Leadership
Our Leaders
Ames Construction has prospered because our founders established a culture based on a few simple truths: Hard work can overcome all obstacles. Honesty and integrity above all. Hire the right people and treat them well. Focus on client satisfaction. Think big. Give back.
Meet some of the people who carry out our founders’ legacy and guide our future.
Jerry Ouimet
President and Chief Executive Officer
Jerry Ouimet
President and Chief Executive Officer
Jerry Ouimet directs the vision and guides the strategic direction of Ames Construction. As president and chief executive officer, Jerry is committed to building on the company’s long-established culture as a builder who encompasses and lives by the values of integrity, loyalty, respect, trust and innovation. Drawing from his more than 30 years in the industry, Jerry leads with an entrepreneurial perspective and applies his keen ability to link people with purpose to grow into new challenges and move forward as a cohesive team to achieve mutual goals.
Jerry earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Finance from St. Cloud State University, and a Master of Business Administration in Entrepreneurial Studies and Risk Management from the University of St. Thomas. Active in multiple industry organizations, Jerry is passionate about keeping the workforce safe, both physically and mentally, and serves as a trustee for the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention.
Tom Bessel
Chief Financial Officer
Tom Bessel
Chief Financial Officer
As Ames Construction’s Chief Financial Officer, Tom Bessel plans, implements, manages, and supervises all of the finance activities for the company, including business planning, budgeting, reporting, and forecasting. Tom came to Ames Construction as the Assistant Controller in 2011 after serving the company for six years prior while employed by a local public accounting firm. He applies his expertise to streamline and maintain efficient operations while adapting to ever-changing needs of both the industry and the departments as the company continues to grow and expand.
A graduate of the University of Minnesota, Tom is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional.
Brent Wilber
Chief Administrative Officer
Brent Wilber
Chief Administrative Officer
Brent Wilber serves as an advisor to the chief executive officer and the board of directors, providing guidance for performance improvement opportunities and strategic planning. Brent collaborates with clients, colleagues, industry members, and the communities we serve to implement policies in support of sustainability, resilience, and delivery of projects. He analyzes existing processes and drives corporate initiatives for ongoing advancement in employee safety and health, human resources, risk management, quality, environmental, and diversity and inclusivity.
Brent brings a broad perspective of the construction industry to Ames, having spent 30 years in operational roles, from labor to executive management. He joined Ames in 2022 after working alongside the company through joint venture and subcontracting relationships for two decades. Brent earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a licensed professional engineer and serves as a board member of Associated General Contractors of Minnesota.
Tim Haycraft
Chief Legal Officer
Tim Haycraft
Chief Legal Officer
Tim Haycraft is the senior legal advisor to the company on all legal and regulatory issues with a focus on managing and minimizing the company’s current and future risks in the marketplace. He has responsibility for Ames legal and compliance departments, with expertise that includes corporate governance, risk management, litigation management, labor, M&A, regulatory compliance, and corporate transactions.
Tim joined Ames Construction in 2020, after being in a construction leadership in-house role for more than 20 years, with over 30 years of experience in the industry. During his career, Tim has worked throughout the United States and Canada with a successful track record in both senior and executive leadership capacities. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in both Public Administration and Communications from Minnesota State University, and a Juris Doctorate from Creighton School of Law.
Justin Gabrielson
President | Midwest Region
Justin Gabrielson
President | Midwest Region
As president of the company’s Midwest region, Justin Gabrielson leads, implements and helps to shape decisions made for the region that align with the organization’s vision and mission. Working collaboratively with clients, project stakeholders, engineers, subcontractors and vendors, Justin oversees regional operations and identifies opportunities to enhance programs, performance and policies, while remaining focused on ensuring our people are put in an environment where they can succeed for the client, themselves, and the company.
Justin joined Ames Construction in 2003 as a project engineer, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree from North Dakota State University in Civil Engineering with a minor in Business Administration. He is a licensed professional engineer, a member of the AGC Minnesota Chapter Board of Directors, and a member of the Minnesota AGC Labor Negotiations Committee.
