Building Momentum: Jason Davis Shares His Vision for Affinis’s Future

Last month, Jason Davis, PE, was named President of Affinis. Recently, we sat down with him to learn more about his vision for the firm. In this article, he shares where we’re headed and how he plans to get there.

Congratulations on your presidency! What has been your focus as you take on this new role?
Over the last several years, we’ve created a great foundation. With the right co-workers in place, my focus as we move forward is “Momentum.”

To me, momentum is the deliberate result of disciplined action, coordinated effort, and unbroken focus. I’d like our firm to operate with the precision of a well-trained unit, working collectively to deliver high-quality engineering designs. With a clear mission, defined roles, and an unwavering commitment to execution, we can continue to foster success by increasing quality and accelerating progress.

What makes this approach impactful?
Since 2023, we’ve worked to build out our teams. It’s taken time to find the right leaders for each discipline, but we have many of those people in place now. They have the experience, capabilities, and training we need. Having these co-workers on our team allows us to unlock new opportunities for our firm. Through their mentorship and advanced technical skills, they elevate our capabilities.

Where do you see Affinis in the next 5 years?
I see organic growth over the next 5 years. Since our founding, we’ve gradually added to our team and services based on our clients’ needs and market demands. We will continue that trend, adding new capabilities to our toolbox when it makes sense.

Currently, we have two great examples of this approach. The first is the addition of wastewater design. Through our partnership with Freese and Nichols, we’re beginning to work on these kinds of projects. In addition, we’ve been offering support to our structural clients by participating in the Missouri Department of Transportation’s (MoDOT) BEAP program.

How does your vision change when you’re looking further into the future?
I see our team further expanding our service footprint. We’d like to impact more communities, helping to move them forward by creating safer and more effective infrastructure. This connects to our firm’s overall vision.

Along with those goals, we created a roadmap to 2033 several years ago. Part of that plan was to create space for our junior engineers to take on new responsibilities and work towards leadership roles in the firm. I’d like to continue that work, promoting from within and creating new internal opportunities.

What do you see as the primary keys to Affinis’s growth?
I think there are three keys. The first is increasing our footprint, so we can move more communities forward. The second is expanding our capabilities, this includes adding new technologies and continuing to invest in our team’s professional development. The last is maintaining a high-level of work. Generating quality plan sets and smart, cost-effective solutions is critical to increasing the number of our repeat clients.

Along with those three things, I’d like us to focus on what we do well and taking those services to our clients. We will need to continue to listen to our clients’ needs and have the flexibility to adapt as those evolve.

What kinds of challenges do you predict?
Like our clients and colleagues, finding talent continues to be a challenge. Competition for technical staff remains high, and we’re seeing Baby Boomers retire at a higher rate, causing more openings. We’re always looking for new ways to grow our team and retain our talented co-workers. Creating more opportunities for professional growth at all levels is one way we’re doing that.

How will clients benefit from your plans for Affinis?
As we build on our momentum, I’m asking our team to focus on what our clients need. I’m challenging them to really listen and recalibrate when needed. Along with a renewed focus on high quality service, we’re also looking at how we can help our clients and fill in any gaps they may have.

What can co-workers expect?
In addition to leadership opportunities, we’re putting our teams in the driver’s seat. I’m challenging each service line to identify how they can best grow. They are deciding who they’d like to work with and identifying the projects that spark their interest. I want them to focus on what they do well, and setting those targets on their own allows them to seek fulfilling work.

Any final thoughts?
We have lots of great talent here at Affinis, and we need to make sure we’re producing to our best ability. My approach is to give our co-workers the freedom to do what they do well and empower our team leads to use their abilities to deliver successful projects. We are a small firm, which allows us to provide team members at all levels with lots of opportunities for growth.

Looking back on the last 25 years, I’m proud of all our team has accomplished and look forward to seeing what we do next.