Jeremy James
Eastern Region VP & DFW General Manager
Jeremy James oversees company operations in the northeastern U.S. & DFW branch, managing assets, and directly supervising teams to ensure operational excellence and financial success.
Led the Eastern region to meet and exceed company objectives in operational efficiency. Successfully managed large-scale disaster recovery operations during Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, and the Polar Vortex by coordinating cross-functional teams, deploying resources to impacted regions, and restoring critical infrastructure with a focus on efficiency, safety, and client satisfaction.
Educational Qualification
Over 14 years in Restoration leadership roles with BMS, with expertise in managing operations and optimizing performance across multiple regions.
Scott McGinnis
Principal for Direct Expansion Solutions (DXS) in North Texas
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Scott McGinnis is the Principal for Direct Expansion Solutions (DXS) in North Texas. For the past 12 years Scott and DXS has been focused solely on promoting VRF technology, specifically the Daikin brand. Scott has spent over 26 years in the HVAC business; working in sales and engineering for multiple manufacturers and sales organizations. Scott is the Chair of ASHRAE Technical Committee 8.7 which is ASHRAE’s knowledge bank for VRF technology. Scott was a member of ASHRAE RP-1712, the committee who oversaw the writing of the Engineering Design Guide for Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems. Scott has also presented at multiple ASHRAE national meetings as well as local meetings across the States. Scott helped design and sell North America’s largest single VRF installation consisting of over 3400 tons which is installed in downtown Dallas.Dallas with his wife Amy, has 3 daughters and 3 grandchildren.
Educational Qualification
Scott holds an HVAC contractor’s license in the State of Texas, is LEED certified and holds an engineering degree from Texas A&M as well as Master’s degree in Business from the Air Force Institute of Technology. Prior to his HVAC career, Scott was a Captain in the US Air Force where he manned Minuteman III ICBM silos followed by being a Project Manager for military defense contracts.
Jim Metropoulos
Founder and CEO of Blue Box
Jim Metropoulos is the Founder and CEO of Blue Box, a pioneering company specializing in optimizing commercial HVAC systems through its patented process for cleaning heat transfer coils. A graduate of UCLA, Jim has over 15 years of experience developing and commercializing technologies aimed at enhancing the performance and efficiency of industrial systems.
Educational Qualification
A graduate of UCLA, Jim has over 15 years of experience developing and commercializing technologies aimed at enhancing the performance and efficiency of industrial systems.
Lead Construction Inspector
Chief Fred Calhoun
Fire Chief/Fire Marshall in Addison
Chief Fred Calhoun began his fire career as a student volunteer with the Stillwater Fire Department at 18 while attending college. He was hired in 1978 as a Public Safety Officer with Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport at age 20. In 1980 he became a professional firefighter/paramedic with the Farmers Branch Fire Dept. Fred returned to his home state of Oklahoma and began a seven-year career with the Broken Arrow Fire Dept and returned to college to obtain a BS in Engineering Fire Protection and Safety from Oklahoma State University. After graduation he was employed by the Oklahoma City Fire Department and began a long career as a Deputy Fire Marshal with the rank of Major. Upon retirement in 2011 he was hired by the Flower Mound Fire Department as the Fire Marshal and then promoted to the rank of Assistant Fire Chief over operations and administration. After retirement from Flower Mound in 2016 he returned to Oklahoma for a short while and came back to Texas to become the Assistant Fire Chief/Fire Marshal in Addison in 2020 and currently serves in that position. He plans to work with the Town of Addison and Firefighters to do everything possible to make sure all our personnel go home safely to their families and live a long & healthy life.
Lt. Mike Parkerson
Lead Construction Inspector
Lt. Parkerson is a lifelong Dallas/Fort Worth resident and a 1989 graduate of the University of North Texas. He joined the Dallas Fire Department in April 2000 and has since built a distinguished career, serving nearly 25 years in total—22 of which have been with the New Construction Division. After spending 15 years in the field as an inspector for construction-related projects, he was promoted to Lieutenant in 2018, a rank he continues to hold.
In his current role, Lt. Parkerson is a key leader of the New Construction Inspection team at DFR. He also provides expert advisory services to contractors, building owners, and maintenance teams across a variety of areas, including fire alarms, fire sprinklers, access control, emergency power systems, and the latest requirements such as ERCES/BDA systems and FARS (firefighter air replenishment systems).
Michael Reed
Division Chief of Prevention
Michael Reed currently holds the role of Division Chief of Prevention (Fire Marshal’s Office). His position supports Assistant Chief Cannaday through technical and specialized tasks such as plan review, fire code enforcement, fire code compliance and interpretation, and arson/fire investigations. He has been in the fire service since 2001. Division Chief Reed holds many certifications in all aspects of the fire service and law enforcement.
Alyssa Garcia
Business Development
Originally from Dodge City, Kansas, Alyssa Garcia brings over 10 years of experience in customer service and customer relationship management to her role at Empire Roofing. She has been with the company for 3 years, starting in the service department before earning a promotion to Business Development.
Outside of work, Alyssa is a proud wife and mother of two daughters. She is also passionate about soccer, both playing and coaching, and loves staying active with her family.
