RICHMOND, Ky. — Brian Wilcox fell in love with construction at age 9, when his grandparents began building a retirement home in Michigan. He was underfoot — “helping,” he said, tongue in cheek — during the entire project, watching with fascination as piles of lumber, stone and glass were transformed into a beautiful new house.
He turned his passion into a rewarding career, which will continue at Eastern Kentucky University. Wilcox was selected recently as EKU’s associate vice president of capital construction and facilities services. In his new role, he will plan campus improvements, conduct assessments and provide organizational vision to the leadership teams of EKU Capital Construction & Project Administration and EKU Facilities Services.
“University campuses are inherently complex and create rich opportunities to pull teams together to accomplish crowning achievements,” Wilcox said. “From a complete HVAC replacement between academic terms to ground-up residence halls to showpiece athletic facilities, we work on some of the most interesting projects being built in the industry today.”
His 30-year career in construction and operations management began early. At age 16, Wilcox was helping install swimming pools in his hometown of Goshen, Ind. Most recently, he was the director of facility management and project services at the University of Memphis, where he managed the time, cost, quality and safety of capital projects on campus.
Prior to working at University of Memphis, Wilcox managed large construction projects for commercial contractors such as Turner Construction Co. and the Obayashi Corp. He holds a bachelor’s degree in building construction and contracting from Purdue University and received his MBA from Memphis. He also holds leading certifications in construction management and educational facilities services.
“What was appealing to me about the position at EKU was the two focus areas: capital construction and facilities services,” Wilcox said. “These are the two areas I have had the most interest and experience in. I am certified in both, which is a bit unique.”
Though professional interests first drew him to the job, Wilcox has since found more to love about EKU. “Once I interviewed, the people I met solidified my interest,” he said. “The people were very talented, and it was clear that they cared about the success of EKU. They pursued excellence and that resonated with me.”
EKU’s newest AVP is now focused on integrating into the Colonel community, as well as moving into a new home in Central Kentucky with his wife of 31 years, Lisa. The couple have two grown children, Morgan and Clayton.
“I couldn’t be happier to be a Colonel,” he said. “I am greatly looking forward to being a part of EKU’s successes and solutions going forward.”
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