Justin Sage Gay is a successful leader who continuously delivers challenging programs while ensuring safety, quality, and sound business processes are adhered to. He is an industry professional with over thirty years of progressively demanding responsibilities. An effective leader of technicians, engineers, crafts-persons, and professional staff of all levels, he is known as an active listener who leads ordinary teams to exceptional results. Leadership through service is his core managerial approach.
In July 2022, Gay was promoted to be the deputy district engineer and chief of the Programs and Project Management Division. As one of two principle deputies for the district commander, Gay is responsible for oversight of the district’s Civil Works, Military, and Interagency and International Services programs. His previous assignments include Department of Veterans Affairs Major Construction branch chief, Interagency and International Services branch chief, and project and program manager for the Los Angeles District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Gay also served four years supporting the Japan alliance delivering a robust nationwide military construction program as chief of the Navy & Marine Corps Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Japan District. The mission of the Corps is to provide vital public engineering services in peace and war to strengthen our nation’s security, energize the economy and reduce risk from disasters.
Prior to his career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gay built a successful general engineering construction firm in California, specializing in public sector construction activities. Gay specialized in heavy civil, airfield pavements, and open pit aggregate mining of white limestone in Southern California. His federal customer base consisted of numerous agencies, but focused on USACE and Naval Facilities Command. Gay fully appreciates and understands the challenges associated with partnering and delivering projects for the federal government from both the contractor and government perspectives, which provides him a unique insight to the delivery process.
Gay is a USACE acquisition professional, leading teams in design and construction acquisitions. Gay is a graduate of the USACE leadership development program, a design build professional, a member of the American Society of Healthcare Engineers and an associate member of the American Institute of Architects. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology from California State University at San Bernardino and has numerous trade specific certifications from the American Concrete Institute and Mine Safety and Health Administration. Gay is a veteran of the United States Coast Guard and is a life member of the Disabled American Veterans. He is married with four children and is a native of Southern California.