Our Executive Team

Travis Thrift

President & CEO

With over 30 years of construction experience Mr. Thrift joined the team at Workman as the Senior Estimator in 2006. He became Vice President and Partner in 2013 and President/Owner in 2020.  In his current role as President/CEO, Travis is responsible for managing Workman Operations, overseeing all Estimating, while working closely with our Director of Operations, and associated support staff. Travis brings a hands-on commitment to excellence to every single aspect of Workman’s operations and our client’s needs.

Travis’ background and experience, coupled with industry leading technology, bring Workman’s clients the most accurate and highly detailed estimating services available. His excellent analytical skills, knowledge and use of the industry leading software, plus close attention to details, makes our estimates among the most accurate and best in the industry.

Additionally, Travis’ active approach to running Workman allows him to oversee every aspect to ensure a quality end result.

Travis is a member of the Buda & New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce, former member of AGC San Antonio and Austin, has served on the Building Standards Commission for the City of New Braunfels and is very active in supporting his daughters as they attend University.

Emma Thrift

Vice President

As the Vice President of Workman Commercial, Emma oversees various aspects of the company’s accounting, performance and strategy.  Emma’s extensive background in business management began in 2001.  She joined the Workman Team in 2020 as Director of Business Development and has evolved into a role leading and supporting company-wide initiatives and projects.

Emma brings strong communication skills to the team. Part of Emma’s responsibilities are arranging and attending meetings with prospective clients, creating business development strategies while evaluating market research for future growth.  As part of the Workman team Emma ensures that all company operations adhere to government regulations and internal policies, she manages corporate administration functions such as human resources, accounting, payroll, employee relations and marketing while also developing and implementing strategic plans for the company’s long-term growth and profitability.

Emma has sat on the Board of Directors of many organizations including the New Braunfels Women’s Chamber of Commerce, YMCA of Comal County, NB Safe City Commission, NB Arts Council and is currently a CASA Volunteer for Comal County. Emma & Travis have been blessed with two daughters one a freshman attending Blinn and the other a Senior at Mays Business School at Texas A&M.

James Johnson

Senior Project Manager

James joined us at Workman Commercial Construction Services team in September of 2023 as an experienced Project Manager. He quickly proved that his leadership skills were strong and underutilized therefore was promoted to Director of Operations.  He has over 18 years’ of experience in Construction and had most recently owned his own Construction Company.  As Director of Operations, James oversees all Project Management Staff and Superintendents, he frequents all jobsites and works closely with the Operational Staff to ensure a smooth and budget conscious process for all of our owners. James Graduated High School from Rockwall, Texas and moved to Austin to attend Austin Community College.  His valuable experience from his military service and Law Enforcement background alone with the knowledge he has gained both in the field and in his personal business made him a great addition to the executive team.  James has been involved in many governmental projects, non-profits and private sector.  His projects throughout his career have been from $300,000-$7,500,000. James is very budget and schedule focused, results-orientated, and very much a hands-on professional.  He has a verifiable track record for the successful completion of multiple projects at Workman.  James’ professionalism is clear as he coordinates trades, develops relationships and builds a positive rapport with our team, owners, architects, engineers, local officials and subcontractors.

James resides in Georgetown with his wife and children and is a valued member to the Workman Team!

Brent Jacobson

Project Manager

Brent began his career teaching High School Math for Seguin ISD and later at NEISD in San Antonio. He left the education field to work at Halliburton in 2013 where he quickly promoted from a Field Operations Professional to a Field Employee Developmental Coordinator where he managed 300+ field employees that were spread over 8 crews.  During his 7 years with Halliburton, Brent developed standard procedures and training courses while executing quality and performance improvements. Brent also was responsible for the implementation of new tools, software and processes. He is skilled in crew management, monthly training and the development of training materials. Brent performed safety audits on location and served as a member of the service quality team.

