Page 30 - DCA - Construction Excellence Awards 2018

LEGISLATURE IS BEHIND HIM, BUT THE MISSION CONTINUES
Although Short grew up in Cecil County, Maryland, and considers himself “an Eastern Shore boy,” he moved to Delaware in 1988 after graduating from Salisbury State. His mother had moved to Newark, and he had friends in that city and Wilmington. His first job wasn’t easy. He worked at Wilmington’s Ferris School for Boys, which serves court-adjudicated youth, and was mostly responsible for older students who had committed the most offenses. Short wasn’t there too long, because in 1990, he took a position in then-U.S. Rep. Tom Carper’s district office.
“I was essentially a case worker,” Short says. When constituents called with problems, Short tried to help them on Carper’s behalf. Much of the assistance he provided was in issues involving immigration and military affairs.
“If they were overwhelmed by bureaucracy, my job was to advocate for them and make the system work for them,” he said. “I found it incredibly rewarding.”
Short stuck with Carper when he became governor and worked as a deputy director at DelDOT. He was there for six years – until 1999 – when he left to form his own construction and property management company.
He and his wife, Kristin, whom he had married in 1991, had been buying property for a few years, and Short wanted to continue acquiring and rehabbing buildings. He was happy to “switch to work boots” and add to his portfolio. After eight years, he became a Democratic state representative after winning a 2007 special election. In Delaware, it’s possible for people to get quite close to their constituents, and that aspect of the job appealed to Short.
He also wanted to work with people who focused on the residential end of the contracting business. His move away from public life comes as his family is changing. His daughters, McKinley and Rowan, are moving into the professional chapters of their lives, and Short believed it was also time for him to make a change.
“It’s time for someone else to take over [in the state House] and bring new ideas and energy,” he said. Short’s decision to decline a chance at another term came before the DCA offered him the position. But when it happened, it was a “perfect” situation. Short embraces the DCA’s representation to work with both union and merit shop contractors.
“All the things I worked on as an elected official, I can continue
in the DCA,” Short says. As Short steps away from public life, he is certain to step toward more time at his “off-the-grid” cabin in Maine, where he can hike, fish, sail and generally enjoy the mountain life. Short climbed Mount Washington for the first time when he was
17 years old, and he has loved being away from the fray since he was young.
“It’s heaven to me and a big part of my life,” Short said. “It’s beautiful, but it is a bit rustic.”
By Michael Bradley
Special to Delaware Business Times
Bryon Short’s desire to serve others began as far back as his college days at Salisbury State University, when he was studying psychology and volunteering to help with political campaigns.
“I wanted to be in a position to shape public policy,” he said. Indeed, Short served as state representative for 11 years before announcing he wouldn’t run for another term last February. Now
he’s transitioned to the executive vice president position at Delaware Contractors Association. Short said he looks to continue the work he did in the state House of Representatives, when he helped Delaware’s small business owners thrive as one of the co-founders of the bipartisan Small Business Caucus. The group aimed to reduce hurdles entrepreneurs faced in order to be successful.
“The DCA’s concentration on developing opportunities for its membership is very appealing,” Short said. “Workforce development is a big issue, and so is economic competitiveness. Those are the things I worked on as an elected official. This is a way to continue that work.”
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