Construction Contingency Management Best Practices

John Kavouris, P.E. Associate Vice President, Facilities and Construction Columbia College

This podcast focuses on the strategies that Columbia College Chicago put in place to enable efficient and effective cost controls. This discussion features Mr. John Kavouris, Associate VP Facilities and Construction at Columbia College.

During the presentation Mr. Kavouris speaks about the challenges involved in managing costs for the construction of new facilities and renovations of historic buildings at the college, and explains why information provided by the accounting department is usually not relevant for use by facilities engineering/construction. Mr. Kavouris also highlights the benefits that a project information management system can present both the construction and financial teams.

About John Kavouris

John Kavouris, P.E. Associate Vice President, Facilities and Construction Columbia College Chicago Mr. Kavouris joined Columbia College Chicago in March, 2007, as a project manager of the College’s construction program. For two years, he successfully managed the program by bringing projects in on time and on budget through a very ambitious expansion period. In April, 2009, Mr. Kavouris was promoted to Associate Vice President of Facilities and Construction. In this position, Mr. Kavouris serves the College community through the enhancement of the quality, operational and energy efficiency, and safety of the College’s buildings. His responsibilities include overseeing the management of day-to-day operations and maintenance of the College’s facilities. Prior to joining the college, Mr. Kavouris worked as a project manager for major new construction and remodeling projects for both O’Hare and Midway airports. He holds the distinction of being a Licensed Professional Engineer with over 22 years of experience. Mr. Kavouris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Engineering from Iowa State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Loyola University Chicago. He is an elected member of the Village of Bartlett Board of Trustees and coaches both basketball and football.