John McAdams

John McAdams is the Founder & Chairman of McAdams, a leading design services company in the southeastern United States.12 He founded the company in April 1979 at the age of 30 and has been at its helm for over 45 years.13 McAdams is based in Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte, North Carolina.1

Career Highlights

• Founded McAdams in 1979, which has grown into a full-service civil engineering, land planning, landscape architecture, transportation, and geomatics firm.23
• Served as Commissioner on the NC Environmental Management Commission from July 2019 to June 2023.1
• Currently focuses on planning and implementing strategic initiatives and acquisitions for the company.1

Education

• BSE in Civil Engineering from Duke University (1966-1970)1
• MBA from Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business (1978-1980)1

Recognition

In 2017, John McAdams was named the recipient of the Jerry Allen Courage in Leadership Award, recognizing his contributions to the engineering and design industry.4

McAdams has grown significantly under his leadership, now employing 473 people across multiple offices in North Carolina and Texas.3