20 Under 40 - Glass Magazine

Doran L. Chavez Chief operating officer | Reflections Inc. | Waipahu, Hawaii
35
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Education: 1996, Bachelor of Science, Marketing/Small
Business Management, University of Colorado, Boulder
Career: 2004-present, chief operating officer; 2004-01, sales
manager; 1998-2001, estimator/project manager; 1996-98,
field installation, Reflections Inc. Custom Glass and Mirrors,
Waipahu, Hawaii
Personal: Age, 35; born, Denver; engaged to Tracy Jefferson
Diversions: Snowboarding, trail running, golf
Connections: 94-350 Uke'e St., Waipahu, Hawaii, 96797,
808/676-6767, doran@reflections-glass.com, www.reflectionsglass.com
One word description of self: Alive
Favorite Web site: Google
Lesson learned the hard way: Influence can come from
anywhere, however, always be truthful to your unique style.
Early on in my career I tried managing personnel in ways
that were not reflective of my personal style. This created
more negative results than positive.
Favorite sports teams: X Games, Denver Broncos or any
Colorado sports team, University of Hawaii Warriors football
team
Favorite books: Stephen Covey, Michael Gerber, and Jeffery
Gitomer
Favorite music: Any classic or live jazz.
18 Glass Magazine ® • www.GlassMagazine.net
W hile
most executives would consider the client’s satisfaction paramount to
the success of any company, Doran Chavez knows that keeping employees
happy is the surest path to satisfied customers. His experience in the ranks of
Reflections Inc. Custom Glass and Mirrors has helped him develop a close rapport
with his staff. He began working in-house with a crew of four installing glass into
window frames. “An employee must want to be a part of the successes of the organization
in order to satisfy our client base,” he says. His enthusiasm is contagious.
Part of the company’s “cradle to grave” approach to projects is to ensure oversight
of every facet of a job—from planning to fabrication to installation—a
work style that Chavez took to readily. At only 35, Chavez has risen to chief operating
officer of Reflections Glass and continues to demonstrate the thoroughness
for which the company is known. Twenty hour workdays are not uncommon,
but he keeps focused on the goal. “I enjoy a successful installation and completion
of a project; I enjoy the entire process,” he says.
“I have been in the industry for 22 years and have never seen the energy, skill,
motivation and thirst for success that Doran embodies,” says Eric L. Carson,
president and CEO of Reflections Glass. Chavez manages an operation on Oahu
with revenues exceeding $3 million annually and simultaneously runs more than
$1 million of backlog on the island of Maui, Carson says.
The Colorado native plays as hard as he works. A devoted snowboarder, Chavez
makes at least one snowboarding trip to the mainland each year. “An eventual
goal of mine is to snowboard everywhere in the world,” he says. So far he’s snowboarded
in New Zealand, British Columbia, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Anthony Pereira
President | altPOWER Inc. | New York
P eek
behind the scenes at some of the world’s more innovative building
projects, count on altPOWER President Anthony Pereira to be involved.
He was on the roof of Rockefeller Center with New York Mayor Michael
Bloomberg, installing a solar-electric panel system that would generate more
than enough electricity to power all of the 30,000 LED lights on the famous
Christmas tree during the 42-day holiday celebration. He’s at the table in planning
meetings for the new World Trade Center. He flies to Paris to work on a
200,000-square-foot commercial project.
“We do a lot of firsts, but it’s never that important to me,” Pereira says.
“I’m coming from a very sincere interest in expanding the use of solar power
because I feel it’s going to help the planet out.”
Pereira grew up helping out in his father’s concrete construction company,
then earned his bachelor’s in economics from Fordham University. He spent a
semester at architecture school after graduation, but eventually wandered away
to work for Greenpeace. He’d found his niche—design that addresses environmental
concerns—and never looked back. Today, finding new ways to make
solar energy viable and attractive remains Pereira’s focus.
“He inspires me because he’s passionate about his work,” says Andy Allbee,
project manager. “But he’s human. He makes mistakes, depends on other
people and genuinely cares about other people.” His staff also describes this
boss as humble and friendly.
That doesn’t mean Pereira pooh-poohs the impact of his work. “I feel proud
when I walk into one of my buildings,” he says. “It’s a great feeling, and what is
coming down the pipeline will be so amazing.”