EMJ’s people are the building blocks of the company. Their personalities, skills and past experiences are large parts of what make the company great. We are proud of each member of the team and enjoy sharing their stories.
Clifton Eddington, Director of Preconstruction at EMJ’s Dallas office, had various mentors growing up. From his grandfather to his position coach while playing Cornerback at Texas Tech University, role models guided his path to a successful construction career. But until joining EMJ, Clifton had never experienced mentoring in a professional setting.
When Clifton began at EMJ as a Senior Preconstruction Manager in 2013, Ben Milner, Senior Vice President of Preconstruction, and Keith Starkes, Director of Construction, filled that void.
“[Ben and Keith] didn’t allow me to rest on my prior knowledge; they constantly challenged and probed me to grow in other areas,” Clifton recalls. “Whether they pushed me to dig deeper, think more intricately, or be more client-focused, they constantly invested in my growth.”
Their investment was soon repaid as Clifton began mentoring those around him and serving as a leader to his preconstruction team. This year, he was promoted to his current role, Director of Preconstruction, a position that he finds both rewarding and humbling.
“One of my main focuses when I was beginning in the industry was learning and growing, and now I’m able to take a larger role in ensuring that others develop as I did by taking what I’ve learned and passing it down,” Clifton says. “My responsibility is to provide my team with the tools they need to be successful.”
Some of these tools include independent development activities as well as team collaboration, which he makes an effort to do weekly with his team members, though he finds that teaching by doing is most effective in this industry.
In addition to his responsibilities at work, Clifton takes great pride in his family, citing it as his greatest accomplishment in life.
“Since marrying my wife as a junior in college, I’ve performed self-evaluations and five-year projections for myself and my family,” Clifton says. “That made me very aggressive in my professional career because I knew where we wanted to be, and personal responsibility is the only way to get there.”
His experience setting and tracking goals through his personal growth plans enables him to mentor his team daily and encourage them to do the same in their personal and professional lives.
“EMJ promotes not just a professional mentorship, but personal, too,” Clifton says, reflecting on his time with the company. “When you have someone who believes in your growth, you can’t help but let it filter into your personal life.”
Clifton’s commitment to his personal and professional growth, along with the time he invests in mentoring his project team, reflect the values of the EMJ family of companies, and his unique journey through the construction industry makes him an invaluable member of our team.
Learn more about our EMJ team and how to become a part of it here.