The Next Level
by Gale Horton Gay
ghorton@ccgmag.com
EXPECTATIONS HIGH AS FORMER OBAMA AIDE JOINS HISPANIC A&E FIRM
S
ometimes, one person’s vision of the future can have a transformative influence on another.
That’s what occurred when Adolfo Carrion spent time with J.J. Suárez, chairman and chief executive officer of CSA Group. Suárez spoke of what he foresees for his architectural and engineering firm, and his sense of obligation and responsibil- ity ensuring that Hispanic youth are prepared to enter their fields. Carrion, former deputy assistant to President Barack Obama and director of the White House Office of Urban Af- fairs, said upon meeting Suarez, he was struck by how similar their values are.
Carrion was enthralled by Suárez’s recollections of coming to the United States from Cuba via Puerto Rico and rising to the position he holds today. J.J. Suárez is head of the largest Hispanic-owned architectural, engineering, environmental services, consulting, and construction and program manage- ment company in the United States.
“He really impressed and inspired me,” Carrion said.
Carrion also impressed Suárez, as he was offered and accept- ed the role as senior advisor for corporate development.
“We at CSA Group are very excited and honored that Adolfo has agreed to join our firm,” Suarez stated in a news release when Carrion’s hiring was announced in March. “Adolfo’s proven track record in empowering urban communities throughout the United States, coupled with his economic development experience, will be of vital importance as we continue to position CSA Group as a first-in-class, full-service project delivery firm in the infrastructure and building mar- kets.”
Carrion said his duties will focus on helping CSA identify new opportunities and build new relationships, including growing its business, profile and brand.
For the past three years, Carrion has served as a presidential appointee in the Obama administration, and most recently as regional administrator for Region II of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He was responsible for overseeing nearly $6 billion in HUD investments in New York and New Jersey. In this capacity, he worked with members of Congress, mayors, city managers, and local public and private sector stakeholders to ensure HUD’s policies and programs worked to create economically competitive, environmentally sustainable and opportunity-rich communities. He also served as intergovernmental relations advisor to HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. Prior to his HUD appointment, Carrion
www.hispanicengineer.com Adolfo Carrion, senior advisor for corporate development, CSA Group, Inc.
served as deputy assistant to President Barack Obama and director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs, where he coordinated the policies of cabinet agencies.
Asked what skills from his past positions are most beneficial in his new job, Carrion chuckled and said: “The ability to move throughout the pipes and wires of the system…knowing the players, understanding policy, politics behind policy, gives me a good feel for my role. This was a natural place for me to add value.”
Carrion said the transition into private industry as been pretty smooth, and that he finds himself dealing with many of the same people he dealt with previously. He said he’s having a lot of fun and learning a lot and, while before, he had a bird’s-eye view of urban development, he now has a worm’s- eye view.
Currently, the architectural and engineering environment is “very competitive, especially getting through this recession,” Carrion said.
CSA Group, with offices in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, cut back its staff from 800 employees to 500
continue on page 24 HISPANIC ENGINEER & Information Technology | 2012 23
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