Leadership Team
Meet Our Team
Our leadership team knows what it takes to deliver. They are dedicated to superior outcomes for our clients and unrivaled opportunities in concrete construction for our co-workers.
Karl Watson
CEO, ΢²ªÊÓƵ Enterprises
Karl has dedicated his career to the construction materials industry and served on the ΢²ªÊÓƵ Enterprises Board of Directors for two years prior to being named CEO in June 2023. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Management from Palm Beach Atlantic University and an MBA from Rice Business – Jones Graduate School of Business.
During the past 35 years, Karl has served in senior executive roles for some of the biggest names in the construction materials industry, including Forterra, Inc.; Summit Materials, Inc.; Martin Marietta, Inc.; CEMEX; S.A.B. de C.V.; and Rinker Group Ltd. He is currently the Chairman of the Concrete Industry Management National Steering Committee and has also served previously as the chairman of the National Ready Mix Concrete Association and the Florida Concrete and Products Association, and past vice chairman of the Portland Cement Association. He has also served on the executive committees of the National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association; Cement, Concrete & Aggregates Australia; and the American Concrete Pipe Association.
Karl now lives in Houston, TX. He and his wife, Michele, have five adult children and one grandchild.
Dan T. Baker
Executive Vice Chair of the Board and President, ΢²ªÊÓƵ Enterprises
Dan T. Baker began working in concrete construction during the summers in high school. He graduated Miami University in 2003 and returned to construction, this time as an ironworker with Titan Reinforcing. He was with that business for ten years, later serving as its general manager. Dan rejoined Baker Concrete, first as a Board member in 2018, and in April 2021 was named Vice President of BCE. With a firm commitment to leading the company into the next generation, he assumed the roles of Executive Vice Chair of the Board and President in June 2023. His unwavering dedication ensures a seamless transition and sets the stage for continued success and growth.
Dan resides in Florida, with his wife, Brooke, son, Luke, and daughter Vivian.
Jason Uthe
CFO, ΢²ªÊÓƵ Enterprises
As Chief Financial Officer, Jason Uthe is responsible for overseeing ΢²ªÊÓƵ’s financial operations, ensuring the company’s fiscal health and supporting its strategic growth. His leadership covers critical areas including budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and long-term financial planning. With over two decades of experience driving operational excellence at major organizations like Dover Corporation and Procter & Gamble, Jason’s strategic insights and focus on building strong financial frameworks align with Baker’s mission of improving lives through better construction.
Jason holds an MS in accounting from the University of Cincinnati and an MBA from Xavier University, along with a BA in marketing and international business from the University of Cincinnati. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). Throughout his career, Jason has consistently worked with executive leadership to drive growth and financial stability, making him a valuable addition to Baker’s leadership team.
Originally from Cincinnati, Jason is now based in Houston, TX. Outside of work, Jason enjoys staying active, whether it’s exploring the outdoors or spending time with his family.
Rodney Adams
VP, Baker Equipment and Materials
Rodney oversees all aspects of operations for Baker Equipment and Materials, an independent entity owned by ΢²ªÊÓƵ that provides formwork, equipment, cranes, pumps, and more to the business units within Baker. He is a licensed professional engineer with more than 30 years of experience in the design, analysis, and inspection of concrete formwork for all types of concrete structures. Rodney’s design experience ranges from stadiums and high-rise towers to airports and industrial facilities. He has been with Baker since 2015.
Born and raised in Indiana, Rodney got his start in construction as a teenager. He served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army at the outset of his professional career, then transitioned back into the construction industry.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and an MBA in Finance from Georgia State University. Rodney is a long-time voting member of the American Concrete Institute’s (ACI) Committee 347, the leading forum for concrete industry experts.
Paul Amedee, CSP
Vice President of Safety, Health, and Environmental
Paul Amedee ensures every Baker co-worker has the tools and resources to be safe and successful. As Corporate Safety Director, he reinforces Baker’s safety culture, where everyone has a voice and shares responsibility for worksite safety. Paul is also responsible for Baker’s safety management system, which allows Baker to apply enterprise-level data to safety and scale the company’s safety practices as it grows.
