Clyde Burgess and Tom Murphy were celebrated at a lively retirement party in their honor. Coworkers gathered on April 5, 2023, to enjoy food, festivities, and many stories about their more than 60 years of combined service to the company. See more pictures.
Clyde Burgess, VP of W/WW Preconstruction Services – Collaborative Water
Clyde started more than 37 years ago on October 1, 1985. Ron Davoli, Chairman of the Board, said, “Besides his world-famous singing that we’ll all miss at the Christmas parties and for birthdays, he single-handedly started the CMAR work and the Design Build here at Wharton-Smith, which today is our most profitable work by far.”
Tom Murphy, Vice President – Operations Central Florida Commercial
Tom joined Wharton-Smith nearly 24 years ago on August 5, 1999. If you ask anyone what project comes to mind when they think of Tom, the UCF stadium is always top of the list. Ron said, “That stadium put us on the map. At the same time, a big national company was building the arena next door, and the stadium was being built by some little company called Wharton-Smith. They said you wouldn’t get it done, but we did. We opened on time and under budget because Tom Murphy led the way.”
President and CEO Tim Smith wrapped up the storytelling by congratulating both Clyde and Tom for their incredible contribution to the company, saying in part, “Both of you have made an impact on the industry and the communities we serve. Just think about your impact on everyone here in this room, myself included.”
