Article originally written by Sarah Wilson and published on Texas A&M University’s website
David Fleming ’75, associate professor of construction science, tragically passed away Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 on the Texas A&M campus. Fleming was known widely as a valued member of the School of Architecture who was dedicated to his students and committed to ensuring they were prepared post-graduation.
Throughout David’s four-decade career in construction management, he remained passionate about mentoring students at his alma mater. He was a regular panelist at student industry ethics presentations and could be counted on for wise counsel.
A Distinguished Alumnus — Fleming returned in recent years to the Department of Construction Science as a visiting associate professor of the practice. He offered real-world insights, practical knowledge, and invaluable help to his students by sharing his firsthand experiences, and illustrating how theoretical concepts translate into practical applications on construction sites.
Fleming also served as president of the American Institute of Construction where he championed programs to promote ethics, education, leadership and higher standards of practice in the construction industry.
Deeply passionate about Texas A&M, he and his wife established the Katherine and David Fleming ’75 Endowed Scholarship in Construction Science.
Industry Career
Fleming earned a Bachelor of Building Construction degree from Texas A&M University in 1975. He later provided contract oversight and strategic support for nine divisions of Sundt, a construction company and general contractor, where he served as vice-president and corporate director of dispute resolution. Having been with Sundt since 2003, he had also served as operations manager for the company’s federal projects, which totaled $150 million in annual revenues.
He was a consultant to Sundt for eight years in the 1990s and was instrumental in helping them win the National Contractor Award from the American Institute of Constructors multiple times, most recently in 2014.
Fleming also headed a consulting firm he founded in 1986, which provides consulting and contract resolution services to projects ranging from local to international sites in the Philippines, Guam, and the Kwajalein Atoll in the Northern Pacific.
During his almost 40-year career, Fleming managed several companies and consulted others on designing, building, modifying, and renovating a wide variety of buildings, including commercial and military hangar facilities. He also arbitrated or mediated more than 100 cases as a master arbitrator of complex construction cases through the American Arbitration Association since 1988 and was part of the AAA’s training team for more than 20 years.
He was active with the American Institute of Constructors, which is dedicated to promoting individual professionalism in construction. Fleming is a past national president of the AIC, which recognized his contributions to the construction industry in 2011 with the Walter A. Nashert, Sr. Construction Award.
He also served a two-year term as chairman of the AIC’s Constructor Certification Commission. He served on Texas A&M’s Construction Industry Advisory Council since 1999, and completed 18 plus years of service to the organization as its president in 2016-2017.
