Rudick Construction Group

Clay Rudick, CEO of Rudick Construction Group, grew up in the construction business developing a passion for the industry early in life, gaining his earliest professional experiences within the family operation. Clay graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he was a student athlete. After college, Clay moved to Dallas and joined one of DFW’s most highly regarded General Contracting Firms where he established himself as an industry leader, building across the United States, delivering quality, timely and cost-effective projects for his customers. In 2017, he launched the Texas arm of the Rudick family of brands, shepherding the new business branch from start-up through to a thriving multi-location operation.

Clay is a family man, finding great joy in coaching, developing and encouraging those around him to reach their fullest potential in life.

Gary W. Rudick, currently serves as Executive Chairman of Rudick Construction Group, providing the multi-state blossoming operation with leadership, a wealth of experience and subject matter expertise across the business’ disciplines. In the early 1980s, Gary founded the Rudick Construction brand quickly establishing a reputation for his ability to deliver high-quality, complex projects on time and within budget. Gary has successfully produced under all delivery methods across multiple markets including Aviation, Education, Industrial, Manufacturing, Medical, Multi-Family, Non-Profit, Public Works and Special Purpose projects.

Gary is a graduate of Tulane University where he was a student athlete in football. In addition to his professional accolades, Gary has been married to his wife, Kathy since 1980, with whom he shares three children and six grandchildren.

Brandon serves as Project Manager with Rudick overseeing multiple greenfield builds successfully since joining the company in 2017. He attended Louisiana State University and earned his degree in Construction Management, graduating in December 2016.  Since that time, he has demonstrated himself to be a diligent, reliable professional gaining experience in manufacturing, institutional, office and interior finish out in varying construction types such as title wall, conventional steel and PEMB.

Brandon’s positive attitude and pride in his work make him a worthwhile addition to any project.  He is detail oriented and strives to uphold standards of quality and safety consistent with expectations set by the company as a whole.

Josh, a graduate of Louisiana Tech University, is an agile and flexible professional who currently serves as Project Manager with Rudick Construction Group. Josh brings a wealth of experience to Project Management including former roles as Louisiana’s Safety Officer and Preconstruction Manager.  He brings several unique builds that speak to his skill sets as an innovative problem solver. Josh brings a wealth of experience both in office, as well as in the field, coupled to Quality Control attributes specific to the Healthcare Industry. 

Mike Roberts, Chief Operating Officer, of Rudick Construction Group, joined the operation in the spring of 2017 and currently oversees the company’s Pre-Construction and Finance departments. Mike is a Dallas native who grew up in the construction industry, earning his degree in Construction Management from Northlake College. After graduation, Mike quickly established himself as an exceptionally detail oriented, highly accurate Pre-Construction estimator within the DFW Metroplex. Mike plays an integral role in the company’s overarching growth strategy with responsibilities across all offices and divisions as the company’s primary architect and driver behind its rapidly scaling Pre-Construction services department.

Ryan has been working in construction across Texas and Louisiana for the last twelve years, prior to joining the industry, he worked offshore servicing operational rigs, pipeline, and response to the BP Oil Spill. Ryan’s focus in commercial construction has been commercial and master planned communities with special features; pools, crystal lagoons, splashpads, parks, bridges, playgrounds, and hardscape construction. Ryan takes great pride in successfully completing his projects on time, under budget, with 20% profit for the company and a happy customer at the end of the day.

Ryan is originally from Baton Rouge, earning his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from LSU. Together with his wife, Renee, they share three children: Charlie (7), Kate Louise (5) and Camille (2).

Jillian was born and raised in Lafayette, graduating from STM and UL Lafayette. She holds a Master’s in Business Administration and is a proud alumna of Phi Mu Fraternity, Alpha Sigma Chapter, where she earned a love for volunteerism and non-profit organizations.

Before joining us, she served her community with Lafayette Economic Development Authority’s Opportunity Machine and the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra. She is also recent graduate of Leadership Institute of Acadiana’s Class XXXV! She looks forward to representing us in the Lafayette community as the incoming President of The705, Acadiana’s professionals’ organization, which connects and networks local Leaders with business and charitable organizations.

In her personal time, she loves travelling; attending live music events; wedding planning with her fiancé, Ashton; and most of all, spending time with her family, friends, and Westie, Winston.

Lee Sawyer, a Dallas native and graduate of the University of North Texas, joined Rudick as Vice President of Business Development under the Rudick Innovation & Technology sector of the business in 2018. Since that time, he has grown into his role and is now leading our expanding Austin, Texas office where he touches all points of the branch’s business operations.

Lee leverages his background in business development to identify new opportunities and nurture meaningful relationships, expanding Rudick’s footprint in the Central Texas Region. Additionally, he is an active member, and Chair, for Emerging Leaders Group for the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), an active member of Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA), NAIOP and ULI.  Lee has been in Austin since 2011 and married his high-school sweetheart, Brittany, together they share two daughters.

