Cheryl McKissack Daniel

President & CEO

President & CEO Cheryl McKissack Daniel leads the firm with more than 30 years of experience in all phases of the construction industry and provides executive leadership for project implementation. She serves as Principal-in-Charge and Project Executive on numerous high-profile projects, including major work in the commercial, healthcare, education and transportation sectors and is actively involved in project oversight and management, ensuring that diversity is implemented during each phase of a project or program.

Cheryl serves on numerous, corporate, charitable and community boards. As a board member, Cheryl focuses on strategic planning as part of good governance. She believes strategic planning is a critical part to a board’s mission and formulating good strategy ensures long-term value creation, building an ethical culture and managing risk. Cheryl has been honored as a “Hero of Liberty” for her support of humanitarian initiatives and for promoting the responsibilities of a free and diverse America. She has also received a Legacy Award from Women’s Builders Council and has been named to City and State New York’s Power 50 List.

Cheryl earned both a bachelor and master’s degree in civil engineering from Howard University and graduate course work at Columbia University in Civil engineering. Born in Nashville to architect William DeBerry and teacher, Leatrice McKissack, Cheryl represents the fifth generation of the McKissack family’s century-old business, McKissack & McKissack, the oldest minority and woman-owned professional design and construction firm in the nation.

Albert Odjidja

Executive Vice President, Construction and Construction Management Services

Albert Odjidja is Executive Vice President of Construction and Construction Management Services at McKissack. He has 30 years of experience in the design and construction industry and his experience is comprised of a variety of complex project types for healthcare, higher education and institutional clients. Albert is well versed in interfacing with owners and prime contractors and directing the project team managing the total budget, schedule, and construction process from the conceptual stage to owner occupancy.

Since joining McKissack in 2006, Albert has led more than $1 billion in construction, including healthcare, education and institutional projects. Albert began his career at McKissack serving as Senior Project Manager for the new $185 million, 194,000 SF School of Science, Health and Technology Building at Medgar Evers College for the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, which won the 2012 Brooklyn Building Award by Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. He also served as Senior Project Manager for NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)/NYC Health+Hospitals Corporation (HHC) Henry J. Carter Specialty Skilled Nursing Facility, a new six-story building which was part of the overall $285 million project.

Currently, Albert serves as Project Executive for several McKissack projects, including the $150 million NYCEDC CM Retainer contract and the $800 million NYCEDC/HHC Coney Island Hospital Campus Renovation project.

Albert earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture and urban planning from the University of Maryland.

Craig F. Stewart

Executive Vice President, Transportation & Infrastructure

With over 40 years of transportation experience, Craig Stewart is one of the nation’s leading transit capital planning and program development professionals. Craig has served two of the country’s most complex transit systems: New York State’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Washington, D.C.’s Washington Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

In New York at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), he served for more than 30 years, advancing through several roles in various divisions. Craig was responsible for the overall direction of the MTA’s  five- year, $32 billion Capital Program and reported directly to the Chairman and CEO while managing communication with major internal and external stakeholders. As the Senior Director of Capital Programs, he administered the allocation of funding resources utilizing revenues from fares, tolls and subsidies including federal, state and local funding. He directed and developed the MTA’s Twenty-Year Needs Assessment by deriving information from whole-life Asset Management and analyzing the changing needs and demographics of the region.

Over his 30-year tenure at the MTA, Craig also served as Chief Officer and Vice President of Capital Programs and Senior Corporate Management Officer, where he led oversight and management of a variety of high-level strategic initiatives.

In Washington D.C., Craig served as Chief of Capital Planning and Capital Program Management at Washington Metropolitan Transportation Authority (WMATA), where he was responsible for providing executive direction in the development of the Authority’s prioritized capital program. Craig also led the efforts of the Capital Planning and Program Management Office in strategic planning, asset management, capital program reporting and oversight as well as agency compliance with FTA State of Good Repair targets. He also served the Massachusetts Port Authority and the City of Boston for capital budget planning and implementation initiatives.

