People Who Lead: Ethan Dransfield, Project Manager
We’re excited to introduce you to Ethan Dransfield, Project Manager at Rodgers, as part of our People Who Lead series. Rodgers is built by people with a wide range of experiences, passions, and perspectives—and we believe that diversity makes us stronger. This series celebrates the unique journeys of our team members and the incredible work they do to shape the communities we serve.
What is your role/title at Rodgers? Project Manager
How long have you been at Rodgers? 10 years
Tell us a little bit about yourself (where you grew up, etc.): My name is Ethan Dransfield, and I’ve been a Project Manager with Rodgers for nine years. I grew up in the Lake Norman area as the middle child of seven kids. I was homeschooled from kindergarten through 12th grade before earning my degree in Construction Management from Western Carolina University. Growing up, I spent much of my free time working on my ‘67 Camaro, which I bought when I was 12 (still in progress 20 years later…).
How did you get interested/started in the construction industry? I owe my career path to my dad, who owned and operated a classic car restoration business for 33 years. Growing up, each of my siblings and I went through a rite of passage working for him doing fabrication, bodywork, paint, and final assembly. At the same time, my dad was always working on some kind of construction project, including building the log house we eventually called home entirely by himself, with help from my mom and us kids. By the time college rolled around, I realized I loved both the management side of his business and the excitement of construction. It was an easy choice to merge the two.
What do you like best about being in the construction industry? My favorite part about working in the construction industry is the relationships we build. Money, projects, headaches, and successes come and go, but we are left with the relationships we build with our team, clients, architects, and even the surrounding community during the process. In my almost 10 years with Rodgers, I have found the true value of having a receptive, trusting relationship with everyone involved in the project, which is what I believe sets Rodgers apart from the rest.
What accomplishments in your construction career are you most proud of? My two proudest and most exciting accomplishments in my career so far are building an aviation hangar (my first project as a PM) and building the Sullenberger Aviation Museum. I have a huge passion for travel, and I’m also an AV geek. It was so much fun to merge two of my passions: aviation and construction.
Have you been a mentor or been mentored at any point in your career? What was that experience like? While I’ve never had a formal mentor, my colleagues have been an undeniable source of influence and knowledge at Rodgers from all levels. My upper-level management has especially invested a lot of their time guiding me and shaping my career.
What does Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion mean to you? To me, especially in regard to what we do in construction, DEI means creating a sense of unspoken welcomeness, where people can come together and work toward a common goal of building something, regardless of who they are. It’s about removing barriers and giving each person the tools they individually need to be an equal at the table. DEI also brings in new ideas and perspectives that shape both what we do and how we do it.
What does liveSAFE mean to you? LiveSAFE to me means continuously pushing the standard of what safety is, not just being safe or safe enough per industry standards, but always looking for improvement, educating others, and making safety the core and foundation of what we do.
Why I Build with Rodgers: The people and the projects. I have been fortunate to work on some very unique projects in my time with Rodgers, everything from museums, stadiums, high-end upfits, parks, and everything in between. Rodgers is unmatched in the Charlotte area with the variety of projects we complete. Lastly, the people I work with day to day. I have never run into a single person at Rodgers who is not passionate about what they do and their eagerness to help others where needed.