Andrew DeLatorre
Sales/Estimator
Born and raised in Arlington, Texas, Andrew De le Torre is a proud graduate of Texas Christian University (TCU). With over 10 years of experience in sales and estimating, he currently works at Empire Roofing, where he is an integral part of a small yet highly effective sales team that generates approximately $60 million annually.
Outside of work, Andrew is a devoted husband and father of three, cherishing time with his family. When he’s not busy roofing, you can find him fly fishing or on the golf course, enjoying his favorite outdoor hobbies.
Tyler Lea
Lead Project Manager
Born and raised in Mesquite, Texas, Tyler Lea is a fourth-generation roofer with over 10 years of roofing experience, the majority of which has been spent at Empire Roofing. His expertise includes technical field knowledge, material logistics, job site management, scheduling, and both field and office project management. A proud graduate of Baylor University, Tyler combines a solid academic foundation with hands-on industry experience to drive success in every project.
Outside of work, Tyler is a proud husband and dog dad to two pups, always cherishing time with his family.
Randall Downey
Solutions Consultant for Automated Logic Corp.
Randall Downey is a Solutions Consultant for Automated Logic Corporation. In this role, Randall supports authorized ALC dealers and consulting engineers providing industry thought leadership as well as design support for building automation solutions, specifications, and building system sequences. Randall’s significant experience provides invaluable insight into the design and efficient operation of the built environment.
Randall has over 25 years of building automation experience starting as a field technician and growing into leadership positions with multiple organizations. His prior roles include leading engineering teams, as well as project teams to provide project estimation, creation of submittals/shop drawings, programming of controls systems, and implementation of quality assurance processes.
Educational Qualification
His education includes multiple certifications from various controls and HVAC programs, and he is a member of ASHRAE. Randall enjoys music and spending time with his family. He and his wife live in metropolitan Columbus, OH.
Brian Leabo
Director of Engineering
Brian Leabo is a veteran of the United States Air Force where he acquired valuable skills and leadership experience. He has served as the Market Director of Plant Operations, Maintenance, and Safety at Wesley Medical Center for over a decade. He is currently the Director of Engineering at Children’s Medical Center in Plano, Texas. He is responsible for the development, execution, and administration of all engineering responsibilities on a relatively new campus that has recently expanded to 1.8 Million sq. ft. with a staff of 42 employees.
As a Director of Engineering/Facility Management in healthcare, Brian has participated in many different CMS certification/ validation and Accreditation audits and assessments, both from an operational side and as a consultant. He has over 30 years of experience and expertise in Physical Environment/ Environment of Care, Life Safety and is well-versed in CMS, Joint Commission, DNV, CIHQ, and NFPA codes and standards. Brian enjoys educating others on how to make their hospitals safe for patients, staff and visitors while providing a roadmap to survey success.
Ruben Bretado
Asst. Area Director of Engineering & Facilities US
Ruben holds a bachelor’s degree in construction technology/site management and is a former master plumber from the State of California. He also has several certifications, including TCEQ Backflow in Texas, NSPF Aquatic/Pool Manager, and PMP (Project Management Professional). Ruben’s continual growth mindset drives him to learn new things and seek feedback from others. He embraces challenges as opportunities and remains self-motivated when facing setbacks. His leadership style fosters engagement and innovation, helping others achieve their full potential within the Marriott International organization.
In his spare time, Ruben enjoys camping, hiking, running, spending time with family, gardening, and helping people fix things around their homes or businesses. He has been married for 20 years, has two children, and two Australian Shepherds. Besides spending his time doing what he loves, he holds onto three core values: husband, father, and leader.
Brandon K. Shorter
Director of Operations at Hines
Brandon is a Director – Operations at Hines. He has previously served as the Director of Engineering for the Dallas/Fort Worth market, which consists of 3.7 million square feet of office and industrial/logistics product. During his Hines tenure, Brandon completed extensive under-floor air modifications at One Victory Park, while also preparing the building for sale. During this time, he and the One Victory Park team also obtained LEED Gold designation for the property and along with the management team were successful in retaining management services after disposition. He served as the operational team leader for the development of The Stack Deep Ellum a 217,000 sq. ft. Class-AA office building in Dallas’ oldest cultural district. Most recently he led the Management Services team during the development of Maple Terrace, which includes a 154,000sq. ft. repurposed office building, two free standing restaurants and a 22-story multi-family tower, that includes 345 luxury living units.
Brandon joined Hines in 2012, bringing with him 25 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry. He provides technical oversight and mentorship for the Dallas Management Services Team. Other core focuses have been energy efficiency, project management and engineering training. Prior to joining Hines, Brandon oversaw the re-development of Two Turtle Creek in Dallas. The project included upgrades to the building energy management system, domestic water pump replacement, cooling tower refurbishment, lobby and common upgrades and the replacement of all vision glass units throughout the building. The greatest project challenge was completing all aspects while not disrupting building occupants. The property was approximately 89% occupied during the renovation.
Brandon has Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Core certification from the American Trades Institute, has an SMA, SMT Designations from the Building Owners and Managers Institute, and a LEED Green Associate Accreditation from the United States Geen Building Council. Brandon is a Dallas chapter BOMA member.
Brandon and his wife of over 21 years are the proud parents of three sons. He has a passion for sports and can often be found cheering on his youngest son who plays running back at Arizona State University