Craig earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Sociology from Boston College, where he also completed post graduate studies.

Quentin M. Brathwaite, AIA, AICP, CCM

Senior Vice President

Quentin Brathwaite is Senior Vice President of McKissack and has over 35 years of experience in various transportation program direction, project and construction management, as well as significant regional architectural and planning experiences throughout his career. He leads Strategic Engagement for The New Terminal One at JFK Project Management Oversight team.

Quentin graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture and a Master of City & Regional Planning from Cornell University and a Master of Construction Management from NYU/Polytechnic University. He is a Registered Architect in New York and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a member of Certified Construction Managers.

Joe DeVito

Senior Vice President, Rail & Infrastructure

Joe is Senior Vice President of Rail & Infrastructure and serves as Program Director on the MTA Independent Engineering Consultant contract McKissack holds as a prime for its second consecutive term. He reports directly to the MTA Board of Directors Capital Program Oversight Committee. The MTA Capital Program is valued at approximately $32B. Joe manages McKissack’s project team assigned to oversee this program and active elements of earlier Capital Programs.

Currently, Joe oversees an expert staff of more than 25 full-time professionals, which includes project managers, analysts, subject matter experts, professional engineers, architects and others experienced in project controls. Many of this staff have been on the contract since 2009. 

Joe’s exceptional railroad career began in 1972 where he worked in the engineering field for the old Penn Central Railroad. Prior to joining McKissack in 2005, he spent 29 years with Amtrak working on numerous projects, including Penn Station with LIRR, Grand Central Terminal with Metro-North, and Sunnyside Yard during the period high-speed rail service was instituted throughout the Northeast Corridor. Joe’s many accomplishments include serving as part of the team that led the high-speed vehicle procurement, building the high-speed maintenance facility in New York, leading the mechanical department and culminating with his tenure as the General Manager for Customer Service and Special Projects where he served as liaison to the MTA on the East Side Access project.

Kimberly Hardy

Senior Vice President, Diversity, Inclusion & Compliance

Kim Hardy is Vice President and oversees McKissack’s Diversity, Inclusion and Compliance Services group. She is an accomplished attorney with over 20 years of experience in regulatory compliance, external affairs and construction. 

Kim’s career has been characterized by senior positions in New York City and State government and associations with two international firms specializing in developing, managing and reviewing diversity and inclusion related compliance programs for public and private entities. She is experienced in leading investigations and conducting screenings to assist clients in ensuring compliance on projects.  She has extensive experience working with governmental entities at federal, State and local levels, developers, contractors, financial institutions, nonprofit organizations and community stakeholders during all phases of the development of a construction project.

Kim earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from North Carolina Central University and earned her JD from Yale Law School.

Brian Lyons

Senior Vice President, Construction Services

Brian Lyons has 40 years of construction industry experience and serves as Senior Vice President of Construction Services at McKissack. He is proficient at creating productive methods to achieve milestones and bring projects in on-time and within budget.

A dedicated construction professional with a comprehensive engineering background, Brian has provided direct supervision of project teams consisting of senior management and consultants, that includes design/build.  He is recognized and well-respected in the New York construction industry by developers, construction managers, contractors, government agencies, and engineering and architectural firms. Brian has led projects in healthcare, hospitality, banking, retail, warehouse, interior fit out and out of the ground construction.

Brian leads McKissack’s Construction Services Division. He is responsible for the business development and supervision of project teams on McKissack’s construction projects. He is involved in each phase of a project from inception through closeout to make sure the project is successfully completed.

Brian’s experience includes serving as Senior Construction Coordinator for the four disaster recovery quadrants for New York City Department of Design and Construction during the 9/11 recovery effort and also worked on all phases of construction of the 11-acre site. His  experience includes some of New York’s most complex projects valued at more including the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, World Trade Center Towers 3, 4, and 7 and 1 World Trade Center Freedom Tower.

