IN-PERSON & ZOOM MEETING : Living With Cancer

John Coffman will talk to the Club about Living with Cancer.

About John Coffman

Born in Indiana I got my BS in engineering from Purdue University.  My dream was not to be an engineer in an office but a builder of impressive projects.  My career brought me to Austin which has been our home base since 1984.  I was licensed as a Professional Engineer in Indiana and then in Texas when it became apparent we were going to be Texans for a while. 

Most of my career was spent with Hensel Phelps construction company, a Colorado based company with an Austin office since the late ‘70’s.  Hensel Phelps has a reputation for technical competence which allows them to pursue projects that scare everyone else away.  As a result, their niche isn’t geared toward any particular segment of the market as most companies are.  Because of that I was able to build high rise offices, hospitals, airports, trains, prisons, highways, embassies, high-tech cleanrooms, and restore a 70-year-old tunnel that was on the verge of collapse.  My jobs took me to Hawaii, South Africa, Europe, and all over the mainland US.  My two favorite projects are the 620 bridge over the Colorado River by Mansfield Dam and the US Embassy in Berlin Germany. 

My wife, Rayann, and I raised a son and daughter in Austin where they went all the way through Pflugerville schools from kindergarten through high school.  They each have two kids of their own and still live in north Austin.  My wife, both our kids and all our money went to UT.  A Boilermaker does not stand a chance in our house.