David Burkhart

David is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Garney and is based in the North Kansas City headquarters. He joined the Board of Directors in 2024. As CEO, his responsibilities include establishing a clear vision and direction for the company, leading long-term strategic planning and growth, developing and managing the overall company structure, and leading the executive team. He was promoted to CEO in the fall of 2023.

David received his degree in civil engineering from the University of Kansas and has spent his entire professional career at Garney. David began his career in the field traveling across the country building and managing projects from the Rocky Mountains to Florida, consecutively leading the largest Garney projects at the time. During a 10-year stay in the Texas market, he established Garney as an industry leader for large-scale collaborative delivery projects before returning to Kansas City in 2022.

David has been an active member of AWWA serving at the committee level, was a Board Member of NUCA North Texas, worked with the WCDA at the Advisory and Board levels, and has authored multiple papers on collaborative delivery, large diameter pipelines, and pipeline bedding and backfill.

Within Garney, David has served on councils involving Safety; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB); Risk Management; and Equipment. He was also an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Trustee prior to joining the executive team.

Coming from a family of educators with roots in the farming communities of western Kansas, David learned first-hand the values of hard work, integrity, commitment, and supporting others to reach their full potential. Today, he maintains a small farm and ranch operation outside of Kansas City, keeping him close to his roots and serving as a constant reminder of these values.