Meet our Senior Project Manager, Larry Dawson
What is your background?
I’m from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where I lived until my wife, Karen, and I moved to Memphis 3 years ago. I’m a lifelong LSU fan. Geaux Tigers! Even though I was born and raised in Baton Rouge, most of my family is in Charleston, SC where my mom is from. I love all things outdoors – playing tennis, volleyball, kayaking, skiing, or grilling on our back porch.
How did you get into home building and why?
My professional experiences through the years have given me a unique and well-rounded knowledge base that just laid the perfect foundation for a career in home building. I spent many years in sales and management before I decided I needed a career change which led me to work for a construction company in Baton Rouge that focused mainly on pergolas and decks. After moving to Memphis, I was thrilled to find a home at RKA Construction. Personally, I know how important it is to my family to be happy and comfortable in our home, so I really love helping our clients find that in their homes too.
What is the best part of the job? Hardest?
I’ll start with the hardest part of my job, scheduling. Managing project schedules with recent material shortages and subcontractor issues has been difficult throughout the last year, but I take pride in exceeding expectations and meeting deadlines. The BEST part of my job is when I see our client’s dreams come true in their new home. The past year has really reinforced for all of us how important our homes are to our well-being, and when I get to work with someone to improve their space, or build their dream home, it brings me a lot of happiness.
Dream job if you weren’t in residential construction?
This is a tough one, but I would probably open and operate an outdoor sand volleyball complex. Moving from an area with many sand volleyball complexes to choose from, we discovered that Memphis does not have any similar complexes to play at.
Best way to spend a Saturday?
I love spending time at home with my family, so I’d say watching football and hanging out with Karen and our Weimaraner, Cali, while grilling cheeseburgers or cooking a pot of gumbo.
If you could only watch 5 movies for the rest of your life, what would they be?
It’s hard to name just five, but these would be at the top…Shawshank Redemption, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars IV, Stepbrothers