C.D. Smith Construction Core Value Story on Superintendent Wayne Holum

Wayne Holum spent his career building people. Long after he retires, his legacy of leadership will live on through his team.

If you've had the pleasure of working with Wayne, you know he's the first one on a jobsite and the last one off. He is a superintendent that leads with respect, builds his employees up and earns admiration through trust. Over the last 16 years, Wayne has exemplified C.D. Smith's core values. He is a true leader who motivates others to develop leadership qualities and pushes his team to do better.

Jason Zwiefel joined C.D. Smith in 2015 working at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Student Union Center. Wayne recognized Jason's work ethic and presented Jason with a foreman opportunity for an upcoming project. While working at the Student Union Center, Jason began mentoring under Wayne. From there, Jason went with Wayne to the 3rd and Vine parking structure. "I remember being a bit nervous about my first Post Tension job," Jason shares. " But Wayne was encouraging and told me, 'I'm going to have your back no matter what.' And he did. He truly is the type of leader that will always have your back. When you make a decision, he will support your decision. If he disagrees with your choice, he will discuss the issues with you personally rather than in front of other team members."

"Wayne taught me a lot about being a good leader," Jason continues, "Anyone can build, but it takes a leader to know how to get the whole crew on the same page and work together to get the job done. Wayne recognizes every person's strengths and then builds on those strengths. It's with everyone's contributions that we can successfully complete a job."

Andy Smedberg has known and worked with Wayne for nearly 14 years. Later on in his career, Andy worked under Wayne as an apprentice and foreman. "I admire Wayne's honesty," Andy shares. "Everyone respects him because of it. He also has an unmatched ability to remain levelheaded and professional, no matter what. He's the kind of leader who can get the world out of you because he's fair and empowers you to do your best."

"Wayne genuinely cares about his crew," Andy continues. "While working for him in 2015, I had a bad accident on the job. All superintendents worry about their guys, but Wayne went above and beyond. He stayed with me until my family could arrive at the hospital. The next day he fashioned a homemade get well sign, had all the guys on the job sign it and took a picture of the crew holding it. It meant a lot that he added a personal touch to show how much he cares."

Whether working in the field with crew members or connecting with project managers and owners, Wayne constantly builds relationships and gets the job done. "Wayne makes my job easy," Joe Van Handel, Senior Project Manager, cheerfully jokes around. "He is always planning ahead and looks at the whole picture. As a project manager, I know I can always rely on Wayne. He knows everything that happens on his jobsite. If there's an issue, he addresses it right away. He's in constant communication with the project owner, keeping everyone informed of what's going on. He knows the details and keeps things on track. I think we've worked on six projects that had budgets over $100 million, and every single one was on time and under budget!"

Wayne's leadership has inspired others, like Andy and Jason, to develop their leadership qualities. Even after Wayne's retirement, we look forward to his legacy of pushing teams throughout C.D. Smith to do better through positive encouragement. Wayne, we will miss your energy, enthusiasm, and most of all, your unfailing dedication to getting the job done. We wish you nothing but the best in your retirement.

Date: August 23, 2021 | Author: Mercedes Tucker