Originally a researcher, Paul entered the safety field through training and compliance roles in the petrochemical industry, which complemented his background in education, chemistry, and biology. He believes safety is a people and culture job—and was drawn to Baker because of its people-focused culture. He joined Baker in 2023.
Previously, Paul was Director of Safety for TC Energy. He also served as Global VP of Environmental Health and Safety at BrandSafway.
Paul earned a bachelor’s degree from Nicholls State University in Louisiana, where he was born, raised, and lives today. He enjoys spending time with his family in the outdoors and is an avid bow hunter and bass fisherman.
Gary Benson
COO, ΢²ªÊÓƵ Enterprises
Gary Benson is the COO of ΢²ªÊÓƵ Enterprises. In this role, Gary oversees Project Management teams; monitors the safety performance of projects and supervisors; leads proposals and negotiations for new contracts; and coordinates the necessary manpower and equipment resources to ensure that all obligations and requirements are satisfied.
Gary has been in the construction industry since 1979 and joined Baker Concrete Construction in 1981. He earned B.S. degrees in both Mining Engineering and Geological Engineering from Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology and holds an A.A. in Geology from Flathead Valley Community College.
Gary’s analytical, managerial and problem-solving abilities are key to managing the daily activities of ΢²ªÊÓƵ Enterprises.
Gary is an avid hunter and outdoorsman.
David Boulter
President, Eastern U.S. Industrial Region
David Boulter oversees Baker’s Eastern U.S. Industrial Region, which includes industrial distribution and warehousing, manufacturing, power and processing, technology centers, water and wastewater treatment, and similar project types.
David joined Baker in 2015 as Executive Vice President of ΢²ªÊÓƵ Enterprises. In this role, he was responsible for operationalizing BCE’s strategy and overseeing the development of several companies in the BCE portfolio. Prior to joining Baker, David held COO and CEO roles for a number of global companies, including three years at Kaplan, Inc., an international education company; and eight years at Capgemini, a French management consulting company based in the UK and USA. He also spent 19 years with BP (British Petroleum) Plc in the exploration and production businesses, living in Colombia, Azerbaijan, and the UK.
David holds academic degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration and has served on numerous charity boards, including the Prince’s Trust in London.
Rich Farr
Chief Legal and Risk Officer, ΢²ªÊÓƵ Enterprises
Rich Farr provides legal advice and risk analyses related to Baker’s operations and construction projects and supports acquisitions and strategies to help grow the business. He also oversees labor management, risk management, contracts, and purchasing to ensure Baker assembles the right teams and resources for every job.
Rich’s tenure with Baker started with the contracts division in 1999, where he was a skilled negotiator. Since then, he’s practiced all facets of construction law and gained extensive OSHA and compliance experience. He also practiced at Graydon Head and Richey, a construction law firm, where he was involved in trials, dispute resolutions, motion hearings, depositions, and pleadings.
Rich earned his law degree at Northern Kentucky University’s Salmon P. Chase College of Law.
Ken Fender
President, Eastern U.S. Commercial Region
Kenneth (Ken) Fender leads Baker’s Eastern U.S. Commercial Region, which includes projects as diverse as turnkey, high-rise frame projects; intricate design-build projects; and rehabilitation projects. Ken is vigilant in producing high-quality projects on time in a safe environment for crews, clients, and project partners. Ken also heads up Baker’s design assist efforts with valued clients and is heavily involved in various preconstruction and constructability processes.
Born and raised in southwest Ohio, Ken interned with Baker during his senior year at Bowling Green State University. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in architecture from BGSU, Ken accepted a full-time position with Baker in January 1990. He worked his way through the Baker organization, eventually relocating from the Midwest to Washington, D.C., in 2009.
Ken has served on several local construction trade industry organizations’ boards, including Associated General Contractors (AGC) and the American Concrete Institute (ACI). He lives in D.C. with his wife and two children.
