A Century of Service and Leadership
Our History Reflected Through Our Presidents
On July 22nd, 1922, Welton A. Snow, M.R. Harrison, Sr., J.A. Sydow, W.D. Jenkins, J.J. Quinn, Ben H. Halsema, E.S. Ewing, C.B. Floyd and C.R. Donathan founded the Miami Chapter of The Associated General Contractors of America, later to be known as The Associated General Contractors of America South Florida Chapter. The Miami Chapter was only the sixth charter given by the AGC of America.
Welton A. Snow was the one who initiated birth of our association and became our first President. Welton was the embodiment of Miami in the twenty’s; vibrant, unrestrained, and ambitious. The same year as his election to the Presidency of our chapter, he completed work on one of our community’s landmarks, the Stone House at the Deering Estate. He served as City Manager for the City of Miami starting in 1927 which coincided with his second term as President of The Miami Chapter which lasted from 1926 to 1929. Welton’s commitment to our industry was noticed by AGC of America who made him Director of The Building Division in 1933, a position he held until his death in 1962. Mr. Snow was also a decorated veteran of the first and second world war serving in England, North Africa, Italy, France and Germany, he was decorated by three foreign governments receiving the Belgian governments "Officer of the Corps" decoration, France honored him with a Distinguished Service Cross, and Italy gave him an "Officer of the Crown" medal, in addition to a Bronze Star.
Maurice R. Harrison Sr. left such an impact on our community and association that our Lifetime Achievement Award bears his name. He also left behind a legacy of service to our association as his son, M.R. Harrison Jr., and grandson, John Harrison Jr., both served as Presidents of our association. His legacy carries on in South Florida as Harrison Crane Service which is owned and operated by his grandchildren.
Frank J. Rooney’s name was behind many of South Florida’s most famous buildings – his eponymous company was a construction force in the region through the 1970’s before becoming Centex-Rooney, and then the Florida division of Balfour Beatty. Rooney’s extensive list of notable projects include Miami-Dade Community College’s North Campus, Dadeland Shopping Center, and the Bacardi Building which is an icon in Miami. Mr. Rooney served as South Florida AGC’s Chapter President from 1950-1951 before serving as President of AGC of America in 1956.
Harry Touby of Duffey Construction grew tired of having to pass individual Genral Contractor exams at each county or municipality in which he wanted to construct. This led him to spearhead an effort through the AGC to create a statewide license for General Contractors. He was rewarded with license number 001 for his troubles and his partner, Bob Talley, received license number 008. General Contractors benefited from this change with less red tape and better regulation of our industry.
Clifford J. Nagel Jr. (Jerry) became President of Witters Construction Company in 1950. The company was established in Florida by his uncle Ross Witters in 1928. Throughout South Florida are many landmarks constructed by Witters, including the Seaquarium, Yacht Harbour Condominiums in Coconut Grove, The Miami Airport Hilton, The Hyatt in Coral Gables, and the Museum Tower office building in Downtown Miami.
J. Robert Stobs, II (Bob), is President of Stobs Brothers, one of the South Florida AGC’s longest serving member firms, joining in 1948. Stobs Brothers, Duffey Construction, and Balfour Beatty (formerly Frank J. Rooney Inc.). Bob was the last President of the 1980’s, a tumultuous decade for South Florida. During his time on the board, he was witness to the Mariel Boatlift, the rise of the Cocaine Cowboys, and most importantly for our industry the move away from organized labor by the region’s general contractors. Bob’s leadership, and that of his fellow board members and Presidents in that decade was crucial to our association’s survival and ability to adapt to a changing labor environment.
Robert S. Talley (Steve) is the third representative of Duffey Construction to serve as President of the South Florida AGC. This legacy began with Harry Touby, President from 1967-1968, and was followed by Steve’s father, Robert B. Talley (Bob) who served from 1991-1992. Duffey Construction has been involved in several notable projects but one that stands out is the construction of Baptist Hospital in 1960.
Robert S. Talley (Steve) is the third representative of Duffey Construction to serve as President of the South Florida AGC. This legacy began with Harry Touby, President from 1967-1968, and was followed by Steve’s father, Robert B. Talley (Bob) who served from 1991-1992. Duffey Construction has been involved in several notable projects but one that stands out is the construction of Baptist Hospital in 1960.
Michael C. Taylor is one of only three other President’s to serve more than one term: 2014-15 and 2016-2017. The others being Welton A. Snow (1922, 1926-27, 1928-1929) and Fred Howland (1940-1941, 1942-1943). His term was extended to assist with the hiring and onboarding of our current Executive Director, Carlos Carrillo. Michael also has the distinction of being the most recent President to hail from Current Builders, a legacy that includes Charles P. Reid, and Jorge Costas who is now with member firm First Florida. The South Florida AGC’s First Vice President, Deborah Hampton will be the next President to hail from Current Builders and will also be the first woman to lead our association once her term starts in 2024.
Legacies
Family Legacies at The South Florida AGC
Our chapter has a proud history of multi-generational leadership with three different families accounting for ten of our association’s 51 Presidents. This includes the Harrison family; M.R., M.R. Jr., and John Jr., the Witters family; Ross Witters, his nephew Clifford Nagel, and his grandson Craig, the Shafer family; Ronald & Ronald Jr., and the Talley family; Robert B. Talley and his son Robert S. Talley (Steve).
Company Legacies
Our member firms promote a service of culture within their ranks, and this is evident when examining the list of AGC’s Presidents and the companies they represent. Firms represented by multiple Presidents are Sandquist & Snow, M.R. Harrison Corp, Witters Construction, Shafer & Miller, Duffey Construction, Frank J. Rooney Inc., James A. Cummings Inc., First Florida, and Current Builders. In the coming years we expect to add a new President, Deborah Hampton, to the list from Current Builders and another President to the list from First Florida, Andrew Lenahan.
Our chapter has a proud history of multi-generational leadership with three different families accounting for ten of our association’s 51 Presidents. This includes the Harrison family; M.R., M.R. Jr., and John Jr., the Witters family; Ross Witters, his nephew Clifford Nagel, and his grandson Craig, the Shafer family; Ronald & Ronald Jr., and the Talley family; Robert B. Talley and his son Robert S. Talley (Steve).
Company Legacies
Our member firms promote a service of culture within their ranks, and this is evident when examining the list of AGC’s Presidents and the companies they represent. Firms represented by multiple Presidents are Sandquist & Snow, M.R. Harrison Corp, Witters Construction, Shafer & Miller, Duffey Construction, Frank J. Rooney Inc., James A. Cummings Inc., First Florida, and Current Builders. In the coming years we expect to add a new President, Deborah Hampton, to the list from Current Builders and another President to the list from First Florida, Andrew Lenahan.