Careers Archives - The Dutra Group

The Dutra Group Announces New 2026 Executive Promotions

christine — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 11:31:00 +0000

The Dutra Group is pleased to share several important leadership announcements that reflect the depth of talent within The Dutra Group and our continued commitment to long-term excellence.

First, we are proud to announce the appointment of Bryan O’Sullivan as Chief Operating Officer.

An 18-year veteran of the Company, Bryan has served in multiple leadership and operational roles, including Field Engineer, Project Manager, Construction Division Manager, and most recently as Vice President of Marine Construction. He joined Dutra after earning his B.S. in Construction Management from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and has earned the respect of colleagues and partners alike for his steady leadership, unwavering commitment to safety, and proven ability to deliver complex projects from planning through completion.

Notable projects under Bryan’s oversight include the Oroville Emergency Spillway Recovery efforts and the ongoing Pier G Wharf Extension at the Port of Long Beach. As Chief Operating Officer, Bryan will focus on strengthening operational alignment across the Company while supporting Dutra’s long-term strategic objectives. In his new role, Mr. O’Sullivan will report directly to Harry K. Stewart, President and CEO of The Dutra Group.

We are also pleased to announce the promotion of Steven J. Lee to Senior Vice President of the Equipment Division.

Steve joined Dutra in 1995 as Chief Engineer of Dredging and has led the Equipment Department since 1998. Now marking 30 years with the Company, Steve has played a vital role in supporting Dutra’s operational performance and strategic growth. He is widely respected for his sound judgment, reliability, and unwavering commitment to Dutra’s mission.

In addition to leading the Equipment Division, Steve oversees Dutra’s Rio Vista steel fabrication shop and serves as the Company’s Designated Person for the American Bureau of Shipping. He is actively involved in numerous professional organizations and continues to set a high standard for leadership across Dutra. In his new role, Mr. Lee will report directly to Dutra President and CEO, Harry K. Stewart.

We are also pleased to announce the promotion of JC Krause to Senior Vice President of the Dredging Division.

JC joined Dutra in 1996 as a Project Engineer for Dredging and has led the company’s Dredging Division since 2001. He brings more than 30 years of hydro-engineering and dredging experience to his leadership role. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the

University of Delaware and has been instrumental in advancing the Company’s operational performance and strategic growth.

JC also played a pivotal role in the acquisition of two hopper dredges and led our successful transition into managing these critical assets, strengthening Dutra’s ability to support the nation’s vital ports and shipping channels. In his role as Senior Vice President, JC will continue to lead the Dredging Division with a focus on operational excellence and long-term financial confidence. In his new role as Senior Vice President, Mr. Krause will report directly to Dutra COO Bryan O’Sullivan.

Finally, we congratulate Ryan Abood, VP Delta Division on his recent appointment to the role of Chief Operating Officer of Hanford ARC, a newly acquired, wholly owned subsidiary of The Dutra Group. Hanford ARC is a general engineering and landscape contractor specializing in ecological restoration and heavy civil construction in environmentally sensitive resource areas.

With over 25 years of experience in marine and land-based heavy civil construction projects, Mr. Abood possesses a deep expertise in riverbank protection projects, drought emergency response, marsh restoration, levee erosion and stability repairs, and habitat restoration. Mr. Abood was deeply involved in Dutra’s strategic acquisition of Hanford ARC and assumes his new role in addition to continuing as Vice President of Dutra’s Delta Division. As COO for Hanford ARC, Mr. Abood will report directly to Dutra COO Bryan O’Sullivan.

Select below to view their full profile.

Chief Operating Officer

Bryan O'Sullivan

Senior VP, Equipment

Steve Lee

Senior VP, Dredging

John (JC) Krause

VP, Delta | Chief Operating Officer, Hanford ARC

Ryan Abood

Please join Harry K. Stewart President and CEO, and Bill T. Dutra Executive Chairman as we congratulate Bryan, Steve, JC, and Ryan on these well-deserved appointments. Their leadership, experience, and dedication exemplify the values of The Dutra Group and position us well for the future.