Workman Commercial values Brent’s skills in improving processes, procedures, production and service. He joined Workman in January 2021 and quickly become a valued member of our Construction Team. Brent is a self-motivated project manager with a superior work ethic and high expectations of quality and performance. He approaches projects with ownership, integrity and accountability and is highly skilled in organizing, planning and implementation. Brent solves problems quickly, using extensive experience and instruction using troubleshooting, analytical and technical skills with a quick learning curve. Brent clearly relays information to all levels, collaborating with team members while building relationships, using strong interpersonal negotiation and influencing skills. He thrives on new challenges and adapts well to the Workman philosophies while having proven valuable in removing roadblocks and achieving organization goals amid ever changing environments.

Erica Sweitzer

Administrative Assistant

Erica grew up a dual military brat, living all over the world before settling in Central Texas. After high school Erica joined the US Navy to gain experiences beyond what college could provide. That opportunity allowed her to explore and grow as a young adult and gave her a foundation that still serves her today.  After leaving the Navy, she joined an 8A Federal Contractor in Colorado where her eyes were opened to the various aspects of project support and construction.  In her Lead Project Administrator position, she was the “bridge” between field, clients, subcontractors and operations. After moving back to Texas, she was able to step into the Commercial side of the industry working as a Project Coordinator on large scale multi-million-dollar projects in the Austin area. With over 15 years of experience in the construction industry Erica found her home at Workman in September 2024, she serves as an executive assistant to both Travis & Emma and is a valued support to the Project Managers.  She assists in estimating, sub-contractor relations, business development and marketing.  Erica currently lives in Kyle, with her husband and daughter, while also staying close to her son who is attending Texas State University. When Erica is not in the office or hanging at home with her family and 2 large dogs, she can be found out supporting her daughter in her competitive volleyball endeavors as we travel all over the US. She is also a Board Member for the Johnson HS Sports Boosters and gives her time to the Volleyball program as their Sports Coordinator.

James Deaven

Fractional CFO

Mr. Deaven partnered with Workman Commercial as a Fractional CFO in September of 2022 and has provided expertise in finance, strategic planning, and implementation of a more forward-facing financial visibility.  James assists in providing a financial forecast that acts as a blueprint to achieve growth in the most efficient, accelerated and sustainable way possible.  His over 30 years of financial services for Commercial Construction Companies makes him a valued support system for our in house team of accounting professionals.

Vanessa Martinez

Account Manager

Ms. Martinez joined the Workman Team in July of 2022 and has over 10 years of experience in accounting.  As our Account Manager she oversees and manages the accounting operations including monthly job reconciliation, financial reporting, accounts receivable, accounts payable and forecasting.  Vanessa takes great pride in her organizational and proficiency skills and is always up for a challenge.  Vanessa ensures accuracy and compliance and consistently meets deadlines.  Vanessa resides in San Marcos with her husband and 4 children.  In her spare time she enjoys traveling and creating wonderful memories with her family and friends.

Emily Krohn

Accounting Assistant

Emily joined the workman team in September of 2024, after working in accounting for 4 years at a prominent residential construction company handling the accounts payable, budgeting, financial reporting and taxes. She takes great pride in her work, is highly organized, detail oriented and looks forward to taking on any challenges that come her way.  Emily assists our Accounting Manager in both accounts payable and receivables, she manages our office and is the first person you will see smiling at you when you walk through our doors.  In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, playing with her dogs, trying out new local restaurants or bars, and cooking.

Frank Bossett

Director of Safety 

 Frank has over 35 years of professional experience delivering high-quality projects safely and on time while creating a team approach with all project members. Before becoming Workman Commercial’s Safety Director, Frank gained experience as a Superintendent responsible for the on site management of Workman’s projects including coordination of labor, subcontractors, scheduling and quality control.  Other experience includes project planning, coordination and documentation. Frank works with owners, architects, engineers and subcontractors to employ safe construction practices.  Frank holds a B.S. in Accounting from Northwestern State University in Louisiana, is OSHA 500 Certified, and has completed Phillip Crosby Quality Control.  Frank is ROCIP certified in addition to also being Safety Certified by the Core of Engineers as a safety/Superintendent to work on government projects.