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www.HartfordBusiness.com • August 6, 2018 • Hartford Business Journal 19 E ric Cushman began his career at Gilbane Building Co. in 2007 at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport working on a $120 mil- lion construction program. In 2013, Cushman began Gilbane's special projects group in Connecticut. The team's core focus is strategic projects and corporate interiors. Under Cushman's leadership the team has completed over 60 projects, nearly $100 million in construction. Cushman is now one of the company's youngest senior project executives and he still leads the special projects team, including 20 staff members. Cushman also acts as the leader of Gilbane's national special projects/ interiors leadership group. What's been the biggest professional accomplishment so far in your career? Creating our special projects/interi- ors team in Connecticut has been my greatest accomplishment. The oppor- tunities the group has provided for our team members has been so exciting to watch. After countless successful projects and promotions, three team members entered our management candidate acceleration program. How are you involved in the community? I have acted in several roles with the ACE Mentor Program since 2011. I participate in several construction industry groups, including acting as a past leader of the Construction Insti- tute's Young Professionals Group. In April, I joined the board of directors of Riverfront Recapture. What do you like to do outside of work? Outside of the office I enjoy spend- ing time with my wife, Megan, and dog, Koa. I like to travel and do outdoor activities including golf and hiking. Give an example of a people-skills habit you adhere to in your work and daily life. Being kind and treating people as you want to be treated is a simple recipe for success. Also remembering that 'Good things happen to good people,' if you follow your core values with patience, just trust that you'll succeed. What must the Greater Hartford region do to attract more talented young professionals to the area? The state must reform taxes, while maintaining the highest level of pub- lic services and creating opportuni- ties for young professionals to begin families. Millennials want more than micro-apartments. Four reasons why you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty: • Widely recognized throughout Connecticut as a leader in the con- struction management industry. • Is one of the youngest senior proj- ect executives in the firm's history. • Is a volunteer for ACE Mentor- ing and a new board member for Riverfront Recapture. • Created a special projects group that has successfully completed nearly $100 million of construc- tion in five years. Fun Fact My wife, Megan, is my college sweetheart and we've been together 12 years. W illiam Bussey is a decorat- ed 82nd Airborne combat veteran and earned the "Army Commendation Medal" for ex- ceptional meritorious service in Op- eration Iraqi Freedom from 2007 to 2008. After his service was complete, he joined Triple Helix Corp. (3XC), a technology consulting company in the Greater Hartford area. He ini- tially joined 3XC as a project/research coordinator and has moved his way up the ranks and is now the director of operations. What's been your biggest professional accomplishment? Our work at 3XC deeply impacts the operations of our aerospace and manufacturing customers. I get great satisfaction from giving our custom- ers the tools they need to be more competitive and I would say the big- gest accomplishment we have are our tools that do exactly that. As director of operations I get to directly impact our client's bottom line and that gives me a great amount of satisfaction to know I am helping them. How are you involved in the community? I'm a senior instructor for a STEM initiative our company has created called the "Free Range Kids Initiative." We travel to local area middle schools and teach kids how to program and talk about different technologies and career paths they might follow. What do you like to do outside of work? I spend a lot of time building and pro- gramming new internet-of-things (IOT) devices with my son. I've been actively involved in numerous programming competitions and security conferences to help stay at the top of my game. Give an example of a people-skills habit you adhere to in your work and daily life that you feel has helped you succeed. Working as a technology profes- sional, it's important to understand the users point of view. If the user doesn't understand the technology, they're simply not going to use it. I make it my mission to make sure we produce products with the friendliest user experience for our clients. What must the Greater Hartford region do to attract more talented young professionals to the area? We need to help our younger profes- sionals by teaching coding skills in modern programming languages. I ad- vocate teaching these and getting these skills taught in our earlier grades. Four reasons why you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty: • Accomplished leader, directing a team of technology professionals for a leading-edge Connecticut technology company. • Community advocate, guiding and teaching our next generation of young scientists, engineers and technologists. • Commitment, I have proudly served my country overseas and continue to serve our greater community here in the state. • For family, the work I do helps sup- port them, to grow, and to my fellow colleagues with their own families. Fun Fact Can make minute rice in 50 seconds. Eric Cushman Age: 31 Company: Gilbane Building Company Title: Senior Project Executive No. of years with current company: 11 years Town where I live: Glastonbury Town where I work: Statewide College: Philadelphia University, Quinnipiac University Highest degree: MBA William Bussey Age: 33 Company: Triple Helix Corporation Title: Director of Operations No. of years with current company: 5 Town where I live: Bloomfield Town where I work: East Hartford College: Manchester Community College Highest degree: Pursuing associate's degree in information technology 40 UNDER FORTY 2018