Todd Ahern

Early in my career I learned to always be honest and upfront even when the news isn’t favorable. I value a strong moral foundation. You can always teach X’s and O’s, but you can’t teach character.

My greatest teachers are my parents: my mom was an elementary school teacher and my dad was a career Air Force man. From them, I learned the importance of hard work, honesty and treating everyone with respect.

With a father in the Air Force, my family moved around a lot, so I learned to get along with different people from all walks of life. Maryland, Alaska, D.C., Texas, Virginia, New Jersey, Alabama, California, Oregon. Those experiences afforded me an education on people and my strongest life lessons.

Truebeck has some of the most talented, driven industry professionals who amaze me every day with their intelligence and tenacity.

As an estimator, I help projects live up to their full potential. I get to work with brilliant clients, architects, engineers and colleagues every day to help maximize a budget and overall possibilities for any given project.

We have the unique opportunity to work in the world’s technological epicenter, building for companies who create environments unique to their employees and customers, all while designing and constructing in a highly active seismic zone. I love the complexity and challenges with all of it.

The toughest part of my career happens to also be the most enjoyable for me: working with many unique personalities and understanding their goals throughout the course of a project. I love to collaborate and bring energy to my teams. I like to leave folks smiling after interacting.

My advice to Truebeck’s newest engineers is to work hard, work smart, and learn as much as you can. The sense of accomplishment you’ll feel in finding your own solutions will carry you through the difficulty in getting there.

I appreciate a hard-working and positive team atmosphere, a workplace where people pick each other up. Truebeck’s culture is progressive and innovative, we have a lot of energy and a lot of fun.

Life is about balance. Too much of one thing or another simply knocks us out of harmony.

The biggest opportunity for Truebeck is the growth of the overall construction industry, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, and our expansion into other emergent regions.

I like to seize every day possible with my wife and young kids. We’re very active – riding bikes, hiking, swimming, and many sports. The joy they bring me is immeasurable.