Employee Spotlight: Jeff Stafford

Jeff joined the O’Brien team in 2020, and over the 3.5 years I’ve known and worked with him, I’ve found him to be honest, thoughtful, and to have a straightforward no-nonsense approach to his work.  I’m proud to call him my friend and to have him represent O’Brien on our projects.

When Jeff commits himself to something he sees it through.  He takes trust seriously, and always keeps his word.  Jeff’s organizational skills and ability to create workable schedules help us meet deadlines and stay ahead of issues, and his always calm demeanor and communication skills are a key trait that help him manage projects smoothly.

Jeff takes an intellectual approach to planning and building projects; from collaborating with the design team on applying best practices and constructibility, to solving complex issues with our subcontractor partners for a great final product.  Jeff refuses to compromise quality or safety and uses his depth of knowledge and steady hand to deliver great results that all of us at O’Brien can be proud of.

I hope to have the opportunity to continue working alongside Jeff for many years to come.  His commitment to excellence and willingness to mentor others leaves no doubt that he will remain an influential and essential part of the O’Brien team.

-Interview with Hank Smith, Valley Area Manager

Q&A with Jeff

I grew up in this industry. I started out when I was pretty young. My dad was a concrete finisher when I was a kid, before I was born. When I got to be around 10, 11, 12 years old he would take me to work with him sometimes. If it was on the weekend he would take me, and I’d help him. I mean, my dad is my hero. So, you know, being around my dad and doing the same thing my dad does, that was always good. Still enjoy being around him.

Probably the complexity of my job. There was a couple of years I tried to get away from it, and there was a person in my life that helped change my perspective. She said that I have a knack for dealing with people and problem solving, so this is a career that would entertain those. But ultimately the dynamic between personalities, motivating people, helping people find solutions, bringing something from nothing to completion. I don’t think there’s any one thing to it. It’s kind of all encompassing.


The complexity of a construction project is the human beings involved in it, and it ranges everywhere from the labor on site to the engineer who designed the structural frame. So, the human component is probably the most fascinating and the most engaging and the most challenging of course.

I was tasked with doing a tenant improvement, and it was turning a grocery store into an LA Fitness. So, it’s a 60,000 square foot grocery store, fully functioning. Still had all of the coolers and freezers and casework and shelving intact. The owners went bankrupt and walked away from the place. In fact, if you went up into the office area, you’d find paper still on the desk and computers still there. There was still non-perishable food on the shelves, and the floral department still had ribbon and paper and all that stuff.

I started the project in November. I had to tear off the entire roof and rebuild it, and the whole front of the store which was all storefront. Had to tear it off and build a new brick wall in the front and do the LA Fitness façade. It was a challenge. It took me 9 months to do it by the time I was done with the punch list and walked away from it. But it was phenomenal.

I’m in the Valley at our Dundee location. Chris Mallett brought me on my last year at Allegis. I was doing the Mox Boarding House in Portland. On his first visit he asked me if I was interested in leaving and working for O’Brien, and I said I didn’t have any reason to. When I was finishing the project, it turned out they were considering closing the Portland Division. The main office is in Seattle, and I have no desire to live in Seattle. So, I interviewed with Keeley and Hank and Chris Mallet, they made me an offer, and I accepted. The Valley is what I interviewed for, coming out to wine country to do wineries, and tasting rooms and stuff like that. And here I am, going on 4 years now.

One of my favorite spots to visit would be Mox Boarding House in Portland. That’s the last project I did with my previous company. It’s a great place. It’s fun, it’s relaxing, it’s kind of a gaming parlor/restaurant/bar type thing. They have a retail section, and you can buy pretty much any board game, card game, miniatures like from Warhammer, stuff like that. And they usually hold tournaments there. You can seat probably 100 people in there.

The other place that I enjoy going is the Coast. I love the ocean. Anywhere on the Coast, I’m not picky as long as it’s close to the water. I enjoy it; I’m happy.

Don’t take anything for granted. Don’t assume because your title is superintendent, that you are only going to do Superintendent duties. Don’t assume because your title is project manager that you’re only going to do project management duties. There’s something this company has taught me: blur the line. I’ve probably learned more in four years with this company than I have in the last dozen easily.

So far this year I’m making a little more progress on a project, so that’s good in terms of stress relief. My better half got a promotion at work, so she’s making a little more money, so that’s good.

Keep an open mind. Appreciate the opportunity to be here. Regardless of all the headaches and the growing pains, I appreciate what I’ve learned since I’ve been here. There are some relationships that have developed here that I’m very grateful for. There are some good people in this company that really make a difference.