The Skanska project manager discusses his time at the company, meaningful accomplishments and future plans
By Anna-Rhesa Versola | Photo by John Michael Simpson
Durham native Jordan Fearrington played with Lego bricks and Lincoln Logs in his youth, like many other kids. As he grew older, his father encouraged him to keep building and to follow his own path into engineering. Today, Fearrington manages complex projects that transform our city’s landscape and shape how people interact with those spaces.
Fearrington is a project manager at construction and development company Skanska, which employs more than 28,000 employees globally, with about 6,500 in the United States. He recently directed construction work for the Duke Quantum Center, a new physics research laboratory at The Chesterfield. The former cigarette production facility was once part of a sprawling manufacturing district where both of Fearrington’s grandfathers worked to keep the machines humming for Liggett & Myers. Fearrington’s paternal grandfather, John T. Fearrington, was the first Black “fixer” – as a Black man working in the 1940s, he was not afforded the appropriate designation of mechanic – for the tobacco company.
Fearrington attended Pearsontown Elementary, Rogers-Herr Middle School and C.E. Jordan High School. “I had the opportunity to go to a couple different colleges for wrestling and decided on NC State for [civil] engineering,” Fearrington said. While at State, Fearrington studied abroad at Southeast University in Nanjing, China and Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hung Hom, Hong Kong. “I had my first internship with Skanska in 2014 and was hired on from that internship,” he said. “After graduation [that year], I began working with them full time. I started as an assistant project engineer, which is sort of our entry level, and I’ve worked my way up since then.”
He and his wife, Alexis Fearrington, live off of T.W. Alexander Drive near Page Road with their sons Caleb Fearrington, 1½, and Jacob Fearrington, who was born Nov. 9, 2023.
Where did you grow up?
I was born and raised in Durham. We moved a number of times when I was growing up, mostly between the Southpoint area and North Durham near the Starlite Drive-in, up toward [Interstate] 85.
What drew you to engineering?
Well, there was my father. I loved playing with Duplo blocks and whatever building toys that I had as a child. [I asked him,] “If I go to school, [and I want to build], what do I do?” “Well, you should be an engineer,” [he told me]. One of my friends in college was doing civil [engineering], and I was like, “Oh, well, if you’re doing that, I’ll do [it], too.” And thankfully, thankfully, thankfully, that was the one that I actually wanted to do.
What are some Durham projects, either current or past, that hold special meaning for you and your family?
The first one would be Duke Central Tower [at Duke University Hospital]. There are a lot of people who receive lifesaving services at the hospital, so it was always a good feeling to work on a project like that and contribute to the community in that way. While I was working there [in 2019], it was the hospital that my maternal grandfather died in. It was important to me to build to the best of my ability so people in end-of-life situations will be able to receive the best services possible. I was able to be with him in those last days in a way that I wouldn’t have if I was working somewhere else. So that one definitely has a special place in my heart for many reasons.
The next one would be the Merrick-Moore Park that we built off of Hoover Road. That’s an area where I grew up going to the Wheels Roller Skating Rink right across the street. I’ve actually taken my son to play in that park. That’s always nice, being able to go and spend time in a place that you’ve built.
And the [third] project, the Duke Quantum Center in the Chesterfield building, holds a special place because it’s a building that both of my grandfathers worked in. It was really, really cool to be able to have worked in the same place as my grandfathers did 60 years in the past. Sometimes I just wonder – obviously the building has been renovated since then – but what door did my grandfather walk through, which floor would he have been on, in what area would he have been?
Are those kinds of thoughts or memories part of your inspiration for projects?
Absolutely. We are always speaking of building with the end user in mind. We never build just to get the job done. We never build cutting corners. It’s just an extra reinforcement to remember that your loved ones will be using the facilities and infrastructure that you build. So every corner cut could have a direct impact on the people that you love. So not only is it an integrity issue with doing the right thing and doing the best job possible, but it also has a direct impact on the people you care about most.
What would you say to young kids or students to encourage them to follow their passions, but especially if they’re interested in a career in civil engineering?
The advice I would give would be, No. 1, you have to have persistence. It’s not something that’s easy to do or maintain. You have to have a lot of determination. I had no background in engineering; my parents weren’t engineers. I didn’t even know what civil engineering was until I got to college.
Make sure you surround yourself with community. I had a great community in my family, and once I got to school, I [found] a great community through the National Society of Black Engineers – I was a member of our local collegiate chapter throughout my time at NC State. I was also a member of the regional board. And I had a great time doing that; I met a lot of people. I think NSBE did a great job of supporting college students throughout their collegiate and professional development – as did NC State’s Minority Engineering Programs. Those two communities definitely supported me. I have lifelong friends from those communities who I still talk to today.
Follow your passions. Don’t let anyone dissuade you from it. Do understand that there are challenges and difficulties that you will have to endure – endure them, don’t give up. And if you’re interested in a career in engineering, try to find a mentor, someone who is in a position that you want to be in, seek out what they did. If you’re interested in construction or engineering, try to find a place that will offer you experience in those areas, even if you aren’t getting paid for it – volunteer for experience. Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.
And then build a community. Don’t ever try to do anything alone in life. Just as general advice, surround yourself with people, because you’re going to need encouragement in times where you’re down.
What are you working on actively? What are some future projects that you’re excited about?
I’m working on the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University project, doing a lot of exterior improvements. This is a facility that our company has worked on previously. I do really love building in Durham and just being back in my hometown. It’s a great feeling to know the positive impact that the things we build will have on the community where I grew up. I think any project in Durham is something that I will really look forward to.
