George Forristall
Vice President, Market Leader - Real Estate Development
Meet George
George is Vice President, Market Leader, of Real Estate Development at Mortenson, where he leads development opportunities across Arizona, Nevada and the Carolina’s. His expertise lies with bringing complex projects from concept to completion. Since joining Mortenson in 1997, George has built a career creating innovative development solutions that align financing, design, construction, and operational goals to deliver long-term value for owners and communities.
Professional Experience
George’s career at Mortenson reflects steady growth through a range of technical and leadership roles. He began as a project engineer on hospitality and office projects in Colorado, then advanced to roles including estimator, project manager, and project executive before stepping into development-focused leadership. Over the course of his career, George has managed projects across the western United States, Hawaii, Guam, and Tokyo, Japan. Notable projects include the Pakini Nui Wind Farm in Hawaii, the Stapleton Redevelopment in Denver, Arizona State University’s Mullett Arena, The Beam on Farmer in Tempe, and the Denū Hotel and Spa in Phoenix.
Education
Bachelor of Science, Construction Management
Colorado State University - Fort Collins
MBA, Real Estate
University of Denver
Every time we complete a development project that we've created from nothing – that's pretty cool.
Going the distance
Mortenson and MDI really thrive at being creative – truly thinking outside the box to find different ways we can execute something. Typically, every development dies three times at minimum. That means we must have the creativity and “never give up” attitude to get the first shovel in the ground. Having that drive and endurance and unwavering attitude is what gets projects to go. At Mortenson and MDI, we don’t give up at the first “no.” We're willing to go that extra step with our partners to figure things out.
Drive toward passion
The best leaders are great at listening and acting on what they hear. At the end of the day, people do what they're passionate about. You have to listen to what they're passionate about so you can direct their energy toward that.
Operational goals
To be successful, we need to listen to our partners and hear what their goals truly are. All projects can be simplified down to schedule and budget. But it’s critical that we look at it from the full spectrum of the project’s operational goals. In development, a lot of time that comes down to understanding all the drivers of revenue -- where is the money generated and through what means. When we understand all the intricacies of those drivers, it gives us more resources and levers to pull so we can be successful and hit those goals.