Brian earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from United States Coast Guard Engineering School.

Brian served in the United States Coast Guard as an Engineering Officer for eight years. He was Engineer in charge of ocean-going cutters and served as senior enlisted technical or specialty administrator for several commands.  

Dean R. Robateau

Senior Vice President, Strategic Development & Operations

Dean is Senior Vice President of Strategic Development at McKissack. In this role, he is responsible for the strategic growth and development of the firm while investigating value propositions associated with expanding into new market sectors. He proposes and participates in defining objectives to gain market share and maximize profitability, and executes plans to make those objectives achievable.

He possesses over 25 years of experience in construction management and general contracting involving extensive academic building renovations and rehabilitation throughout the Northeast region. He has provided project management for interior and exterior renovations and new construction projects valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. His projects have included high-end boutique hotels, restaurants, financial institutions, and retail centers.

Dean has served as Project Principal for many of McKissack’s most important projects including the new Lincoln University Science Center and the International Cultural Center, the Tyler School of Art at Temple University, the University of Pennsylvania Center for Advanced Medicine, the Philadelphia School District Capital Improvement Plan, the Philadelphia International Airport Terminals D & E Expansion, and providing CM services for multiple projects for Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the Southeastern PA Transportation Authority (SEPTA). He is currently Project Executive for the new $160M Wexford Development One uCity & uCity Square project.

He has also worked for the NYC School Construction Authority, the NYC Department of Design and Construction, DASNY, the New Jersey Schools Corporation, the American Water Company, the City of Camden, the Cooper’s Ferry Partnership and Delaware River Port Authority.

Dean currently provides operational oversite on McKissack’s PA and NJ projects, and leads McKissack business development efforts firm-wide.

Michael P. Wetherell, PE

Senior Vice President, Transit Fleet & Program Management

Michael Wetherell is a nationally-recognized transportation executive with over 35 years of diverse experience in Operations Leadership, Transit Rail Vehicle Procurement and Maintenance, Capital Program Management, Engineering, Project Management, Project Management Oversight and Risk Assessment.

Prior to joining McKissack, Michael served as Director of the Office of Construction Oversight at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) where he led a group of independent consultants in monitoring the management and process of all capital projects performed by the MTA Agencies, as part of a $6 billion annual program. Prior to his role in Capital Program Oversight, he served as Chief Mechanical Officer at New York City Transit (NYCT), where he was responsible for the daily preparation and delivery of the 6300 Car NYCT rail vehicle fleet to support the transportation of nearly 6 million passengers a day.

Michael also served as Assistant Chief Mechanical Officer (ACMO) Equipment Engineering for New York City Transit, where he was responsible for Rail Car Engineering and Technical support, including procurement, design, testing and acceptance of new rail car equipment and engineering support of rail car fleet maintenance. These services in Rapid Transit operations complement his earlier service as ACMO Equipment Engineering and General Manager Fleet Engineering for the Long Island Rail Road (commuter rail). He has also co-chaired the MTA program to mentor a diverse group of small businesses to perform projects as prime contractors to MTA Agencies.

In addition to his agency work, Michael has served as FTA consultant in monitoring federally funded projects at numerous municipalities in the United States including risk assessment and project management. He has also played a key role in the development of industry standards that have been adopted into federal commuter rail regulations.

Michael is a Professional Engineer, and a graduate of the US Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and New York University-Polytechnic with a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering.

Alan DeSantola

Vice President, Construction Management Services

Alan DeSantola has more than 30 years of design and construction industry experience and is Vice President of Construction Management services at McKissack. He joined the firm in 2008, and most recently served as Project Executive on the $500+ million Atlantic Yards, Long Island Rail Road Vanderbilt Yard Relocation project for Greenland Forest City Ratner in downtown Brooklyn where McKissack provided construction management and program management services from preconstruction throughout the four stages of construction.