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The Dutra Group Elevates Harry K. Stewart to CEO

christine — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 19:12:00 +0000

San Rafael, Calif., January 10, 2023 — The Dutra Group, one of the country’s leading heavy civil marine contractors, has named Harry K. Stewart as its Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Stewart, who previously held the position of Chief Operating Officer at Dutra, assumes his new role as the company celebrates its 50th anniversary. Bill T. Dutra, who led the company since its founding, will move into the role of Executive Chairman.

Mr. Dutra, who founded the company at age 26, is immediately recognizable by the trademark Borsalino and Stetson hats he wears in tribute to his grandfather, Antone Dutra. Over five decades of expansion, Mr. Dutra has taken the company long associated with the construction and maintenance of the extensive California Delta levee system essential to flood protection for towns and farms, as well as water projects that serve the entire state, into a diverse nation-wide dredging and marine construction company.

“I am proud of Harry Stewart, who is taking my place after 50 years leading this company as we built The Dutra Group into a fine organization committed to supporting our nation’s infrastructure and focused on our customers’ needs,” said Dutra. “I feel very confident that, with the leadership of Harry and his executive team, and all the employees at Dutra, the company will have great success for years to come.”

Stewart joined Dutra in 1983 and held various roles over the next 40 years. He assumes his new role at a time when the company’s markets are strong, with particularly strong demand for marine infrastructure work of all types and record levels of federal funding available to support that work. The company is extremely well positioned to take advantage of the marketplace because of the foundation built by Bill Dutra’s life-long dedication and vision.

“Bill’s unfettered leadership, vision, and passion have inspired all of us at The Dutra Group, and we are all fortunate to have mentored under him,” Stewart said. “I am honored and excited to work alongside our management team and everyone throughout the organization to guide this company into its next chapter and heightened prosperity into the future.”

I am honored and excited to work alongside our management team and everyone throughout the organization to guide this company into its next chapter and heightened prosperity into the future.

Stewart ascends to the CEO role at the same time as he was recognized with the prestigious 2023 “Golden Beaver” Award for Management by The Beavers, the leading association of heavy engineering contractors. The awards will be presented at a dinner in Los Angeles on January 13, featuring an address by Oakland Athletics executive vice president Billy Beane.

“I’m honored for this award, as it is given by my peers, and there is not likely a more honorable award in our industry,” Stewart said. “I’m grateful to The Beavers for this recognition, as they truly recognize what The Dutra Group has accomplished with the hard work and dedication of our entire team.”

As Executive Chairman, Bill Dutra will remain involved in building the vision for the company, including strategic planning and building the capital resources necessary for its long-term growth. That growth will enable the company to continue to play a key role in the repair and replacement of the nation’s neglected and decaying infrastructure, a top priority of the federal government.

“The Executive Chairman has a solemn responsibility to help The Dutra Group navigate for future prosperity and the highest quality of life for all of us,” Dutra said. “I am looking forward to continuing to carry on the legacy of my father and grandfather by focusing on strategic actions that, along with the leadership of Harry Stewart, will let The Dutra Group advance our leadership in this industry.”

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Meet The Dutra Group’s Four Newest Vice Presidents

christine — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 21:00:00 +0000

Congratulations to our new VPs Bryan O’Sullivan, Patty Dutra Bruce, Ryan Abood, and Will Walgren. Our Vice Presidents have demonstrated exceptional leadership, developed extremely competent department personnel, and excelled with managing risk. Each is entirely deserving of this recognition, and I look forward to a continued team effort and with outstanding results.

Join us in congratulating these fine people and support them in helping to lead The Dutra Group into our next phase of growth.

Congrats on your new role! Let’s take it back a few years, why did you choose Dutra?

WW Dutra presented an opportunity to build a career that touches on all aspects of the work we do and also allowed me to focus on the work I enjoy the most.

What do you see as the most important part of your role as a Vice President?

BOS Providing resources, guidance, and leadership to help our team work safely and efficiently.

WW Setting up the company for success in the changing marketplace and then helping to mentor the upcoming employees so they can succeed.

PD Maintaining clear lines of communication between leadership and team members so that Dutra functions effectively. The role of Human Resources is facilitating and supporting the company’s most important asset. I intend to continue my support on many levels, including fostering leadership development, mentoring team members through everyday hurdles, and being available to anyone needing to talk through difficult subjects. As part of the leadership team, I will lead by example demonstrating authenticity and honesty in every role.

