Ron Braswell, Jr., Senior Project Manager, Facilities Development
What did you want to be as a kid and how did you ultimately choose your career/job?
Like most kids growing up in a small country town I wanted to become a professional athlete; that wasn’t in the cards. Once I graduated from high school I went straight into the workforce, along with furthering my education with night classes. I met Robby Wood at the Town of Addison (Robby is presently the director of Facilities Development at Texas Health.) I also had the opportunity to work with Robby at Baylor Medical Center in the Engineering Department. Well, as fate would have it, after Robby left Baylor I received a call from Robby asking if I would be interested in a position in Facilities Development overseeing construction projects at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. I applied for the position and have been here for 21 years, so you see, ultimately, I can’t say I chose my career, it chose me.
What is a typical workday like?
A typical work day for me at the Texas Health Frisco project is like juggling 20 bowling balls in the air at one time. It starts off by checking e-mails and approving capital purchasing requests. I then walk the project, meet with the contractor to address any issues/challenges, check how the budget is tracking, coordinate meetings with the architects and contractor group, do a second e-mail check, and contact other Texas Health departments and coordinate their needs within the project. I finish the day by checking with the team on how I can help them be successful, which in turn makes the overall project a success.
What is the biggest challenge of your work?
The biggest challenge is pleasing everyone. Being a senior project manager for Texas Health, I manage under the team concept; each person plays a critical role in the success of a project. Please understand, there are many moving parts in a project. It’s my job to make sure I keep the entire project moving forward, on schedule and within budget. It’s a challenge working through the needs versus the wants. Sometimes you have to say no to the wants and concentrate on the needs, and that doesn’t always please everyone.
What do you like most about being an employee at Texas Health?
Knowing I’m working for a company that cares for its employees along with the culture of family.
What do you do when you’re not at work?
I spend time with my family and enjoy my time serving in my local church, First Melissa. We support a widow’s ministry by doing odd jobs around their home. I also love to fish, hunt and hack a golf ball when I have time.
