Leadership is an Aggie core value and a common word found on resumes; however, few true leaders get the recognition they deserve. But this April, environmental engineer Bob Pence ’72 will be honored for his lifestyle of leadership that accompanied his others-focused attitude.
A former member of Company B-2, Pence feels that his leadership skills were kickstarted in the Corps of Cadets before being put to the test when he served three years in the Army.
After his time in the Army, Pence returned to Aggieland to pursue a master’s degree in civil engineering.
“I had to go back to remember everything I’d been taught the first time around,” he says.
With two degrees in hand, Pence came to civil engineering firm Freese and Nichols as a design engineer and began working his way up to project manager, operations manager and, finally, to CEO. He jokes that these promotions were based on looks but quips, “No one will believe me.”
In 2010, under Pence’s leadership, Freese and Nichols received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the first architectural/engineering firm to do so in the award’s history. The Baldrige award recognizes corporations that not only are industry leaders but also are leaders in their home communities and contribute to the betterment of society in general, not just their bottom line.
After his company received the Baldrige award, Pence has helped others improve their focus. “Anyone who came to us and asked for help or for advice on how to succeed, we tried to help as best we could. That’s what leaders do.”
For his continuing contributions, Pence, who now is Freese and Nichols’ chairman of the board, recently was selected to receive a Leadership Excellence Award from the Baldrige Foundation, an award given to industry leaders who are responsible for positive world change.
Serving his community, other engineering firms and the board of overseers of the Baldrige Foundation, Pence maintains his devotion to helping others and working hard every day.
“I serve the community I live in and serve on the board of three other architecture and engineering firms,” Pence says.
As a CEO, he learned one factor that separates certain employees from others is good leadership skills.
“I see a need for leadership training in the workplace. That’s something that I instituted at Freese and Nichols, an intensive leadership training program,” he says.
Pence recommends to young graduates that as engineers they must first prove their technical competence and then take every leadership opportunity offered to them, and this includes taking the opportunity to follow before they lead. Another request Pence makes of young Aggie engineers is that they give back to their communities.
“Make your community better and be a working, living part of it; engineers are essential to every community,” he says.
Pence and his wife Karen have three Aggie daughters, classes of ‘00, ‘03 and ‘08, and they all have Aggie husbands. None of the Pence’s five grandchildren are old enough to attend Texas A&M yet, but Pence says he’s been working hard to convince them.
Pence will receive the Leadership Excellence Award on April 9 at a Baldrige Foundation luncheon during the 31st Annual Quest for Excellence® Conference in National Harbor, Maryland.
The Texas A&M College of Engineering is proud of our former students like Bob Pence '72 who uphold Aggie core values and are committed to training Aggie engineers to be industry leaders. If you know an Aggie who is celebrating an accomplishment and would like them to be recognized by the college, please send an email to the Office of Alumni Relations.