NMU alumnus Mike Oswald ('03 BS) is among 20 individuals representing all segments of the construction industry selected as winners of the 2019 ENR Texas and Louisiana Top Young Professionals competition. He is chief operating officer for Hill & Wilkinson in Richardson, Texas.
ENR (Engineering News-Record) provides industry analysis, commentary and data. Its young professionals competition is open to those under 40. Key selection criteria include industry experience and education, career and industry leadership, and community service and involvement.
Oswald was previously honored by NMU as the 2015 Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipient. He obtained a residential builders license after high school and continued to work as a laborer in residential construction while earning his construction management degree from NMU. Oswald joined Hill & Wilkinson as a project engineer after graduation. His solid performance led to rapid promotions within the firm, ultimately becoming COO before his 35th birthday. ENR's description of Oswald continues as follows:
“Oswald has remained closely involved with his alma mater, NMU, where he created a scholarship program for construction students, was appointed chair of NMU's Construction Management Professional Advisory Committee and most recently joined the NMU Alumni Board.
He is now creating personal development plans for every employee to provide a rigorous review process that focuses on employee needs and manager expectations. As an advocate for diversity in the workplace, Oswald also has been a driving force in Hill & Wilkinson's commitment to increase diversity at all levels within the company and its subsidiaries. He hired and sponsored nearly a dozen professionals while they pursued their H1B visas and started a Women in Construction forum, which dovetailed with the TEXO AGC Women in Construction. Now, more than two dozen female employees are actively engaged with the program.
He developed construction divisions that have since become separate companies, some managed by women and minorities. He has been the catalyst to move more than 90% of Hill & Wilkinson's existing customer volume into negotiated contracts.
Away from the office, Oswald serves on the TEXO and TEXO Foundation boards and helps high schools, community colleges and vocational schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with curriculum development. He serves as a liaison between schools and the Construction Education Foundation and works to educate young adults about how to get into the construction industry.”