Today we’d like to introduce you to Dave Quinn, CEcD.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Dave. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I think I was eight or nine years old, and I was riding with my Dad on the way to a job site down in Houston, and he would point out all these different buildings that he helped build. He was so proud of his work and so excited to show it to his son. I remember that I wanted to be able to do that someday. How cool to point out something in the world and to be able to say: “I did that.”
Of course, it took me a while to actually get there. After graduating from Texas A&M, I went to work in the oilfield’s of West Texas to help pay off my college debt and eventually wound up at BFI, a trash hauling company in Lubbock. I was driving 30 miles to work every day, and then 30 miles back home to Levelland, to see my two-year-old son, and I was lucky I’d be home before bedtime. My mother-in-law knows I want to spend more time with my son—and with my wife, her daughter—so she suggested I apply for the Levelland assistant city manager position that had just opened up. My mother-in-law is a smart lady and because I am a smart man, I decide to apply for the job. (It didn’t hurt that cutting my commute meant I’d be home in time for dinner at my mother-in-law’s several times a week.)
I was far from the most qualified candidate for this job, but because I was the most passionate about making a difference in Levelland, I got the position and transitioned into my life’s work, making a difference in the world as an economic developer. Since then, I’ve been a part of some fantastic projects, including one of the first ethanol plants in the state of Texas, an industrial rail park that provides hundreds of jobs to good West Texas people, and a multi-purpose event center that leverages three different taxing entities and serves not just a town, but a whole region. More recently, I’ve worked on the new PGA of Americas headquarters in Frisco, Texas, which recently broke ground. And now, with my firm, Day One Experts, my name may not show up anywhere on the buildings, but I know that I made a difference and helped move those projects forward. And when I drive by those buildings with my kids, I feel the same pride my father must have felt.
Has it been a smooth road?
Life has been an adventure. There have been moments of comfort and ease mixed in with those terrifying moments of uncertainty and heartache. I can remember working on the rail park and putting in so many years of hard work and being so passionate about the vision and pushing so hard to get it across the finish line, and suddenly, it all came down to a single vote. When the vote finally happened—and it was yes—I was in shock and suddenly felt a moment of absolute terror as I realized I would now have to deliver on the promise. I remember thinking, “Oh snap, they just said yes.”
The critical thing to remember is life is full of ups and downs, twists and turns. Once you realize that those things are simply part of living, you can begin to trust your ability to handle whatever comes your way. All challenges are simply opportunities to either learn, grow, or change direction. At any given moment, we are precisely where we are supposed to be. Embracing the present allows us not just to survive this trip we call life, but to enjoy the ride.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Day One Experts – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Day One Experts is an On-Demand Economic Development consulting firm. Day One helps our clients bridge the gaps in their economic development team by bringing together the best-known Economic Development professionals, subject matter experts, and top supporting service vendors to produce the desired results at a fraction of the cost.
We also offer a unique blend of economic and real estate development services that takes the friction out of public/private projects, both for the developer and the community. Our diverse team of professionals has the experience and the proven track record of project completion and implementation.
We offer an array of services, including the application of local government policies, creative incentive financing, project/program management, sports development ranging from youth to professional, and hands-on experience with developing owner-occupied and income-producing real estate.
Our real estate services will help assess your needs and create a plan that will meet your development objectives. Day One Experts can assist developers and companies in real estate acquisition plans and strategies, incentive identification, and site selection and evaluation.
In short, we leverage our experience and relationships to produce results.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I tell people all the time how having lunch with my kids at school is like going to the UN. there are kids from all around the world living here in Frisco. All with diverse backgrounds and beliefs. My kids are exposed to this diversity and challenged to move beyond their own perceptions and understanding of the world better preparing them for the future.
This intern challenges me and my wife, Kimbra to move beyond our own understanding of the world. It has been so fascinating learning about the various cultures represented here in our community.
The one thing that we face in Frisco is the growing pains that come from being in the fastest growing city in America. As Frisco continues its rapid growth, the city is working overtime to address the needs of a booming population. They have done a masterful job thus far and the little inconveniences are something we’re willing to accept because of the quality of life offered in Frisco.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6160 Warren Parkway, Suite 177, Frisco, TX 75034
- Website: https://d1experts.com/
- Phone: 9728864222
- Email: dave@d1experts.com
- Instagram: @DaveQuinn247
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/DQ247
- Twitter: @DaveQuinn247
- Other: https://DaveQuinn247.com
Image Credit:
Dave Quinn, CEcD
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