Titus Rodriguez
Relentless Ally
A Relentless Ally Heart and Soul
It’s not often someone is asked to make a career pivot after nearly a quarter century on the job. When Balfour Beatty asked Senior Project Manager Titus Rodriguez to do it, he discussed it with his wife first and then headed to California from Texas to help deliver the Caltrain Design-Build Electrification project.
“Now I can say I’ve been working on the railroad,” Titus says melodically with a smile. When talking about the work, the iconic American tune comes immediately to mind for a man who spent his entire career constructing buildings, not rail lines. Known for his remarkable team-building abilities, Titus was tapped in 2023 to join the project when additional senior operations leaders were needed to guide the team to the finish line.
With the Caltrain work now complete, Titus has transitioned to the Park Boulevard at-Grade Crossing project near Petco Park, the home of the San Diego Padres.
Making the Switch
Titus got his first taste of construction working at his father’s company in high school. After graduation, Titus served in the U.S. Army for two years before heading to college and earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology and an associate’s degree in criminal justice. When he came back to construction, he picked up his tools to put up commercial buildings, joining Balfour Beatty as an assistant project manager in 2001.
Titus was at first apprehensive about taking on a leadership position in a new sector, but he quickly recognized that infrastructure projects like Caltrain require similar traits such as servant leadership to be successful as vertical buildings. Servant leadership, he explains, is all about teaching the company’s processes and procedures, then providing guidance, support and acknowledgment as team members do their important work.
Titus is a valued leader at Balfour Beatty because he is a Relentless Ally to everyone in his sphere of influence. He is not only a master of positive communication but also possesses remarkable team-building abilities. He personifies many mindsets and approaches Balfour Beatty sees as keys to success in our everyday work with one another, the delivery of projects to our clients and our standing as a respected contractor in our communities.
Collaborative Relationships
Learning from others and maintaining relationships have served Titus well throughout his career. He recognizes the unique talents and perspectives that each team member brings to the table and encourages open communication and idea-sharing.
“Titus understands that a cohesive team is greater than the sum of its parts, and he actively works to foster connections and build trust among team members,” says Senior Vice President Keith McCoy. “He cultivates an empowering and motivating environment that ensures everyone feels valued and included. The team cohesion then paves the way for collective growth and success.”
On Caltrain, Titus played an instrumental role in doubling the team’s output and production rates. And at the project’s conclusion, the client praised Balfour Beatty’s performance in bringing the electrified train service fully online.
By embracing diversity and fostering an environment of inclusion, Titus encourages the members of his teams to contribute their ideas and insights, leading to richer, more dynamic solutions.
High-Powered Teams
No matter the market sector, one of Titus’s priorities is cultivating high-performance teams. When he worked on the Frost Tower project—a 25-story Class A office tower and the first commercial skyscraper built in downtown Fort Worth, Texas, in more than a decade—Titus helped build a strong and connected team.
Titus believes that on high-powered teams, people not only excel as individuals but also care for each other, show mutual admiration and are willing to go above and beyond.
“Titus shows his team how much Balfour Beatty cares about them and values them,” says Operations Director Chad Brewer. “He builds a strong and connected team by getting to know people and what motivates them.”
Foundational Leadership
Titus, who is a retired U.S. Army captain and served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, credits the military for giving him a strong foundation of leadership skills. While in college, he also served in the Army Reserves and participated in the ROTC program, and upon graduation, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Military Intelligence Corps.
Titus’s military experiences shaped the way he approaches teamwork and devotion to a job. While Zero Harm is our top focus at Balfour Beatty, Titus says he also places high priority on accomplishing the job at hand, something learned from the military’s “mission first” mantra.
New Challenges, New Rewards
Titus’ parents instilled in him that if you work hard and excel in small tasks, you will be trusted and rewarded with greater responsibility. So, when it comes to advice for the next generation, Titus recommends taking pride in your work product and the recognition will come.
But with his latest adventures in infrastructure, he now has some additional words of wisdom for peers at any point in their career: Take on new challenges. “You just may be surprised by what that brings you and how you can contribute in a new way,” he says.
Respect and kindness are essential for Titus. His motto: Do what is right and never take advantage of others. Titus made Balfour Beatty his home because he saw our company as the forerunner of a more professional construction industry where valuing everyone was paramount. A river of change has flooded the construction industry since Titus started. Today, Titus sees partnership as a valued element throughout the industry, and he is proud that Balfour Beatty has never wavered in this approach.