RA The most important role I see as a VP is to help support growth while maintaining the safety culture that Dutra has built up over the last decade.

How has your previous experience prepared you for your new role as VP?

BOS I’ve tried to emulate what I see Bill and Harry do.

WW I’ve been able to work with everyone at the company at some point and now have established lines of communication as well as an understanding of what their needs are.

PD I have spent over twenty years at Dutra working to provide a safe working environment and industry leading benefits programs for each employee. My firsthand field experience in the safety department helps me empathize with employee needs while my recent corporate management experience provides a foundation for implementing uniform processes that support all employees. By having the support of industry human resources mentors and the trust of Dutra’s executive team, I am prepared for this exciting next step in my career.

RA Supporting Delta Operations as division manager has helped me develop the leadership required to take on this VP role. As division manager, supporting the successful management of each job is key. However, just as important to the company are the monthly forecasts, cash flows, costs to complete, equipment utilizations, and more. All these directly contribute to our relationships with the banks and bonding companies that support the company.

Who have been your strongest influences in life?

BOS My family, both at home and at Dutra.

WW The peers I’ve worked with for decades, including everyone at corporate and across the board. Everyone from corporate and across the board. You can learn things from everyone and cheat yourself when you think you can’t.

PD My father, Bill Dutra, is one of my closest friends and greatest mentors. He is both my anchor and guiding light. My father is a “myhandshake-is-my-word” guy, and I take the honor and honesty he has instilled in me to work each day. And my mother, Paula Lee Dutra, who settled for nothing less than strength and independence from me.

RA My parents taught me the importance of hard work and consistency. These attributes contributed to my nose-to-the-grindstone mentality that has helped me get to where I am today.

Our Vice Presidents have demonstrated exceptional leadership, developed extremely competent department personnel, and excelled with managing risk.

What led you to your career?

BOS I was a senior in college and saw the Dutra booth at a career fair. All the pictures of barges and water work drew me in.

WW I’ve always been interesting in building things and problem solving. Dutra has been a great fit.

PD I guess you could say I have always bled green and was bit by the family bug! Dutra and the construction industry have been a part of me for my entire life. When I was young, I spent a lot of time traveling with my father, visiting projects, and meeting with the employees. I went to work at a young age and learned the meaning of hard work. It is an environment in which I feel comfortable and the opportunity to work closely with employees daily is a dream come true. I love my job and what I do. Being a resource of support to our entire team drives me each day!

RA Growing up in the Delta along the Sacramento River I wanted to work on the water. I did not grow up knowing much about the construction industry, but was able to get a summer position with DD-M Crane & Rigging; this initial position and relationship eventually introduced me to Dutra, for which I am very grateful.

How would your friends and colleagues describe you?

BOS Cool.

WW Fair and interested in making sure that others around me are successful.

PD I hope they’d say I’m available. I make a special point of being accessible and able to take the time that each employee needs with issues they bring to the table. I strive to engage with all employees compassionately and professionally, making sure they all know they will be treated the same way.

RA Thorough, friendly, helpful, sincere, reserved.

What are you most proud of accomplishing?

BOS When our crews spend an entire year without an accident. I want our team to go home safe everyday.

WW This.

PD In 2018, I was the first woman ever appointed as a trustee on the pension, annuity, health & welfare, pensioned health & welfare, and affirmative actions trusts for the Operating Engineers Local 3 Trust Fund. It has been a challenging and rewarding experience, and I am grateful for the connections and relationships I have made with my fellow trustees. Also, I am proud to be the mother of two young men, and a daily role model for them in terms of love, strength and the value of hard work.

RA Having a healthy and happy family is what I am most proud of accomplishing. This can mostly be credited to my wife, but I’ll take some credit, nonetheless. All that truly matters is having children who are kind, smart, happy, creative and great at what they love.

RA You do not need a leadership position to be a leader. For example, a first-year field engineer can own his or her position by knowing and understanding every detail of the plans and specifications. If you are knowledgeable and confident, others looking for answers will begin to see you as a leader, not because of your position, but what you bring to the table.

What is something surprising people would be interested to know about you?

WW I’m not a naturally good listener. It’s something I’ve had to learn how to do and continue to work on.