Leigh Ann Ripka serves as Senior Director of Culture and Marketing for the Rudick Construction Group’s growing operation across Texas and Louisiana, earning her bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Her professional experience spans several industries from oil & gas, healthcare, maritime, nonprofit, and commercial construction with a core focus in Business Development and Marketing. In 2022, she spearheaded Rudick’s rebranding efforts, driving internal and external marketing collateral redesign in both digital and print format across multi-media platforms, as well as, crafting the overall corporate strategy from concept through to launch. Her current initiatives include actively growing Rudick’s culture department and transitioning into a growing role within the organization as lead for the company’s Organizational and Talent Development efforts. She is charged with internal and external relations aimed at elevating Rudick’s mission, values and corporate culture in every market in which we operate.  However, if you ask her what her what most important role is in life, she’ll tell you it’s the part of Mom, she is most proud to play.

Jamie Simon, CFO of Rudick Construction Group, joined the organization in 1987 and is presently our most tenured employee behind our founder, Gary Rudick. Jamie graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a BSBA in Finance. Her oversight touches all aspects of on-going accounting functions which include receivables, payables, payroll, job costs, bank reconciliations, financial statements, insurance and employee benefits. Additionally, she is responsible for controlling company cash flow and forecasting company finances, budgeting, expense control and record control.

Jamie’s seniority within the company also means she frequently acts as an advisor to the executive team, steering the company through its corporate growth strategy initiatives with wisdom garnered from decades of experience within the Construction Industry.  Jamie and her husband Kerry share two children and one grandbaby. 

Susan Doty joined Rudick as Controller, based in our Dallas Office, bringing three decades of Construction accounting experience to the growing operation across Texas and Louisiana. Susan graduated from The University of Texas at Arlington and is a Certified Public Accountant issued by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. Susan’s accounting specific experience in the AEC industry, targeting corporate growth strategy, aligned ideally with Rudick’s overarching long-term goals, making her an ideal candidate to join Rudick’s accounting department. 

Belinda Boyle, retired from Rudick Constructiion Gorup as Vice President of HR and Payroll, now works within the company on a consultancy basis, is a graduate of the Nebraska College of Business where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a core focus in accounting. She began her career in construction in 1983 when her family relocated to the Dallas area and she started working for a large contracting company. Several years later, Belinda and her husband opened a general construction and electrical company where she operated as the day-to-day Office Manager and Accountant. In 2018, she joined Rudick’s Texas based operation leading and establishing the firm’s Accounting and HR functions. Outside of the office, Belinda has two children and two grandbabies that fill her days with immense joy.

Gary, a Superintendent for Rudick Construction Group’s Austin operation, graduated from Dallas County Community College and has been in the construction industry for more than 40 years. His experience includes various built environments, including mixed-use, office, medical office buildings, industrial, retail centers, special purpose facilities, and financial institutions.

Joe Pryor, a Dallas native, is a graduate of Texas A&M Commerce, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management. Joe presently serves as Senior Superintendent and Director of Lean Applications for the Rudick Construction Group, joining the organization in 2019. Joe was introduced to the industry at 16 when he began working in his father’s masonry business. After college graduation, Joe transitioned to commercial general contracting with responsibilities on complex, high value projects in excess of $500m, notably, the Toyota North America facility in Plano, Texas. Joe’s experience spans several industries including manufacturing, industrial, food and beverage, K-12, Religious, Medical Office Building, Hospitality, Entertainment. Parking Structures and Multi-Site Development. Additionally, he has experience in various construction methodologies such as high rise, title wall, and conventional steel.

Outside of his professional accomplishments, Joe is called Dad by two girls. Together with his wife, they are active and proud supporters of the Great Strides Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Monique is from South Louisiana and provides administrative support to Rudick’s operation across Louisiana and Texas.  She holds an associate degree in Business Administration from Brazosport College. Throughout her career she has garnered extensive experience in Accounting Administration in areas such as Receivables, Payables and Payroll.  In addition, she frequently acts as support for Human Resources while balancing accounting support functions and Office manager responsibilities.  Monique enjoys a fast paced environment where she is able to adjust and navigate the day-to-day schedule of an active office as she loves helping teammates come together to complete individual projects. Monique has two kids who are her pride and joy as she lives for her family. 

Richard, a Senior Superintendent in the Austin area and has been in the construction field for over 40 years; he started in San Antonio building custom residential homes. Richard had big dreams and wanted to build big things. His experience in commercial construction landed him in managing a variety of project types from industrial, manufacturing, high-rise office and big-box retailers. Richard has excellent interpersonal and communication skills and has worked closely with major developers and clients such as American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Wal-Mart, and Texas Instruments.