Gareth provides strategic leadership to guide the company’s structure, direction, and long-term vision. He is committed to upholding Higley’s core values, ensuring financial stability, and preparing the organization for the next generation of leadership, while fostering a collaborative culture rooted in transparency and open communication. Deeply engaged in the community, Gareth serves on several nonprofit and civic boards, including Burning River Foundation, Construction Diversity Initiative – A GCP Program (Past Chair), Drink Local, Drink Tap, Global Cleveland, and the Cleveland Zoological Society. Originally from the United Kingdom, he holds a BEng in Civil Engineering from Nottingham Trent University and an MSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.  In addition, he is a graduate of Leadership Cleveland’s class of 2010. Gareth lives in Rocky River with his wife, Carrie; they have three grown children.

Dave provides overall day-to-day leadership and management of Higley Construction with oversight of Safety, Preconstruction Services, Operations, and Human Resources at Higley Construction. Having started with the company as a co-op in 1996, he has held key leadership positions, including Senior Vice President of Operations and Executive Vice President, before his promotion to President and COO. Dave holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Construction Engineering Technologies from The University of Akron. Actively engaged in the community, he serves on the Boards of the Achievement Centers for Children and Grace House of Akron and contributes to the Facilities & Grounds Committee for The Ronald McDonald House. He lives in Sagamore Hills with his family and is a proud father of two grown children and grandfather of two grandchildren.

Dan oversees operations in Higley’s regional offices and plays a pivotal role in the company’s strategic expansion into new markets. He provides leadership and guidance to ensure consistency, growth, and alignment across all regional teams. With a strong focus on building lasting client relationships and identifying new opportunities, Dan helps drive Higley’s continued success. In addition to his professional role, he is actively involved in the community. He serves on the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross, where he chairs the Mission Committee. Dan lives in Brecksville and is the proud father of three grown children.

Sharon Higley Watts is a CPA with four decades of experience in tax advisory and corporate finance. She began her career at Ernst & Young, where she spent 11 years, and went on to serve for 20 years as Director of Tax at a Cleveland-based company. She now operates her own tax practice. Sharon has a long-standing commitment to community service and board leadership. She currently serves on the board of Lake View Cemetery. Sharon served on the Executive Committee of the American Red Cross for ten years, holding the role of Treasurer for much of that time. She also chaired the Higley Fund, reflecting her deep commitment to philanthropy and civic engagement. A lifelong Clevelander, Sharon is married with three adult children and four grandchildren.

Daniel Walsh is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Citymark Capital, a comprehensive real estate investment platform focused on multifamily properties. He has three decades of commercial real estate and banking experience, having previously served as Northeast Ohio Region President at Huntington Bank. Prior to Huntington, Dan led KeyBank's Real Estate Capital Markets business nationally, where he oversaw multiple business lines and helped to guide the risk reduction of KeyBank’s Real Estate portfolio through the Global Financial Crisis. He also co-founded KeyBank's Real Estate Private Equity group. An industry authority and civic leader, Dan is a member of the CREFC, NMHC, PREA, and ULI, and holds community board positions with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Cleveland Orchestra, among others. Dan’s perspectives have been featured on CNBC, he has been recognized with numerous real estate and community awards, and he is consistently regarded as one of Ohio’s most influential business leaders. He holds a BS and MBA from the Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management and a JD from the Chicago-Kent College of Law at Illinois Institute of Technology, with a certification in environmental and energy law.

William (Bill) Chilton is a principal of Pickard Chilton Architects, an internationally recognized architecture practice based in New Haven, Connecticut.  He brings more than four decades of experience leading major corporate and mixed-use developments across the United States, Europe, and Japan.  His recent work includes headquarters for Sherwin-Williams in Cleveland; Eaton Corporation in Dublin, Ireland and Cleveland; CoStar Group and Dominion Energy in Richmond, Virginia; and large-scale urban projects in Tokyo, Düsseldorf, and Stuttgart. Bill holds degrees in architecture from Iowa State University and the University of Minnesota and has served on advisory boards at both institutions.  He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, and a Foundation Governor of the Urban Land Institute and lectures internationally at universities and professional conferences.

Brian O’Neill is a seasoned legal and strategic advisor with over 30 years of experience guiding public and private companies, private equity funds, and family-owned businesses through complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations, and major real estate developments. He also advises on succession planning, corporate governance, and financing strategies across a wide range of industries. Based in Cleveland, Brian brings deep regional knowledge and civic engagement to his work, having served as Board Chair of the MetroHealth Foundation, where he led the capital campaign for its $1B hospital project. He has also held leadership roles with the Cleveland Zoological Society, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. A graduate of Leadership Cleveland and a trusted voice on numerous client boards, Brian takes a practical, solutions-focused approach to helping organizations grow and thrive. He is currently a partner at Tucker Ellis, where he previously chaired Business Department.