As Vice President of Construction Management services, Alan provides executive oversight of projects under McKissack’s NYC DDC CM On Call Contract , NYCSCA Mentor Program, NYCSCA Professional Services, NYS OGS On-Call CM Services, Baruch College Lawrence & Eris Field Building Renovation, and the New Delta Terminal at LaGuardia Airport.

Alan’s prior experience is comprised of projects in transportation, commercial development, academic, healthcare and infrastructure. He first served as Senior Project Manager on McKissack’s SCA Emergency Response Project. He led a 24/7 project team that responded to school construction projects and emergencies throughout NYC’s five boroughs. In addition, he had led construction teams on Thompson Library at Vassar College, Duchess Community College Academic Building, NYS OMH psychiatric and development centers, and infrastructure projects for the NYS DOT.

Calvin A. Gordon

Vice President, Rail & Transit

Calvin A. Gordon is Vice President of Rail & Transit. His career encompasses more than 30 years of rail and transit project management/program management and operating experience in the engineering and construction industry. His projects have included control rooms, communication systems, positive train control, automatic train operation and conventional wayside signals and vehicular tunnel upgrades.

Calvin joined McKissack in 2013 and currently serves as Deputy Program Director on McKissack’s MTA Independent Engineering Consultant contract overseeing a team of professionals providing oversight on the $32 billion Capital Program. Prior to this role, he was Senior Project Manager and Project Manager providing project management oversight of design and construction for complex capital projects totaling more than $2.5 billion. 

His previous experience includes serving as Project Manager for MTA Bridges and Tunnels on capital construction, maintenance and communication projects for several multi-million-dollar projects. He also served as Assistant Electrical Engineer/Group CADD Manager in the MTA New York City Transit Signals Division and as the Manager for Field Support and Northern Facilities at Empire City Subway Company Ltd, a Verizon Subsidiary where he was responsible for delivering departmental presentations, facilities management and was a member on the Front Line Leadership Council.

Calvin earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Pratt Institute and his MBA from Dowling College.

Bomi Kim, AICP

Vice President, M/WBE Compliance Services

Bomi Kim is an accomplished program and project leader with more than 20 years of experience creating and executing economic development initiatives that drive growth opportunities. She has a passion for inspiring teams, engaging with stakeholders, and gaining consensus with key political and community leaders to encourage business and workforce development.

Bomi’s career is characterized by senior positions in New York City government, where she led community development, diversity and compliance initiatives. She served as Senior Vice President and Director of Opportunity MWDBE for the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), Manager for the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s procurement assistance program and Deputy Director of Economic Development for the Queens Borough President’s Office.

At McKissack, Bomi is responsible for developing and executing diversity strategies, policies and programs to advance M/WBE and workforce inclusion for construction and economic development projects. In addition, she manages and directs robust compliance programs for accurate monitoring and reporting to ensure that project goals are successfully achieved. She also works closely with government, community and industry partners  to create an environment of inclusion for small businesses, community groups and diverse labor force professionals, including the development of outreach programs, tracking and reporting mechanisms to further assist in full economic inclusion of all New Yorkers. 

Bomi earned a Master of Urban Planning from New York University, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service Public Service, Scholarship Recipient and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Communication Studies from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV.

Bomi is an American Institute Certified Planner and is pursuing an International Economic Development Council certification. She is a member of the American Planning Association and served as Board Member for Community Education Council District 28. 

Steven Allen

Director of Preconstruction

Steven is a construction professional with more than 25 years of industry experience on a broad range of projects.  Throughout his extensive career, he has lent his expertise to a variety of project types, including healthcare (new and modernization), office and corporate facilities, residential high rise, universities and K-12 schools, aviation, laboratory, research, and pharmaceutical facilities, and convention and hospitality buildings.

Steve currently serves as Director of Preconstruction and leads McKissack’s team of estimators and schedules, and manages the process and resources to provide quality preconstruction services to McKissack’s clients and project teams.