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How’d I Get Here?: Troy Dover’s Story

Posted By: Ciara Fischer, Peyton Collette, Katy Birky and Ariana Porter
2 years ago
Troy Dover headshot.

Introduction

As we continue telling the Summit Story through our ‘How’d I Get Here?’ blog series, we take a dive into the story of Summit’s President, Troy Dover. Once we got a moment to sit down with him, we took the opportunity to ask about his path to Summit: where he is from, why he decided to become an engineer, and how his career track led him to becoming our President. 

Troy’s relationship with Jim and Summit began well before he started working at our firm. His impressive path shows us the value of long-term relationships, hard work, and the importance of going through life with a keen sense of self.  

Pull up a chair, if you feel so inclined, and join us as we learn more about Troy and hear him discuss his story. 

Where are you from?

Troy was born in Raleigh, but he moved to Fayetteville when he was still a toddler. His family had a dairy farm in Raleigh, and he spent several years going back and forth between these two worlds. Fayetteville and Raleigh were quite different in comparison to the cities they are today. By remaining connected to his family’s farm since he was a child, Troy says he learned a great deal. 

How did you become an engineer?

Working on his family’s dairy farm had a big influence on Troy’s decision to become an engineer. He loved the big farming equipment that he and his family used daily. His grandfather told him that if he loved the job environment, but not necessarily the hours, he could become an engineer and do the work that he loved. A natural at math and science, Troy went on to pursue his engineering degree at NCSU. 

Hear more about Troy’s decision to become an engineer below. 

What was your career track in engineering before you came to Summit?

Troy interned with NCDOT while earning his engineering degree. When he graduated, he continued with NCDOT in their engineer training program. Though he started out on the construction side, Troy would later become a County Maintenance Engineer. This was one of many turning points in his career.  

How did you move over to the private side and what was that like?

Troy started with NCDOT in May of 1992, which was when he and Jim first met. At the time, Troy was an Assistant Resident Engineer and Jim was a Resident Engineer. In this segment of the interview, you will hear more about Troy’s relationships with Jim and other colleagues, his move to Nashville, and other pivotal moments on Troy’s path. 

How did you end up at Summit?

After working in the healthcare space for a couple of years, Troy realized that the trajectory he was on was not for him. He called Jim, who he had remained in contact with, and said he was ready to talk about an opportunity together.  

When Troy started at Summit he was still living in Nashville. He flew to Hillsborough (the location of our corporate office) every other week, and eventually moved his family back to the Triangle. There is a lot more to this story, which Troy shares in the clip below. 

Who are the mentors/people that have helped you get to this point?

A common theme in Troy’s life is building strong relationships. Listen to Troy walk us through five important bonds that helped shape him into who he is today.  

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