Brad Brechwald, President and CEO of Wallace Group, has been a leader serving his community for decades, and will now be making his mark on the business community as the 2024 Chamber Board Chair. We sat down with Brad to connect with him on life, his goals for this year and his time as a community leader on the Central Coast.
Who would play you in a movie of your life?
Gerard Butler or Kevin Costner – although I liked the humor of Tim the Tool-man Taylor.
How long have you been on the Central Coast? What brought you here?
Growing up in a military family, I lived in many states and experienced a variety of cultures and lifestyles. I became familiar with SLO because my dad completed his career on the Central Coast, retiring from Vandenberg Air Force Base in 1975. We then moved to southern California, where I attended high school before moving to SLO to attend Cal Poly in 1980.
Tell us about your career history. How did you get to where you are today at Wallace Group?
I always enjoyed drawing, construction and solving problems. I started at Cal Poly studying architecture, but quickly switched to civil engineering because I believed it would provide more opportunity to be outdoors through surveying or construction management. After a summer internship at a public agency, I joined a private land development firm, working as both a surveyor and engineering associate until passing both my professional engineering and surveyor exams. I joined John L. Wallace & Associates in 1988 (with just 11 employees) and was excited about the opportunity to work with both the public and private sectors. We started our process of becoming an employee-owned company in 2003 and changed our name to Wallace Group. I feel so fortunate to work with such a talented group of people that collaborates well and constantly looks to improve and serve our community.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of?
Raising two sons with my wife. We have been married for over 32 years!
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Live in the moment, listen well and follow your passions.
What gets you excited about going to work each day?
The people I work with and the clients we serve. I also enjoy working with our team in solving challenging engineering and entitlement issues.
What do you do to unwind?
A great game of basketball with friends, a bike ride or a good glass of wine with dinner.
Do you have any favorite pastimes?
Besides basketball, I do miss snow skiing and the SLO Triathon. I am also due for a trip to Europe.
As the 2024 SLO Chamber Board Chair, what are you hoping to focus on?
I’m looking forward to continuing with our relevancy task force while further developing our regional approach with other chambers and organizations to address potential issues that could affect our economy.