PD I have a Master’s degree in history. When I first graduated from college, I wanted to be a teacher. I care about people, and thought teaching would be a good way to support and engage the next generation.

Any advice for those seeking a leadership role at Dutra?

BOS Planning and more planning. We can never plan enough.

WW Start working on establishing peer partnerships both inside and outside the company. The people with whom I interact the most are also the people whom I’ve come up with through the ranks. You are stronger when you have a diverse set of fellow employees and industry peers who you’ve worked with over and over in different roles.

PD I encourage everyone to ask lots of questions and get involved! There is a lot of opportunity for employees and ways to make would be a good way to support and engage the next generation. Little did I know that the graduate degree in history would lead me to not only curating a family museum of dredging but continuing my practice of service in my family’s business.

RA Every year around the holidays I try to make a large batch of linguica to hand out to friends, family, and colleagues. I grind the pork, mix the seasoning, marinate the meat, stuff the casings, smoke the sausage, and pack 30 to 40 lbs. at a time.

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The Dutra Group Recruits Top Talent to Build Their Careers

christine — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 18:25:00 +0000

The Dutra Group has been hitting the road on a search for our Interns! With competition for young talent becoming more intense, career fairs are a great way to interact with emerging talent right on their own turf.

The Dutra Group offers an exceptional paid intership program for civil engineering, construction management, mechanical engineering, marine engineering technology, mining engineering, business administration, computer science and information technology (IT) students at accredited colleges and universities. Working algside experienced professionals – estimators, project engineers, superintendents and project managers – our interns gain invaluable, first-hand experience on a wide range of heavy construction and dredging projects. And we provide our interns with feedback on their work!

At The Dutra Group, we build careers by providing opportunities for development. Dutra is about commitment. It’s a function of our people and the character of our brand.

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Career Development Training with The Dutra Group

christine — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 13:16:00 +0000

Educational Assistance Program

The Dutra Group encourages employees to take advantage of educational opportunities. Whether it’s college classes to complete an accounting degree or tutoring to obtain a Professional Engineer license, we are happy to offer employees access to annual funding assistance in support of their individual educational goals. With tuition fees going up, the company raised the annual assistance limits available. Thanks to what we’ve learned from past surveys, The Dutra Group has made changes to our benefits structure to better serve our people’s needs.

After a nearly two-year COVID hiatus, Dutra will be rebooting the CLIMB program, which provides educational sessions and case studies designed to take employees’ business and leadership skills to the next level.

CLIMB

After a nearly two-year COVID hiatus, The Dutra Group will be rebooting the CLIMB program, which provides educational sessions and case studies designed to take employees’ business and leadership skills to the next level. We have worked closely with an outside consultant to develop customized training sessions that address critical leadership issues and other topics relevant to our business.

The CLIMB program represents a significant company investment in the training and development of our employees. We are delighted to be able to reboot this program and again make available the opportunities it provides. We look forward to getting the Team back together and resuming the CLIMB experience.

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The Dutra Group Prioritizes Employee Needs and Growth

christine — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 12:43:00 +0000

When Dutra employees speak, the company listens! Their voices help us better understand their needs, and they are critical to our focus on retention.

The best way to find out what employee needs are is to just ask! Which we do every year. Our annual benefits survey helps us better understand what’s working well for our employees and what isn’t. Thanks to what we’ve learned from past surveys, The Dutra Group has made changes to our benefits structure to better serve our people’s needs.

After all, what is the value of benefits and develop programs if they aren’t meeting employees’ needs?

Most recently, employees let us know they wanted more paid time off and an increased employer match in our 401(k) plan. The Dutra Group delivered on both! Other changes over the years have included adding lower-cost options for our medical plans, strengthening our vision and dental benefits, and enhancing our educational assistance program.

We recently added in Vitro Fertilization (IVF) benefits to several of our medical plans. As a family business, The Dutra Group knows the importance of supporting our employees’ growing families as well as offering assistance to those who need support to start a family.

In addition to benefits, The Dutra Group is committed to our employees’ development and career growth. How else could we accomplish this, but by investing in our people? We work to enhance employees’ education and development through two key initiatives–our Educational Assistance Program and the internal leadership development program we call CLIMB (Continued Leadership Instruction for Managing Business).

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