Jerry Miller
President | Southwest Region
Jerry Miller
President | Southwest Region
As president of the company’s Southwest region, Jerry Miller leads, evaluates and manages regional activities to ensure the development and implementation of a profitable operation, while remaining focused on motivating employees to always be safe, work to their highest potential, and bring value to their role by not only doing things right, but by doing the right things on behalf of the company and our customers. Collaborating with corporate and regional partners, he initiates, develops and establishes the strategic direction of Ames that aligns with the organization’s vision and mission.
Jerry joined Ames Construction in 1996 as a program manager/engineer and was appointed executive vice president of the region in 2011. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Montana State University, where he is a member of the Civil Engineering Advisory Board. Jerry is a board member for the Arizona Chapter of AGC, a member of The Beavers heavy engineering construction association, and an SCCA member.
Tim Odell
President | Western Region
Tim Odell
President | Western Region
As president of the company’s Western region with offices in Utah and Colorado, Tim Odell leads the strategic planning and direction of the regional business objectives to support the organization’s vision and mission. Ultimately responsible for the overall performance of people and projects, Tim remains acutely focused on meeting safety goals, quality standards and client expectations, while identifying opportunities to enhance programs and policies for continuous improvement.
Tim joined the company in 1993. Having worked in multiple regional offices over the years, he possesses a unique perspective of the company’s growth into new markets and expansion into existing markets. Tim earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota, and is a registered professional engineer.
Curtis Bilow
Executive Vice President
Curtis Bilow
Executive Vice President
As Executive Vice President, Curtis provides corporate oversight and strategic leadership to deliver business solutions to Ames partners. His experience and innovative approaches drive business growth across all of Ames markets and geographies. He directs and supports the Business Development team across all market segments to ensure that the Ames mission, history, reputation, culture and capabilities remain at the forefront of building strong business relationships.
Curtis joined Ames Construction in 2005 as a project engineer in our Southwest Region, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Ferris State University in Construction Management. He is a member of a variety of industry organizations, Board and Executive Committee member for the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC), as well as the Chair of the Finance Committee.
Nick Ruba
Executive Vice President, Alternative Delivery
Nick Ruba
Executive Vice President, Alternative Delivery
As Ames Alternative Delivery (AD) lead, Nick Ruba is the corporate single point of contact across all of our regions and with all of our clients, vendors and partners. Working together with the regional AD teams, he is tasked with managing and growing the company’s already prominent position in the alternative project delivery marketplace by adapting to meet fluctuating demands in our ever-evolving industry. Nick is a proven leader who is integral in helping Ames secure projects that can be delivered safely with the highest quality on schedule and budget.
Nick joined Ames Construction in 2014. With over 30 years of prior experience in the construction industry, he gained invaluable expertise while working in nearly every region of the U.S., serving in numerous leadership roles and spanning multiple construction disciplines. Nick received his Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Engineering from Iowa State University.
Shawn L. Dahl
Vice President, Real Estate & Aggregates
Shawn L. Dahl
Vice President, Real Estate & Aggregates
Shawn Dahl directs the real estate portfolio for Ames Construction, with extensive experience in land reclamation and residential/commercial development and redevelopment. He has expertly applied his proficiency in real estate planning and design, along with possessing a keen knowledge of environmental regulation, to develop multiple master-planned communities throughout the country. In his dual role, Shawn is instrumental in conducting assessments and acquiring permits for aggregate operations needed to support specific projects in our respective markets, and he oversees the company’s holdings in a retail aggregate processing operation that serves as a resource to the construction industry.
Shawn joined the company in 1989. He studied Business Management at the University of Minnesota, and serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Dakota Aggregates.
Bob Bruckner
Chief Information Officer
Bob Bruckner
Chief Information Officer
Bob Bruckner leads a team of IT professionals who create, maintain, protect and repair the computer, network, data storage and communication systems throughout Ames Construction. Joining the company in 1997, Bob was tasked with preparing and updating internal systems to handle the anticipated worldwide coding problems associated with Y2K. He remains instrumental in implementing, upgrading and programming technology to ensure IT strategies and processes support company-wide goals.
Highly analytical, Bob researches ever-changing IT trends that drive change, and assesses opportunities that will help Ames stay competitive in the market. Bob graduated with a double major in computer science and mathematics from the University of Minnesota Morris.
