Design-build could never have shifted from an alternative approach to the mainstream delivery method it is today without industry leaders dedicated to advancing Design-Build Done Right® and promoting it as a procurement approach of choice. Each year, DBIA honors individuals, agencies and Owners who have advocated for, promoted and engaged in standout design-build work.
We are no longer accepting nominations for this year’s leadership awards.
Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award
The Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor DBIA bestows. It is presented to an individual who has made significant contributions to the design and construction industry through outstanding leadership and the advancement of integrated design-build project delivery. Each recipient of this award has demonstrated originality, vision and breadth over the course of their professional life. In addition, each has dedicated 30 years or more of strong and well-documented commitment to design-build project delivery.
Winners will be honored at the 2025 Design-Build Conference & Expo this November in Las Vegas, NV.
See list of Brunelleschi Award winnersCongratulations to our 2025 Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award winner
William E. Reifsteck, II, CRIS, FDBIA!
For more than 45 years, Reifsteck has played a pivotal role in shaping and refining design-build best practices, leaving a legacy that continues to influence the architecture, engineering and construction industry nationwide.
Reifsteck’s design-build career began in 1979, and he has since guided more than 75 projects across sectors including industrial, higher education, healthcare and the public sector. Early in his career, he introduced collaborative delivery to the U.S. auto manufacturing industry, leading projects for General Motors and Saturn that set a precedent for industrial construction. He helped pioneer public-private partnerships through work on San Francisco’s Oracle Park and delivered California’s first certified net-zero educational facility for the Los Angeles Community College District, a national milestone in sustainable design-build.
Within DBIA, Reifsteck’s influence has been equally transformative, serving in national and regional leadership roles for more than three decades. He helped establish DBIA’s Chapter system, guided the development of designation and certification programs, and continues to chair the College of Fellows Mentoring Committee. These efforts have professionalized design-build practice while preparing the next generation of leaders.
DBIA is proud to honor Bill Reifsteck as the 2025 Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
Learn more about Reifsteck’s accomplishments in our Design-Build Delivers Blog.
Distinguished Leadership Awards
DBIA’s Distinguished Leadership Awards are presented to individuals who have demonstrated leadership in advancing effective design-build practices and promoting design-build as a project delivery method of choice. Past Leadership Award categories include Owner, Industry Practitioner, Student (undergraduate or graduate), Faculty/Academia, Legislator and Young Professional (35 or younger).
Winners were honored at the 2025 Design-Build Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, NV.
See list of Leadership Award winnersCongratulations to our 2025 Distinguished Leadership Award winners!
Learn more about their accomplishments in our Design-Build Delivers blog.
Unrelenting Navigator for Governmental Excellence and Results (UNGER) Award
Named after and dedicated to former DBIA President Craig Unger, FDBIA, with over 30 years of federal public service, in recognition of his extraordinary leadership and lasting impact on the industry. This honor is awarded to professionals in the design-build industry who go above and beyond to advance excellence in the Federal sector.
Congratulations to our 2025 UNGER Award winner, Craig Unger, FDBIA
Craig’s leadership journey spans decades of service and accomplishment. He is Principal and CEO of Unger Security Solutions, LLC, a firm he founded after retiring from the federal government in 2003. He served 26 years at the U.S. Department of Justice, including as Procurement Executive for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, before being appointed the Justice Department’s Federal Detention Trustee in 2001. He reached the Senior Executive Service level, served as DBIA President from 2003–2004 and was honored with DBIA’s highest award, the Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award, in 2014. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, published author, lecturer and expert in acquisition management and alternative dispute resolution, Craig has shaped the industry in countless ways.
DBIA’s Executive Director & CEO Lisa Washington, CAE, called Unger’s vision and leadership unmatched. “Craig’s vision and leadership have shaped design-build in the federal marketplace like few others,” she said. “The UNGER Award not only honors his extraordinary contributions but also ensures his sharp insight, deep knowledge and unwavering commitment will serve as an enduring reminder of the tremendous impact of this remarkable leader and of the high bar he has set for us all.”
By naming this award after him, DBIA recognizes what so many already knew: Craig Unger is an unrelenting navigator. He has charted new paths for design-build in the public sector, guided colleagues and protégés with loyalty and confidence and insisted on possibilities where others saw only barriers.
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