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.
An Untraditional Path to Being a Principal at Northstar.
Dave Girard’s career journey began in the maze of Boston and Cambridge’s city infrastructures. With a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s in geotechnical engineering, Dave tackled complex below-grade projects in urban environments, which drove his need for creativity and precision in problem-solving. His early days were spent overseeing the below grade portions of multiple large-scale developments.
Dave honed his experience working on geotechnical and environmental projects at GEI Consultants and later with Haley & Aldrich. Advancing from engineer to senior engineer and senior project manager, he quickly moved up the ranks into management and mentorship as he obtained his professional engineering license. His portfolio includes managing complex below-grade, multi-building structures on Boston’s historic waterfront, where the buildings sit partially on land and overwater, coordinating up-down construction for a sensitive multi-use building with four levels below grade and five above; and overseeing the top-down construction of a 695-car, flat-slab, post-tensioned below-grade parking garage. Each project taught Dave something new and helped him become a critical thinker and problem-solver.
