Last Friday marked a notable event for Walsh Construction, the retirement of Ron Ward, a Vice President who worked at Walsh for 19 years. Ron led us through some of our most challenging projects including Tacoma Housing Authority (THA) Salishan Phases 1-7, SHA Raven Terrace, THA-RAD Conversions, The Cones Apartments and LIHI’s Frye Hotel renovation.
His most notable project was the Salishan redevelopment for THA between 2004 and 2011 in which he oversaw the re-development of the World War II vintage worker housing complex into seven beautiful and new affordable housing neighborhoods. Each phase of the project resulted in budget savings returned to the Owner, units delivered ahead of schedule, high quality construction and an overall minority business participation of 34%.
Ron’s commitment to the minority participation goal was exhibited by his sacrifice of personal time to attend evening outreach meetings, meetings with developing subcontractors and suppliers and the mentorship of individuals who aspire to gain opportunities in construction. He truly believed that this goal was the most important measure of project success and achieved it with commitment and exceptional work! Aside from Ron’s great skills and accomplishments, we’ll mostly miss his friendship, laughter and genuine concern for his fellow workers. Join us in congratulating Ron for his years of service at WCC and transitioning to his next adventure