Forty Years of Impact: Lee Burneson’s Journey in Project Management Focused on People, Not Just Projects
June 2025
Welcome to Northstar’s article series, ‘Meet the Partners of Northstar: Guiding Our Strategic Vision & Company’s Success.’ In this series, we explore the experiences and journeys of our partners who have played a pivotal role in shaping Northstar’s trajectory over the past fifteen years.
In the project management business, careers are measured by the projects. But for Lee, it’s not the buildings that are important; it’s the people he’s worked alongside that have left lasting impressions as he has moved through in his career.
The Early Years
Lee’s journey began at the tender age of 17 when he crossed paths with Jerry Bosch, a good friend who introduced him to his father and who subsequently hired him as a construction laborer, setting the stage for a career that spans nearly half a century. The hard work over those early years was worth the effort. In 1984, Lee walked out of Purdue University with a master’s degree in civil engineering and was driving to New England to start working for Gilbane Building Company on his first full-time job in the post-graduate workforce.
Navigating Complexity: A Project to Remember
Lee spent the first five years of his career as a Superintendent/Field Engineer at Gilbane Building Company, during which time he had the opportunity to work with a young 24-year-old by the name of Tom Fanning.
Lee and Tom worked on a difficult, lump-sum school project carved out of a wooded hillside in southern Rhode Island. Lee was the superintendent/field engineer, and Tom was the assistant superintendent. The layout of the foundations and structure for the building was complex, and the surveying equipment of the time consisted of a 100-foot steel tape, a theodolite, and a level. This equipment had none of the electronic and GPS technology used today. Instead, all the math was done with a handheld calculator and written into a surveyor notebook.
As Lee jokingly recalls, “If you think showing Tom how to use the latest Microsoft 365 software is difficult, try teaching the liberal arts major, Geometry and Trigonometry while standing in a giant mud puddle in the woods, with +60 union carpenters, masons and laborers yelling for line and grade so they could work.”
Lee and Tom made it through the next two years together on the project with many trials and tribulations, solidifying the foundation of their longstanding friendship over 35 years.
Friendship Beyond Projects
Lee’s journey continued at Gilbane until 1997, when he transitioned into a development role and eventually became a regional vice president overseeing the Project Management department with Trammell Crow Company, a full-service real estate company based in Dallas, Texas. While at Trammell Crow Company, Lee developed strong relationships with fellow colleague John Townsend, collaborating on diverse projects for corporate clients across the Northeast.
In 2004 after seven years, Lee found himself unhappy being in an executive seat overseeing corporate outsourcing. He wanted to get back to hands-on project management.
Entrepreneurship and The Birth of Northstar
Lee left Trammell Crow Company and started his own firm, Northeast Project Management and over the next five years, he undertook projects secured from past clients in Boston, MA; Newport, RI; Providence, RI; and Charlotte, NC, gaining valuable insight into the challenges associated with operating a business as a sole proprietor. Also, during this time, he realized the limitations of growing a business alone, and so Lee began looking for other like-minded entrepreneurs with which to merge firms, grow the business, and share responsibilities.
Serendipitously, at this time, Tom Fanning, Dave Girard, and Anthony Warren had just resigned from JLL to start Northstar Project & Real Estate Services. None of them knew at the time, but the alignment of their paths would set the stage for spending the last decades of their careers together building Northstar with three other future partners – Kirstin Brown, Chris Packard, and John Townsend.
Lee expresses confidence in Northstar’s ability to continue growing, adapting, and navigating the uncertainty being experienced in the current real estate market. While reflecting on his past, working with large companies and as a sole proprietor, he unequivocally values his role within Northstar, working alongside dedicated individuals with shared goals for future success.
In Conclusion: Reflecting on Lee’s Gratitude
In conclusion, Lee extends his gratitude as he reminisces about his journey, marking significant milestones in his career. What began with four founders united by a shared vision has grown into a team of over 50 project managers, all driven by the same dedication to excellence and collaboration. Lee knows that this success would not have been possible without the unwavering support of clients and consultants who have been instrumental to Northstar’s journey. Reflecting on his 40-year career, it’s clear his legacy lies not just in the projects delivered, but in the lasting relationships built along the way.
Stay tuned for more inspiring stories about the visionary partners who continue to shape Northstar’s journey and contribute to its ongoing success.
