Presentation Summary:
Summary - The SEAoT Dallas and Fort Worth chapters are proud to offer a joint presentation on the new Globe Life Field project from the perspectives of the Owner (The Rangers) as well as the design team (HKS and WPM) and the construction team (Manhattan). Our speakers will describe the overall project goals and challenges from their different perspectives and then expand on key features of the Stadium that required full team coordination and collaboration.
Speakers:
Thomas H Smith, AIA
Sr. Project Architect
HKS
Thomas Smith is a Vice President in the Sports & Entertainment Group at HKS, Inc. where he has practiced sports architecture for over 20 years. He was the senior project architect on Globe Life Field and has dedicated the majority of his professional career specializing in baseball-centric facilities.
Jeff Jansing
Principal
Walter P Moore
Jeff Jansing, PE is a Principal and Senior Project Manager at Walter P Moore with experience in structural engineering analysis, design, and leadership of a diverse group of project types, including sports, healthcare, aviation, performing arts, cultural, parking garages, and hospitality. Jeff joined Walter P Moore in 2004 after receiving his Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degrees from Texas A&M University. Jeff resides in Richardson with his wife and two children.
Jeff served as the structural Project Manager for the new Texas Rangers Ballpark, Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. As the overall Project Manager, one of Jeff’s primary responsibilities included interfacing with the Architect and Owner to understand the desired vision and goals for the overall project. Internally, his primary function was to keep the structural engineering teams for both the roof and bowl to remain aligned throughout the aggressive project design and construction schedule. Jeff provided ongoing guidance and insight into the design process and directed the day-to-day efforts of the structural design team.
Jonathan Collins
Vice President – Preconstruction
Manhattan Construction Company
Jonathan Collins is a down-home native Texan, having grown up in McAllen, Texas. Currently, he resides in North Dallas with his wife and three daughters. He has 23 years of construction estimating and preconstruction services experience for a wide range of different construction types for some of North Texas’ top projects. He has estimated and purchased more than $2.5 billion worth of projects in the DFW area including the recent Globe Life Field, AT&T Stadium, Kyle Field, Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary, Grand Prairie’s public safety facility and The Ford Center at The Star. He also spent a number of years at DFW Airport for renovations of their Terminals B & E. He provides a significant resource to owner and design teams early in the preconstruction process. Jonathan is a frequent guest speaker at industry events like ASA North Texas, National Association of Minorities in Construction (NAMIC), NYU’s College of Business School of Real Estate and Manhattan Construction’s appreciation events. Jonathan has also done guest lectures for industry education programs at Tarleton State University’s Sports Management Program, Texas A&M University’s College of Architecture Capstone lecture, The University of Texas in Arlington’s new Construction Science Program, and Southwest Baptist Seminary Facility Management Course - giving future Construction Leaders and Owners a base knowledge of facility construction and preconstruction processes. Collins has been Certified Professional Estimator and LEED AP BD+C. He earned a bachelor of science in construction science from Texas A&M University – Class of 1997.
Collin Lane
Currently, Collin lives in Fort Worth with wife and has a baby on the way. While at Manhattan Construction Company, Collin rose up to Project Manager and worked on more than $1.5 billion worth of work, on projects such as Globe Life Field, Texas A&M Kyle Field, Southwestern Baptist Seminary College, and most recently, Miller Lite Plaza at AT&T Stadium. Collin Graduated Texas A&M Construction Science Class of 2015. With his construction knowledge, he will be the best asset for your project. As a Project Manager, Collin provided overall management direction for the on-site project management teams. Construction activities are monitored and controlled by the Project Manager through administrative direction of on-site personnel, contract management, budget control, and cost adherence while overseeing implementation of the company's Safety and Quality Control Programs. Collin was the liaison for client, architect, and engineering contacts to facilitate construction activities.
Rob Matwick
Executive Vice President, Business Operations
Texas Rangers
Rob Matwick has been part of the Rangers organization since June 2008 when he joined the team as Executive Vice President, Ballpark Operations. In 2014, he was promoted to his current role as Executive Vice President, Business Operations.
