Locations
DPR Constr.
Safety/Prequal/Craft
Key Contacts
Owners, Principals & Senior Executives
Chris Bontrager's Bio
When George Pfeffer graduated from Brown University with his electrical engineering degree, construction was only one of the industries he considered. Uninspired by potential positions in marketing and product development, his passion for solving problems and love of human interaction, not to mention his summers wielding a hammer on a jobsite, made him a natural builder.
George has amassed many success stories during his more than 25-year construction career. He joined DPR in 1992 as a project engineer and then became DPR’s Redwood City office Regional Manager in 1999, overseeing the company’s largest office for seven years before his leadership and expertise were required full-time back in the field. In late 2005, long-standing customer, Genentech, called upon DPR for its 450,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility expansion that needed to be completed in 16 months after rebid, a project that many called impossible. George, who does not back down from a challenge, was the only person for the job and spent the project’s duration in Vacaville, Calif., successfully completing the world’s largest cell culture biotech manufacturing facility two weeks ahead of schedule and on budget. Now, with his personal reputation as a builder unmatched in the industry and as a member of DPR’s Management Committee, serving as company president, George strives for balance as he helps drive the strategic direction of the organization while enjoying every day in the office and at home.
Doug Woods's Bio
The D of DPR Construction, Doug Woods was one of DPR’s three co-founders. Doug’s passion for building started at an early age. The son of an engineer, Doug grew up in homes that he helped build. In July of 1990, Doug, Peter Nosler and Ron Davidowski started DPR and have since nurtured it into a multi-billion dollar company.
For Doug, success was hard to define. As the co-founder with the audacious vision, Doug always had one eye on the future, looking for ways to continuously get better and for new opportunities that move the company forward. According to Peter and Ron, Doug was the one with the “believe it and it will happen” attitude, and Doug demanded more from himself than anyone. With 35+ years of technical expertise, Doug served on DPR's Board of Directors as CEO until his passing on May 19, 2021, participating in strategic planning and helping to take care of customers and employees. In November 2015, the three co-founders (D, P and R) were honored by the San Francisco Business Times with a Most-Admired CEO award.
Michele Leiva's Bio
Michele Leiva joined DPR in September 1990 as our sixth employee and was responsible for everything from payroll to accounts payable/receivable for the then construction industry start-up. In her 20th year with DPR, Michele joined the Management Committee as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). In 2013, Michele was among 14 CFOs honored by the Silicon Valley Business Journal for “changing the landscape at some of the biggest and fastest-growing companies in Silicon Valley,” and was named the 2013 CFO of the Year in the Private Company category. Michele is a big sports fan, especially of hockey, baseball and college football, and loves to cheer at games – sometimes too much.
Other
Chris Bontrager's Bio
Chris Bontrager is DPR’s Business Unit Leader in Atlanta, which serves customers in Georgia and operates as part of DPR's Southeast region. Chris was hired by Hardin Construction in 2000, and joined DPR when it was acquired in 2013. Over the years, Chris has held roles of increasing responsibility from project manager to project executive, leading to his appointment as DPR's Atlanta business unit leader in 2016. Chris also serves on the company’s Southeast region leadership team. With nearly three decades of construction experience, Chris’s leadership expands across the company’s core markets including construction in higher education, commercial office, advanced technology, healthcare and life sciences. Chris has a heart for the community and can often be found giving back to organizations that positively impact the city and region.