With CEO set to retire, a Bangor engineering-architecture firm announces new leadership
COURTESY / WBRC
From left, Ray Bolduc, Robert Frank and Doug Whitney are transitioning at WBRC.
Soon to close out its 120th year and following a recent move into larger quarters in Portland, engineering, architecture and design firm WBRC Inc. is transitioning its leadership to advance its vision for the future.
President and CEO Doug Whitney, a senior principal, will retire after leading the firm for nearly a decade.
Shareholders and the board of directors elected senior principal Ray Bolduc at its November meeting to step into Whitney’s position. Bolduc, who joined the firm in 2000 as a civil engineering, most recently served as director of WBRC’s education studio, where he was principal-in-charge of some of the firm’s high-profile projects.
Rob Frank, a senior principal and chief business development officer, was elected board chair.
The new roles will take effect Jan. 1.
To help with the transition, Whitney will serve as the board’s chair emeritus, dividing his time between Maine and Florida.
“Ray is well-known in the state of Maine and we share many of the same connections,” Whitney said of his successor. “I look forward to introducing him to our many great clients and partners in the state of Florida."
Whitney, an architect, joined WBRC in 1980.
During his tenure as CEO, the firm expanded its geographic reach and secured some of the largest projects in its history.
WBRC has been hiring and even expanded during the pandemic.
“Doug is the reason we expanded to Florida and he helped us stay focused during the uncertainty of the COVID pandemic,” CFO Paul Brody said. “Doug was also the driving force behind our recent rebranding efforts.”
Bolduc will oversee WBRC’s executive team as they manage more than 55 staff across five office locations.
WBRC, which was founded in 1902, now employs 58 professionals in five offices in Bangor, Portland, Lakewood Ranch, Fla.; Columbia, Md.; and Birmingham, Mich. Clients in the education, health care, civic/government and commercial sectors hail from New England, Florida and the continental U.S.
Earlier this year, WBRC transformed a former store at 701 Forest Ave. in Portland as its new office, after outgrowing its space at space at 30 Danforth St.
Bolduc joined the firm in March 2000 and led the firm’s civil engineering department before his most recent leadership role as director of WBRC’s education studio, where he was principal-in-charge of some of the firm’s high-profile projects. Those included the recently completed Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center at the University of Maine, UMaine Athletics Master Plan and South Portland Middle School. Recent work includes the Veterans Administration, Northern Light Health, L.L.Bean and over 200 projects for the U.S. Postal Service.
Bolduc has served on several regional and state boards, including American Council of Engineering Companies-Maine, Eastern Maine Community College Advisory Board and Downtown Bangor Arts Collaborative. His professional memberships include the Maine Society of Civil Engineers, American Council of Engineering Companies-Maine Chapter, American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Society for College and University Planning. He is a graduate of the University of Maine College of Engineering.
With nearly 35 years at WBRC, Frank has led major projects over the years, including Maine National Guard Joint Force Headquarters, Cross Insurance Arena, Aura, and Hollywood Hotel and Casino. In recent years as chief business development officer, he has helped bring in some of the firm’s most important projects and partnerships.
Bolduc noted, “He has served on some of Maine’s most important boards during some challenging times and transitions. We are counting on him to leverage what he has learned to help fine-tune our governance and procedures.”
As WBRC’s board chair, Frank will work with fellow members to recruit and mentor the next generation of leadership.
Founded in 1902, WBRC has tackled a variety of projects in recent years. Although the industry was “rocked by escalating costs and supply chain disruptions” in the past two years, said Bolduc, “COVID forced us to step up our game with virtual collaboration.”
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