In 1994, William E. “Bill” Reifsteck II, FDBIA, CRIS, attended a meeting in Washington, D.C., at his boss’s request. He told Reifsteck, “Go down there and find out what it’s about, but don’t sign up for anything.” A few introductions and conversations later, Reifsteck let his boss know he had signed the company up for a $10,000 membership. “What part did you not understand about ‘don’t sign up for anything’?” Reifsteck’s boss asked.
The boss would later go on to say it was the best thing that had ever happened to the company. That meeting was one of the earliest meetings of the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) and the beginning of Reifsteck’s work with DBIA.
Bill Reifsteck’s Legacy at DBIA
Fast forward to 2025, and DBIA is proud to present Bill Reifsteck with the 2025 Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award. With over 45 years of design-build experience and a career dedicated to Design-Build Done Right®, Reifsteck has been an integral part of DBIA and the cultivation of design-build into the broader market.
Design-build has been the constant throughout Reifsteck’s career. His first-ever project in 1979 was design-build, and he continues to dedicate himself to design-build projects today. Over the course of his career, Reifsteck has worked on more than 75 design-build projects as a design-builder, Owner advisor and criteria consultant, giving him extensive expertise in several phases of the project process.
A Career Ranging Across Sectors
As his career grew, Reifsteck’s work touched many sectors, including the industrial, healthcare, higher education and public sectors. Reifsteck has successfully climbed the corporate ladder and has held vice president roles at Kajima, The Alter Group, AMEC and March Inc. He now works as Vice President at AECOM.
Reifsteck’s first encounter with DBIA got him hooked, and he has a long legacy with the organization, totaling over 30 years of service. He has held many volunteer and leadership positions at the national level as well as at the chapter level. In fact, he was a member of the original committee that laid the foundation for DBIA’s regional structure across the U.S. He spent eight years as a National Board Member, seven as a Regional Board Member and 16 years across national DBIA committees.
He played an instrumental role in forming DBIA’s designation program and setting the standards for its expansion into the certification program while serving as Vice Chair of the designation board from 2001 through 2009. Reifsteck was also a member of the first class of the DBIA College of Fellows and is the current Chair of the Mentoring Committee.
“Reifsteck has represented exactly what the Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award seeks to honor: significant contributions to the industry through the innovation and advancement of design-build,” Brian Walsh, FDBIA, CEO of The Collage Companies and former National Board Member, said.
Promoting Design-Build in Legislation
Reifsteck was so passionate about the effectiveness of design-build that he became part of changing its future by working with the National Legislative Committee to advocate for design-build legislation in Indiana and Illinois.
His decades of service have given him a wealth of knowledge, and he has often been called on to help improve processes in the industry. He has acted as a subject matter expert on various committees outside DBIA, including the Insurance Risk Management Institute, Lean Construction Institute, Construction Users Round Table and American Institute of Architects (AIA). Through this work, he advocated for design-build by working with these organizations to promote collaborative project delivery.
Many industry leaders have recognized Reifsteck as a valuable project partner and contributor to design-build.
“Design-build is a ‘team’ event, and Bill is the consummate team player and leader,” Don Warren, FDBIA, Founding Member of DBIA and 2025 Brunelleschi Award Winner, said. “Bill is an invaluable design-build partner, Fellow, friend, professional practitioner and advocate for DBIA and design-build.”
Equipping the Next Generation of Design-Builders
With all his experience and project wisdom, Reifsteck sees it as imperative to equip the next generation of design-builders to lead the industry. As president of the Great Lakes Chapter, Reifsteck assisted in the formation of DBIA Student Chapters at Purdue University and Iowa State University. He has also judged the DBIA National Student Design-Build Competition and continues to mentor students about their career choices.
“One of my ‘whys’ in my life is to help train the next generation of design-builders,” Reifsteck said.
Since 2002, Reifsteck has taught thousands of industry professionals about contracts and risk management for DBIA Certification.
Reifsteck sees winning the Brunelleschi Award as an opportunity to keep pushing forward for where he wants the industry to go next. He is dedicated to leading DBIA’s mentorship program and is excited to give back to help the next generation of design-builders find their footing in the industry.