Matwick was the organization’s primary liaison with the City of Arlington on the construction of Globe Life Field. He worked on the Club’s negotiation of a Master Agreement announced in May 2016, which authorized the City to call a bond election in November of that year. In advance of the election, Rob worked on the “Vote Yes!” campaign, which resulted in Arlington residents approving the ballot language by a 60-40 margin. The citizen approval allowed the Rangers and City to move forward on the ballpark project, and to extend the lease agreement between the partners until January 1, 2054.
Beginning in 2014, Matwick led the team in discussions with The Cordish Companies, a world class development firm based in Baltimore, which is widely considered the country’s leading developer of mixed use/entertainment developments. By the close of 2015, the Rangers, Cordish Companies and City of Arlington reached agreement on a $250 million public-private partnership, which led to the successful opening of Texas Live! in August 2018, and the Live! by Loews Hotel in August 2019. Most recently, Rob worked with the City and the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce on the successful campaign that will bring the National Medal of Honor Museum to the Entertainment District in 2024.
Matwick serves on the Advisory Board for the Texas Rangers Foundation, is the current Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau, and works with the Arlington Entertainment Area Management District.
Rob is in his 36th season in Major League Baseball. Prior to returning to the state of Texas, he was named Vice President of Communications for the Detroit Tigers in January 2007. The following year, he added oversight of the ticket sales department for the Tigers and oversaw both areas until joining the Rangers in June 2008.
Previously, Matwick spent more than 21 years with the Houston Astros, where he worked in the roles of Director of Media Relations (1985-99), VP of Operations and Communications (1999-2000), and Senior VP of Ballpark Operations and Customer Service (2001-06). He was instrumental in many aspects of the construction of Minute Maid Park and oversaw all aspects of ballpark operations after the facility opened in 2000.
Matwick was recognized by Major League Baseball with the Robert O. Fishel Award for Public Relations Excellence in 2001, was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, and in 2012 was named MLB Professional of the Year by the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security.
Prior to beginning his baseball career, Rob served as Sports Information Director at Wichita State University and worked in the sports information department at the University of South Carolina. He was also a sportswriter for the Aiken (SC) Standard.
A native of McKeesport, PA, he earned a bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of South Carolina at Aiken, where he was also senior captain of the men’s basketball team. He earned his master of mass communication degree from the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Rob and his wife, Kelly, have a daughter, Mackenzie, and reside in Southlake.
Jack Hill
Senior Vice President, Project Development
Texas Rangers
Veteran sports facility management and construction development executive Jack Hill rejoined the Texas Rangers as Senior Vice President, Project Development in November 2016. Hill, who was instrumental in the construction of The Ballpark in Arlington (now Globe Life Park in Arlington) in the early 1990s, oversaw the construction management and development of Globe Life Field, which opened to rave reviews in March 2020.
Hill, who also managed the construction of American Airlines Center in Dallas and AT&T Stadium in Arlington locally, also works with The Cordish Companies on the Texas Live! development and is involved in other Rangers projects, including the repurposing of Globe Life Park in Arlington in the winter of 2019-20.
Hill originally joined the Rangers organization in August 1991 as Vice President, Ballpark Development and served as the principal development manager for a $191 million project, which included The Ballpark in Arlington, a 140,000 square foot office building, and a youth sports park. The project was completed on time and on budget when it opened in April 1994.
From 1995-98, Hill was the Vice President of Development for Hammes Development Corporation and was centrally involved in the planning of Miller Park in Milwaukee. He was the principal manager for Hillwood Development while managing the construction project for American Airlines Center from 1998-2002. Hill then spent three years as Associate Superintendent of Construction for the Dallas Independent School District.
In 2005, Hill joined Blue Star Development and the Dallas Cowboys and spent the next five years overseeing the construction and development of Cowboys Stadium. Once the $1.2 billion multi-purpose facility opened in 2009, he oversaw all operations of the building for its first three years.
More recently, Hill was Project Executive for the San Francisco 49ers’ new stadium in Santa Clara, California. Levi’s® Stadium, a $1.3 billion sports and entertainment facility, opened in July 2014 and served as the site of Super Bowl 50 in February 2016.
Overall, Hill has spent over 35 years in the construction and development industry and is a graduate of Texas A&M University. Jack lives in Dallas with his wife, Amy, and their 17-year-old twins, Gracie and Jake.
