Pinkard, a leading construction company in Colorado, promoted Leighton Neff to Chief Preconstruction Manager in February 2023. In his first year at the helm, Neff has made sweeping changes to better serve Pinkard clients in providing accurate pricing and constructability assessments for all projects.
These changes are built on Neff’s rich and varied experience with Pinkard. Hired from CSU’s Construction Management program in 2007, Neff began as a project engineer. He has since worked up to project superintendent and manager roles. Neff joined preconstruction in 2018 as a hybrid project/preconstruction manager. In 2020, Leighton joined the Pinkard preconstruction department full-time.
"My experience in the field uniquely positions me to assess the constructability of a project and provide accurate pricing, helping to avoid permitting and funding delays,” said Neff.
“Overworked teams cannot perform at the level our clients expect; avoiding staff burnout is critical,” said Neff. “Our goal is to continue to provide the highest value to our clients in preconstruction services by ensuring my team has all the resources they need and is working at a capacity compatible with driving excellence.”
Neff notes that he is extremely fortunate to work with great partners who truly appreciate the value Pinkard brings to their projects. “I have an excellent leadership team at my disposal who can lend their vast experience to our projects well before we turn a shovel of dirt. Their expertise makes a huge difference in outcomes,” said Neff.
One of these frequent collaborators is Pinkard's Quality Control Manager, Troy Bohlender, another long-tenured Pinkard employee with over two decades of field experience. “Troy works with my whole team on assessing schedules, verifying plans and picking up on small details that are easy to miss but can cost tens of thousands of dollars in delays or rework. He’s an invaluable resource,” adds Neff.
Tony Burke, President of Pinkard, notes that Neff's skills in helping clients navigate the fluctuating labor and materials markets, avoiding cost escalations, and working with architects to optimize project design without sacrificing project scope and design intent make him an invaluable member of the Pinkard team.
"Over the last year Leighton has done an outstanding job as Chief Preconstruction Manager," said Burke. "His experience and expertise in the field, combined with his commitment to providing the highest level of client service, make him a natural fit for this role. The department is thriving under his leadership."
