Thomas D. Verti
Go to Oral HistoryReturn to Biographies & Oral Histories Home
In 2009 Tom Verti stepped down as president of Pankow Operating, Inc., the general partner of Charles Pankow Builders, ending a career with the company that spanned four decades.
A native of Southern California, Verti matriculated at the University of Washington on a football scholarship. In 1971, he earned a B.S. degree in Architecture, Building Technology and Administration.
Upon graduating, Verti took a job with Monroe Construction, a local (Seattle) firm, even though he had interviewed with Charles Pankow, Inc. Six months later, he accepted an invitation from CPI’s operations manager, Bob Carlson, to work for the Pankow firm.
He spent the next eight years in the field, including four years as project superintendent. In 1980 he was promoted to project sponsor. Five years later, he was promoted to vice president and Southern California regional manager.
In the early 1990s, Verti briefly headed the company’s new office in San Diego. In the context of recession, expected work did not materialize. The office was closed and Verti returned to the corporate office in Altadena.
Verti briefly served as president of the company in the wake of the May 1997 retirement of President Dean E. Stephan. At the same time, Richard M. Kunnath became CEO, while Charlie Pankow remained chairman of the board. In short order, Kunnath was named both CEO and president. Verti became senior vice president, a position he held until Charlie Pankow passed away.
Following the death of Charlie Pankow, in January 2004, Verti was one of six executive managers who formed a controlling general partnership as part of the company’s reorganization. Verti was named president of the general partner, a position he retained until his retirement.
Throughout his career, Verti championed design-build and innovative concrete technologies. For his efforts and accomplishments, he received numerous awards. For instance, in 1999 the American Concrete Institute honored him with its Roger H. Corbetta Concrete Constructor Award for “significant innovation in concrete construction.” He also received the Sam Hobb Service Award from the local ACI chapter in Los Angeles.
A former fellow and board member of the ACI, Verti was named president of the organization in 2006, becoming the third Pankow executive to hold the post. In this regard, he followed in the footsteps of Charlie Pankow (1980) and Dean Stephan (1994).
