The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Q&A: DDA board member Tom Covert
Community faces 'unique opportunities'
PUBLISHED: June 26, 2008
Why have you sought out a position on the Dexter Downtown Development Authority?
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I think it is important to be involved in the community in which you live. It really broadens one's perspective and understanding of the issues and opportunities the community faces.
Further, I felt that the skills and knowledge I've gained in my education and career make me uniquely qualified for an appointment to the DDA.
Not to mention, that there are many interesting projects that the DDA is, and has been, involved with that I felt I could add a value to with my perspective.
What opportunities in the downtown district make you enthusiastic about this opportunity?
The Jeffords project, the purchase of the Tupper Building, and the continued success of the downtown district as an integral piece of the community equation for Dexter.
What is your vision of Dexter in the next five years? The next 10?
I do not have much of a preconceived notion for the vision of Dexter. I think there are unique opportunities that the community currently faces, and new opportunities that will present themselves as we as a community move into the future. One thing for certain is that there will be change.
How does your full-time job tie into your appointment, and how do you see that experience being a benefit to the community?
I continue to enjoy an 18-year career with land development consulting firm Atwell-Hicks, a company with over 100 years of history in Washtenaw County, offices around the country, and recently adding an Asian office in South Korea.
I oversee staff and projects that involve the development or redevelopment of land by developers, builders and investors. This includes most aspects of a project from feasibility analysis, site planning, detailed engineering and design, through construction oversight.
This process involves a wide array of disciplines at work: land planning, landscape design, civil engineering, land surveying, ecological services (natural features and resources), and environmental services (soils contamination, etc.). In many cases this also includes the collaborative design and problem solving across a diverse group of stakeholders, typically architects, municipal leaders, community members and other interested parties.
I believe that this knowledge and experience will benefit the community with my perspective and insight for projects in which the DDA participates.
What do you like most about your job?
The talented and bright people that I work and interact with on a daily basis. Right up there on the list is participating in projects that affect where people live, work, and play.
Walk us through a typical day for you:
Wake up 5:00 a.m., prepare for the day.
-6 - 6:30 a.m. Morning goodbyes to my family
-7 to 8 a.m. getting a jump on the day
-8 a.m. - 6 p.m. focusing on projects, clients, staff needs, and opportunities (operations of the land development services team)
-6 p.m. - whenever = family time; Dinner and adventure with my family, with the occasional evening work session of project presentation to a planning commission, municipal board or community group.
How has the job changed over the years?
As the economic and real estate cycles twist, so do the requirements of my job. Since starting with Atwell-Hicks, we have grown from a very local organization to a national consulting firm often due to the growth and needs of our existing clients. Today, our organization is affected by the housing market and the statewide economic climate.
I would advise others in a similar situation to use their knowledge and experience to guide them into other ways to help clients, partners and employees be successful under any conditions.
Personally, I have enjoyed diversity and positive change in my career. Over the past 18 years, I have held positions as a field surveyor to CAD Technician to Land Planner and Landscape Architect to now Operations Leader and a partner in the organization.
How did you get to where you are now?
A drive to work hard to do my best in the things I do.
What do you like most about living/working in Dexter?
From a young age, I knew I wanted to live in Dexter. A lot of that has to do with my grandfather's influence and fondness for the community - he was adamant about staying in Dexter.
In fact, prior to his passing, he lived only a few blocks from where we are raising our family. For me, it's the community, values, schools, opportunity and proximity to other nearby attractions.
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