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Greg Hayes – A leader in motion

Submitted by Cristin Tarr, Terracare Associates

What do race cars, a deputy, and mentor have in common? Greg Hayes - Colorado Operations Manager for the public infrastructure division at Terracare Associates. I had the pleasure to sit down with Greg Hayes to talk about his 30-year career with Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and his current position with us at Terracare.

As past Deputy Maintenance Superintendent of the front-range region, Greg was responsible for 250 state employees, over 100 large trucks, 600 pieces of equipment and handling almost $30 million dollars in annual projects. His reputation for organization management, dedication and integrity was well known within the walls of CDOT.  His list of projects includes HOT lanes, T-Rex of Colorado and many major highway interchanges. Nothing is more precious to him than his employees. “Safety of my work teams is so important. We want our field employees to come home safe and healthy every day. In addition, our goal is to make our roads as safe as possible during any construction projects. Public safety was and continues to be always on my mind.” 

Fortunately for Terracare Associates, after Mr. Hayes’s retirement from CDOT he joined Terracare’s public infrastructure division team in October, 2013.  “We have known Greg for some time. We knew about Greg’s reputation as an exceptional leader, commitment to quality service, work ethic and breadth of experience in public works. We are privileged to work with such an exceptional person on our team,” said Dean Murphy, President, Terracare Associates. 

During my conversation with Greg it was apparent he was unassuming and reserved about his achievements and often gave credit to his team members.. Greg began his love for infrastructure at age 13, helping his uncle’s construction company in Arizona. He was quite young when he first handled heavy equipment, and he was hooked. I asked him what makes a great leader. He states “taking the time to mentor and teach the young people what you know, sharing your knowledge of what you've learned is the greatest gift you can give as a leader.” He feels strongly that mentoring those that are less experienced helps build a road map (no pun intended) to the next generation. 

Ironically working on the road doesn’t stop at his daily job. Greg is co-owner of three race cars and competes almost every week in season. In addition he has six show cars and he loves the outdoors. His passion for mentoring is extended to his three children 28, 25 and 14 years old.  He coached youth sports, football and basketball for many years. Greg is always on the move inspiring and empowering others to be their best. Greg is continues to be a leader at Terracare Associates and is moving the pack forward...even on the racetrack.