McCarthy Building Companies Inc. named Dr. David Peterson vice president of operations for Education Services in the Southwest division. The Education Services team focuses on construction and renovation projects for K-12 schools and community colleges primarily in Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.

In his leadership position, Peterson will oversee all of the Education team’s operations and supervise project directors who work directly with the owners, design teams and subcontractors on school projects. He will also direct the group’s strategic planning and new market growth; business development initiatives; and client relations.

Peterson has more than 28 years of experience in the construction and facilities industry, including 21 years in the educational arena working for school districts. Most recently, he served as superintendent of Scottsdale Unified School District comprised of 24,000 students and 3,200 employees. During his tenure with the district, he also supervised $350 million in school renovation projects and helped lead the passage of school construction bond and override initiatives.

Peterson also has past experience working as director of operations and director of construction for Mesa Public Schools over a 10-year period. He also has eight years of construction project experience working for Summa Mechanical Contractors on estimating, project management and engineering.

“With David’s direct experience working for two of the largest public school districts in the state, he brings a wealth of knowledge to our Education Services team,” said Bo Calbert, president of McCarthy Building Companies’ Southwest division. “His impressive credentials and community involvement speak volumes, and we look forward to him fostering our existing client relations and forging new ones.”

Peterson holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University and a juris doctorate from the Concord School of Law. He also earned his master’s degree in civil engineering from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy.

In addition, he has earned numerous educational certificates, including forPublic Schools Planning and Design from Harvard University and Negotiation/Mediation and Advanced Master Negotiation from Harvard Law School.

During the course of his career, he has been awarded numerous honors, including Member of the Year from the Arizona Association of School Business Officials, the CEFPI Educational Planners Service Award, and the Presidents Award from the Mesa Association of School Administrators.

Peterson is also actively involved in the community, serving on several board of directors, including the Association of School Business Officials International, Arizona Association of School Business Officials, the Arizona School Alliance for Workers Compensation, Valley Schools Employee Benefit Trust, Scottsdale Boys and Girls Club, Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce and the Arizona Business and Education Coalition. He also completed the Mesa Leadership Training and Development Program and the Mesa Police Citizens Academy.