Our Team

Travis Thrift

President & CEO

With 30 years of construction experience Mr. Thrift started by joining the team at Workman as the Senior Estimator in 2006. In his current role as President/CEO, Travis is responsible for managing Workman Operations, overseeing all Estimating, Project Managers, Superintendents, Safety, Warranty services, 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 continues to serve as Project Manager on some of Workman’s projects, he takes a hands on approach to running the company and oversees 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 various sport programs supporting his daughters activities.

Emma Thrift

Vice President

As the Vice President of Workman Commercial, Emma oversees various aspects of the company’s operations, 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 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 is a Senior at New Braunfels High School and the other a Sophomore at Mays Business School at Texas A&M.

Adrian Allen

Senior Project Manager

Mr. Allen is a Senior construction professional with 30+ years of extensive experience in project management, construction management, contract administration, estimating and owner agent representation.
Mr. Allen’s strengths include leadership, project organization, project scheduling sequence, identifying long lead / early need items, distinguishing owner / user end needs & general operation. Adrian is skilled at developing relationships and identifying construction nonconformity with a thorough understanding of the differing dynamics of public and private sectors with respect to project participants, whether by department, committee or individual.
Adrian has been with Workman since early 2017 and is a valued senior executive of our construction team.  As Director of Operations he oversees all Project Management Staff and Superintendents. Adrian notably has an Associate’s Degree of Applied Sciences in Building Construction from Texas State Technical College and has completed Business and Accounting studies at Texas State University.
Adrian’s commitment to completing successful projects on time and safely makes him stand out as an outstanding Project Manager and Director of Operations.

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 has quickly become a valued member of our Construction Team. Brent is a self-motivated leader 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 has adapted well to the Workman philosophies and has proven valuable in removing roadblocks and achieving organization goals amid ever changing environments.

James Johnson

Project Manager

James joined us at Workman Commercial Construction Services team in September of 2023 as a Project Manager. He has over 18 years’ of experience in Construction and has most recently owned his own Construction Company.  James Graduated High School from Rockwall, Texas and moved to Austin to attend Austin Community College.  It was while in school he started working in Commercial Construction, starting as a general helper he soon became Foreman, Superintendent, Estimator and Project Manager.  His valuable experience in the field and his knowledge gained in his personal business makes him a great candidate to join our 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 a results-orientated, hands-on professional.  He has a verifiable track record for the successful completion of multiple projects.  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 excited to join the Workman Team!

Russell Alexander

Project Manager/Superintendent

Russell came on board at Workman Commercial in September of 2023 as a strategic and analytical Project Manager and Superintendent with over 9 years of experience managing complex projects with budgets ranging up to $6.5 Million.  He is skilled in streamlining operations while maintaining budget and schedule to maximize customer satisfaction and business revenue.  Russell has a B.Sc. in Business Administration with Concentration in Project Management from Colorado Technical University and a PMP, Project Management Professional from the Project Management Institute.  His last position had him traveling all over the USA to various projects including Veterinary Clinics and Restaurants.  He is highly skilled in managing budget, schedule & project completion.  Russell has the ability to communicate effectively between all shareholders including owners, subcontractors, engineers & architects. 

Russell resides in Liberty Hill with his family and looks forward to being a valuable addition to the Workman team!

Divvya Ramesh

Estimator/Assistant Project Manager

Divvya joined the team at Workman Commercial in April of 2023 as a seasoned Estimator and Assistant Project Manager. Divvya has always had a passion for Construction since she was introduced to the field in High School. She took her first step toward her goal of working in the Construction Industry at the age of 18 when she entered University and started her Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering.  Divvya is very thorough and organized in her work and is skilled at developing relationships. She has acquired valuable knowledge in various aspects of construction management, specifically in Estimating and Scheduling and she ensures that deadlines are met and estimates are accurate and complete.

Divvya is proficient in On-Screen takeoffs, Bluebeam, Procore, Auto CAD, Sage Timberline, Rivet and Microsoft Project, she has a certification as a Construction Manager in Training and holds high Academic Honors. In her career she has worked as an Estimator, a Construction Survey Technician & Graduate Engineer Trainee.

Divvya enjoys residing in Austin with her husband and daughters while continuing to maintain a healthy balance between work and life. She is an enthusiastic team player that looks forward to all her new challenges at Workman Commercial.

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 9 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.

Desiree Brandt

Accounting

Desiree joined the Workman team in July 2023 and works in our Accounting Department.  Ms. Brandt began her career by working at Conoco Oil Company during her senior year of high school in Houston, in the Mail Department as a Vocational Occupational Education Student.  After graduation she moved on to Wolff Companies, a Land Development company in the Houston area where she was an administrative assistant for several years.  When Desiree moved to Austin in 2001, she secured a position with Stratus Properties Land Development where she worked in Accounts Payable and was an Administrative Assistant for the company.

While employed at Status Ms. Brandt earned her Associates Degree in Applied Science from Austin Community College, and worked in the Healthcare Industry for 16 years prior to joining our team.  In 2023 Desiree was ready for new challenges and jumped at the opportunity to join the Workman Team.  She works closely with Vanessa and will often be your first point of contact for all accounting needs.

In Desiree’s free time she enjoys spending time with her friends & family, traveling and hiking.

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.