Zach Huhmann
Health and Safety Director
Zach Huhmann
Health and Safety Director
Zach Huhmann administers and communicates the Safety and Health Program at Ames Construction, and leads the effort to keep safety top-of-mind every day on every project and in every office. Zach analyzes collected data to identify potential safety hazards, and works closely with our regional safety teams to develop and implement initiatives to reduce and prevent accidents, occupational illnesses, and exposure to long-term health hazards, while promoting the importance of both physical and mental fitness.
Zach joined Ames Construction in 2008. He earned his degree in Safety from the University of Central Missouri, is a Certified Safety Professional and a member of the American Society of Safety Professionals and the Construction Industry Safety Initiative (CISI) group.
Katie Odegaard
Human Resources Director
Katie Odegaard
Human Resources Director
As our corporate human resources director, Katie Odegaard remains focused on strengthening the Human Resources team by supporting and implementing various programs and initiatives in the areas of talent management, total rewards, employee engagement, and compliance. Katie joined the company in 2021, bringing with her experience in the construction and manufacturing industries driving human resources processes, practices, and programs that impact business results.
Katie earned her Bachelors of Science in Human Resources Management and her Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. She holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) certifications.
Jon Beckius
Controller
Jon Beckius
Controller
As Ames Construction’s Controller, Jon Beckius manages accounting functions including financial reporting, payroll, accounts payable, and tax compliance. He joined Ames in 2019 after serving three years as controller for another general contractor and nearly seven years in public accounting serving construction clients.
Jon earned a Bachelor of Arts in accounting and a Master of Science in Accountancy from the University of St. Thomas. He is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Minnesota.
Sue Ritchie
Risk Management Director
Sue Ritchie
Risk Management Director
Sue Ritchie oversees the organization’s comprehensive insurance and risk management program. She teams with senior executives as well as legal, financial and regional representatives at Ames to identify and assess risks that could impede the reputation, safety, security or financial success of the company. She is tasked with purchasing and managing the insurance portfolio, implementing contractual risk transfer strategies, and providing risk financing, budgeting and allocation of insurance costs direction. Continually assessing the ever-changing landscape of construction risk, Sue pursues new and creative ways to address these challenges.
Sue joined Ames Construction in 2018, with more than 30 years of experience serving the construction industry. She holds the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation and IRMI Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) certification.
Chris Ennes
Environmental Director
Chris Ennes
Environmental Director
As Environmental Director, Chris Ennes champions Ames’ commitment of “Working in Harmony with Nature.” He collaborates with personnel across the company to spearhead 21st-century climate change initiatives that challenge the construction industry such as carbon footprint reduction and water conservation. He also provides company-wide leadership for our comprehensive Environmental Management System and chairs our Corporate Environmental Task Force.
Chris joined Ames in 2008 and served as Western Regional Environmental Manager for nearly 15 years before being named to the Environmental Director role. He earned his Bachelor of Applied Science from the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources at the University of Nevada, Reno. Chris has also served multiple terms on the Environmental Steering Committee of Associated General Contractors of America.
Sarah Windsor
Quality Director
Sarah Windsor
Quality Director
Sarah Windsor serves as the leader of Ames Construction’s Corporate Quality Management System, implementing the company’s quality vision and objectives. She is responsible for driving system and process improvements throughout the company with the goal of maintaining and strengthening Ames’ quality excellence.
Sarah joined Ames in April 2023, bringing a diverse background with 19 years of manufacturing and quality experience in a Fortune 500 company.
Sarah graduated from University of Wisconsin-Stout, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in logistics. She is a Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) through the American Society for Quality and an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) through the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure.
Dave Matheson
Learning and Development Director
Dave Matheson
Learning and Development Director
As Ames’ Learning and Development Director, Dave Matheson works to ensure that Ames team members flourish throughout their entire career cycle by providing learning and development opportunities through Ames Academy. He is responsible for building and maintaining a long-term, sustainable employee development program that creates pathways for employee advancement.
Dave has excelled in the self-perform heavy construction industry for his entire career, working in multiple states in the Northeast and Mountain West. For the past 26 years, he has contributed to the success and culture of Ames Construction in roles that have spanned project management, project controls, project scheduling, planning and execution, joint venture management, alternative delivery proposals and execution, and leadership.
Dave grew up in Colorado and graduated from Cornell University with a degree in civil engineering.