Meet The Staff: Danny Palmer, Construction Services Division Manager
Meet the Staff: Danny Palmer, Construction Services Division Manager
Danny joined BSK Associates 17 years ago as a special inspector while studying at Fresno State. Now, as our Fresno Construction Services Division Manager, Danny uses his wealth of experience to lead construction projects and ensure the safety of our community. His dedication and problem-solving skills have been a cornerstone of his career at BSK.
Interviewer: Hi Danny! Can you tell me a little about where you are from. Where is your hometown and where did you go to school?
Danny: I was born in San Diego and moved around a little because my dad was in the Navy. After my dad got out of the military, we moved to Oakhurst, CA. That is where I consider my hometown. I was homeschooled from 2nd grade through graduating high school (Mountain Home School and Glacier High School), with the sole exception of my freshman year, which I attended Yosemite High School. I graduated valedictorian, ASB President, and Cross-Country Team Captain (although that wasn’t the hardest thing because I had a graduating class size of 7). I was accepted to West Point and Fresno State University, but I decided to stay out of the military and go to Fresno State. I received a B.S. degree in Construction Management.
Interviewer: How long have you worked for BSK and what do you do for the organization?
Danny: I actually started working for BSK as an independent special inspector shortly after starting college at Fresno State in Fall of 2007. I was uniquely placed because I was living in the dorms on campus, and BSK needed a fireproofing inspector for the Henery Maden Library that was under construction on campus at the time. After that project, I was officially hired as an “intern” at BSK the following summer. So, I have been working for BSK 16 years officially, but technically 17 years. I just turned 36, so I am right at the cusp of being at BSK for half of my life. I am presently the Fresno Construction Services Division Manager. I help get and manage construction projects that we perform special inspections and material testing for. When needed I still go out in the field and perform special inspections and testing to make sure we get the work covered.
Interviewer: What do you enjoy most about your job?
Danny: I enjoy solving problems and being an advocate for my employees. I get great satisfaction in helping to keep our community safe by being a part of the team that makes sure that structures are built to code.
Interviewer: Can you tell us your favorite on the job story?
Danny: How can I choose only one? While I wouldn’t call many of my stories “fun”, there were definitely some crazy things that have happened over the years. From driving by a truck that was in flames on the side of the road that happened to be one of BSK’s (it had spontaneously combusted while driving), to a dead body being found on a jobsite, it has not been a dull time here. I guess if I must choose…
A long time ago, when I was still out in the field as a technician/inspector, I was on a project from hell. For the first year of the project BSK was only allowed to have one person performing the work. It consisted of several hundred yards of concrete almost every single day, where I had to test every single truck (approximately every 15 minutes), even if it was blazing hot or freezing cold. Some of the other field personnel tried covering the project, but all of them ended up refusing to cover the work because it was so taxing. By the second year of the project, I was finally allowed to have a second person helping. One of those people was Jim Growdon. Jim gave me the nickname Taz because I was just a whirling blur with how fast I was performing the work. It was some tough work, but there was also some down time occasionally waiting for concrete trucks to show up. In those short gaps of time, I got to connect with Jim and hear about his son that had passed away. BSK has basically been like family, and despite the difficulties of the work itself, this was a time that I really felt that closeness.
Interviewer: Thank you so much for answering all these questions today. Can we leave off by you relaying some fun facts about yourself?
Danny: I am an Eagle Scout. I have 5 kids (including 1 set of mirror image identical twins), 5 cats, and 2 dogs. I own and drive a school bus known as the Cool Bus, for my family vehicle. I still play competitive soccer (both indoor and outdoor adult coed leagues). My wife just recently got legally adopted (her parents died, we found a couple that wanted grandkids,…). I enjoy tinkering/designing/inventing. I enjoy cooking, art, camping, and playing sports (although not a big fan of football or baseball).
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