The Design-Build Institute of America, Inc., (DBIA), a nonprofit, membership-based organization, promotes and encourages the growth of the design-build project delivery process, and seeks improvement of the industry through the utilization of fully integrated services in the designing, building, financing and operating of constructed projects. DBIA supports the development of affiliated Regions and Chapters to broaden its impact and increase opportunities for member participation.
Nominate a Leader for Excellence in Design Build
Complete Your Nomination Application Here
Celebrating "How Projects are Delivered" — Behavior Over the Building
The DBIA Hampton Roads Chapter Best Practices Excellence Award recognizes an individual whose outstanding leadership, behaviors, and application of DBIA Best Practices result in exceptional design-build performance. Unlike traditional awards that celebrate "what was built" (the physical structure), this program honors "how projects are delivered." By highlighting the human element—collaboration, leadership, trust, and proactive decision-making—this award aligns directly with the Design-Build Institute of America’s (DBIA) commitment to Design-Build Done Right®.
💡 A Single, Unified Honor: To emphasize the prestige of this program, only one single individual overall is selected as the awardee annually. All nominees across all eligible roles compete directly against one another for this single, unified honor. No runner-up or lower-tier awards are distributed.
📅 Nomination Timeline
• Nomination Period Opens: September 8, 2026
• Nomination Period Closes: October 19, 2026
________________________________________
Who is Eligible?
Nominees must be a DBIA member in the Hampton Roads, Virginia region who has served in a leadership or key contributor capacity on one or more design-build projects completed within the last 36 months (3 years). Eligible roles include, but are not limited to:
• Project Executive (PX): Champions the project's strategic vision, structural alignment, and overall team health.
• Project Manager (PM): Leads day-to-day execution, commercial integration, and schedule/cost alignment.
• Design Manager (DM): Bridges design excellence with constructability, ensuring design integrity is maintained collaboratively.
• Construction Manager (CM): Guides field operations, jobsite safety, quality execution, and trade partner integration.
• Owner Representative: Acts as the critical link for owner expectations, demonstrating "Enlightened Owner" behaviors by actively participating in the collaborative process.
________________________________________
Evaluation Criteria & Weighting
Nominees will be graded on a 100-point scale across six core behavioral criteria:
Criteria Wt. Focus / Core Indicators
1. Early Collaboration 20% Integration of design/construction teams & trade partners
2. Team Culture 20% Psychological safety, DEI, and high-performing "One-Team" mindset
3. Measurable Success 20% Quantifiable improvements in budget, schedule, safety, and quality
4. Owner Engagement 15% Cultivating active owner participation, trust, and alignment
5. Applied Innovation 15% Progressive design-build, VDC/BIM, or modular construction workflows
6. Communication 10% Open-book accounting, transparent reporting, and continuous feedback
Bonus Recommendation +5% Up to 5% bonus score for a cross-disciplinary endorsement letter
________________________________________
How to Submit a Nomination
Complete the formal application form by clicking the link below and submit it along with the required organizational chart to our Point of Contact:
Complete Your Nomination Application Here
Mike Darrow
📞 Phone: 757-373-6540
📧 Email: michael.r.darrow@usace.army.mil