Effective April 1, 2020, Doug took over as the Chairman for the CFMA Heavy/Highway Committee, after serving as the Vice Chairman for the past two years. We would like to use this opportunity to get to know Doug better and to discuss some of the specific areas within CFMA’s heavy/highway community that he hopes to address during his two-year term. We should start with the fact that he is known to all his friends and colleagues within CFMA as Doug, so if you are looking to find him at next year’s Annual Conference & Exhibition, do not look for Robert Smith.
Doug grew up in Southwestern Pennsylvania and graduated from Waynesburg University in 1978. He worked for three years at a regional CPA firm in Wheeling, WV and moved to Beckley, WV in 1981. He was a partner in a large local CPA firm until 2006 and in October 2006, he joined Vecellio Group, Inc. (VGI) as its Senior VP of Finance. Doug has also served as Secretary and Treasurer of VGI. For those that may not be familiar with VGI, it is based in West Palm Beach, FL and operates primarily in Florida, North Carolina, West Virginia, and contiguous states. Operations include roads, bridges and paving, mining of aggregate, asphalt plant production, and petroleum terminals and services. Doug works with his finance group focusing on accounting, tax, and other financial needs that are required for VGI.
Doug is currently an active member of the South Florida chapter of CFMA. He has been on the CFMA Heavy/Highway Committee for many years prior to assuming his current leadership role. When reflecting back on past CFMA experiences, it was clear that the Annual Conference & Exhibition was a major highlight. According to Doug, “When I first got involved with CFMA, we really focused on the Conference. Each one provided an outstanding opportunity to expand upon our collective financial construction knowledge as well as have fun with co-workers and colleagues. CFMA has been a great resource of knowledge and new relationships. The people I have met through CFMA are the ones I call for advice and input when something arises in the construction area.”
When asked what advice he would offer young professionals in the industry, Doug was quick to respond, “Join CFMA…take advantage of the webinars and other training opportunities. Find an area that interests you and get involved. You will not be disappointed!” During our interview with Doug, we also asked about his current role as the CFMA Heavy/Highway Committee Chairman, and what he was hoping to accomplish over the next year. Doug stated that the current committee had a great mix of both General and Associate members who were all focused on providing the heavy/highway community with relevant and timely resources. The committee would continue to focus on providing outstanding content for heavy/highway specific tracks at the Conference as well as increase the dissemination of relevant content beyond. One of these such venues is Talking Heavy, CFMA’s quarterly electronic newsletter, focused on issues relevant to heavy/highway contractors. Doug hopes to expand the readership of Talking Heavy, increase overall participation by heavy/highway members, and be a resource for CFMA’s heavy/highway members.
When Doug is not busy at work or assisting fellow CFMA members, he enjoys spending time with his family, attending church, and being outdoors. His annual family vacations are always the highlight of his year and, if everyone is able to join in, they max out at 19. Those family vacations are always great trips and provide the perfect family time together, especially spending time with his nine grandchildren, ranging in ages from 5-18. Doug also enjoys golfing and fly-fishing with friends when time permits and finds reading to be very relaxing.