December 20, 2024

Leaders and Legacies: Bob Pence

As part of our 130th anniversary celebration, the Leaders and Legacies series recognizes past leaders whose vision continues to drive us forward.

One of the great blessings of working at Freese and Nichols is the abundant opportunity for growth in our company and the thoughtful mentorship of our leaders.  Over 130 years, that combination of abundant opportunity and thoughtful mentorship has allowed our company and our staff to excel. I’ve been blessed in my 31 years at FNI to have been challenged, trusted and mentored by some of the very best. Chief among those is Bob Pence.

Bob has been an ever-present guide throughout my career. He quickly became a cornerstone of the treatment business upon joining the firm in 1978 after a career in the US Army. His journey began in the Water and Wastewater Group, where he worked the midnight shift monitoring new centrifuges at Fort Worth’s Village Creek Water Reclamation Plant. In his career, he led some of the largest and most challenging treatment plant projects in company history, including the $107M expansion of the TRA CRWS plant back in the early 1990’s.  I can only imagine what a project like that would cost in today’s dollars. Bob worked his way from being a senior Project Manager in the company under the tutelage of FNI legends like Bob Nichols, Jim Nichols and Elvin Copeland, to the role of Group Manager of our Water and Wastewater Group in the 1990’s.

Bob was my first group manager at FNI, and I was lucky to work for him straight out of college.  You learned quickly working for Bob that his door was always open, and it was okay to visit with him about any challenge you had – but he had one rule – he wouldn’t talk to you about any problem in detail until you came to him with at least one valid solution on your own. Bob was our version of “ChatGPT” back in those days, but he didn’t just give you the answers. He trained you in critical thinking and sound engineering judgement. Bob’s focus on understanding even small design details and quality control served all of us well and is a trait that continues to serve him today as a senior advisor and reviewer on many of our treatment projects.

Bob was and is a great storyteller. We could always count on Bob to get to the core of a project or client issue quickly, guide us to good solutions and then share a relatable story or two from his days in the US Army or from past experiences at FNI.  There are quite a few of these stories I remember through the years. One of my favorites was when a former colleague brought Bob a set of plans and told him “it’s perfect!”  Challenge accepted. Bob broke out the red pencil in search of opportunities to improve the plans and the rest was history.

Over the years, Bob’s expertise in environmental engineering and regulatory processes grew, leading him to head the Water/Wastewater Division before moving into corporate leadership.  In 1996, Bob was named Co-Chief Operating Officer and joined the nine-member Lead Team executive steering committee. He succeeded Bob Herchert as President/CEO in 2002, a role in which he excelled for 15 years. Under his leadership, Freese and Nichols navigated the challenging financial period post-9/11, advanced our focus on continuous improvement, and embarked on a path of significant expansion across the United States.

Bob’s tenure as President and CEO was marked by a focus on exceptional customer service, quality, and innovation. He championed corporate support for professional education, fostered open communication, and encouraged community service. His leadership saw Freese and Nichols become the first engineering/architecture firm to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, a testament to the company’s commitment to performance excellence.

Under Bob’s leadership, we developed our Hedgehog Concept of being best in the world at client service, driving a focus on enhancing client relationships for mutually beneficial long-term relationships. His strategic vision led to the expansion of Freese and Nichols across Texas and into national markets, starting with Raleigh, North Carolina. The company’s success under his leadership reflected his dedication to continuous improvement and strategic planning.

Beyond his professional achievements, Bob has been a pillar of the community, dedicating countless hours to civic and charitable organizations. He has held leadership roles in the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Tarrant County United Way, Circle T Girl Scouts, and many other groups. Bob and his wife, Karen, established the Karen and Bob Pence Scholarship in Civil Engineering at Texas A&M, supporting the next generation of engineers.

Bob’s contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Fort Worth Business Press CEO of the Year, the WEAT Pillar of the Profession Award, Distinguished Alumni of Texas A&M University and the Leadership Excellence Award from the Baldrige Foundation. His quick wit, focus on solutions, and ability to unite communities have made him a respected and beloved leader not just at FNI but in our communities and in our industry.

As Board Chairman for FNI, he continues to contribute to the firm’s success and leadership development.  After many years immersed in corporate leadership, he is enjoying a resurgence as a technical asset, serving our treatment practice as a senior advisor and solving project problems. Bob remains indispensable as a quality control lead on some of our most complex treatment projects, breaking out what is now a digital red pencil and accepting the challenge to find opportunities to improve a set of plans. His legacy is one of dedication, vision, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Bob’s impact on Freese and Nichols and the engineering community will be felt for generations to come.

Many years ago, I asked Bob what he thought was the greatest single need at Freese and Nichols. He said “leadership”. I think he would tell you that answer still holds true today.  Great leadership and the development of leaders is critical to our success. Bob’s entire career has fundamentally been about building and training leaders of all types and in all disciplines and roles in our company. He values every person and every position, and his door remains open – just make sure you’ve thought of some potential solutions first!

I’ve been blessed in my career to work for Bob, learn from him, call him boss, mentor, colleague and friend. He’s made my life better and so many others here at FNI. In Bob’s own words – if you see him, “feel free to hug his neck” and let him know how he’s helped you along the way!