Jennifer Hohman
Chief Information and Technology Officer, ΢²ªÊÓƵ Enterprises
Jennifer Hohman oversees ΢²ªÊÓƵ’s information and technology team. In this role, she channels nearly 30 years of experience in global business operations, program management, and technology solutions toward executing Baker’s strategic technology roadmap to create a competitive advantage for both Baker and its clients.
Prior to joining Baker in 2023, Jennifer worked for such technology and industrial giants as Haliburton, Conoco Phillips, Hewlett Packard, and Seadrill. She has an exceptional talent for synchronizing business needs with organizational goals and objectives to accelerate productivity and growth.
Most importantly, Jennifer is woman of faith, wife, a mother to two boys and three English springer spaniels, a technology influencer, and a community leader. She devotes her time to numerous nonprofits in the fight against sex trafficking and serves on the board of Crime Stoppers of Houston.
Norm Holden
Senior Vice President, Great West Region
Based in Colorado, Norm Holden is responsible for operational oversight of Baker’s Great West Region and DL Baker’s business endeavors in Northern British Columbia. An authentic and passionate executive leader, Norm leverages common sense, confidence, and earned grit, which has aided in the success of several high-performing operational teams.
Born and raised in rural New Hampshire with the personal values of a no-nonsense New Englander, Norm got his start in the concrete construction industry in 1985. He cut his teeth in the residential and light-commercial concrete market before joining Baker Concrete in 1992. Norm earned his Executive MBA in 2017 from the University of Denver — Daniels College Business and has a degree in Architectural Engineering from New Hampshire Technical Institute.
Norm serves on several local construction trade industry organizations’ boards, including Associated General Contractors of Colorado and the Construction Education Foundation. Norm lives near Denver with his wife, Jean, and together they have three grown children.
Martin Jordana
President, Central Region and Western U.S. Industrial
Martin Jordana oversees the day-to-day operations of Baker’s Central Region.
Martin began his career with Baker as a field engineer in 1985 at the Nowlin Tower project in San Antonio, Texas, and has called Baker home ever since. After a challenging start amidst the Texas recession of the mid-1980s, Martin has grown with the company. He has served in several capacities, ranging from preconstruction and project management to leadership. He has worked on a variety of projects across the U.S. and the Caribbean, including warehouses, industrial facilities, commercial buildings, high rises, convention centers, stadiums, and nuclear facilities.
Martin received a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering from the University of Montana in 1984. He calls Houston home, where he resides with his wife and three children.
Kerri Smith Petrillo
Chief Talent and Strategy Officer, ΢²ªÊÓƵ Enterprises
As Chief People and Strategy Officer, Kerri Smith Petrillo is responsible for ensuring the right tools and strategies are in place for building teams that have the skills and knowledge to safely deliver complex projects. Her areas of responsibility include recruitment, people development and training, and related human resources functions. Her passion for and providing co-workers with the means to flourish and achieve their dreams guides her and her team.
Kerri graduated from Walsh University with a bachelor’s degree in biology. As a member of Walsh’s basketball team, she spent countless hours honing not only her athletic skills but also reinforcing the values she learned growing up on a farm in Russellville, Ohio: resilience, authenticity, humbleness, and gratefulness. After a brief foray in sales, Kerri found herself gravitating to an industry and company that shared those same values and joined Baker in 2004.
Kerri lives in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, with her husband and two sons and enjoys anything outdoors.
Matt Ray
Vice President, Northern Region
Matt Ray oversees commercial, institutional, and industrial operations in Baker’s Northern Region.
Raised on a dairy farm in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Matt learned early on the value of planning, preparation, and teamwork. The experience instilled in him the lifelong character traits of hard work, grit, and determination. That philosophy translated well to the construction industry, where Matt got his start working for his father’s residential construction company during high school and college. After graduating cum laude from Michigan Technological University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Matt embarked on his career in commercial, institutional, and industrial construction. After working his way up in the industry over a 20-year period, Matt joined Baker in 2021.
Matt is a professional engineer licensed in the State of Michigan. During his leisure time, he and his wife, daughter, and son like to hike, bike, boat, swim, and take part in other outdoor activities. Matt volunteers as a troop master for Trail Life and enjoys hobby farming and other hands-on projects.