ANADAC Facilities Group for five years in the late 80s and early 90s, which was the predecessor to AFG.
How did you become interested in Construction Management?
Growing up my mother was an Architectural Planner, and we would play with her drafting tools. The Tee Square, French Curve, fancy mechanical pencils, and space planning templates all sparked my interest from a young age.
As I got into Construction Management, I found that I like it because it’s always changing. There’s a lot of variability in every project.
What has been your favorite project?
My favorite was absolutely the project for Heating Operations and Transmission District (HOTD) Phase 1 and 2. It was very challenging, and also most rewarding project. We were working with a great client with the GSA, great contractors, and an great AFG Team. During the project we managed the steam utility replacements and installations to 21 different government and non-government buildings in downtown Washington, DC. The work involved new piping, with direct bury all the way back to manholes, and some significant interior work as well.
It was an interesting project not only because every building we worked on was different, but also because all the utilities in DC are already underground. Working outward from the central utilities is like moving from the trunk of a tree out to the branches. Steam and condensate lines, water, electricity, sewer- everything is buried together in DC, which made it very challenging for our team, because certain utilities could not be moved and had to be worked around entirely.
Winning the CMAA regional and national Project of the Year awards for HOTD has definitely been a high point in my career.
Outside of your work, where can we find you?
I like swimming, traveling, motorcycles and minibikes. I like to get out of town and visit different sites, as well as some international travel as well.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out in AEC?
Start developing relationships with the people you’re working with early and maintain them. Don’t burn bridges. I am regularly in meetings with people I’ve worked with and known for 30 years, both clients and coworkers.
CMAA is a great organization to get involved with for meeting people and networking. I especially like doing chapter site tours, because they give you exposure to a lot of varied projects.
