Today we’d like to introduce you to Marco Avila.
Marco, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in Quito, Ecuador, I first came to the USA to go to school in 1981, I did not have much and I didn’t speak a lick of English. I immediately enrolled in an ESL school, taking some nine different English courses including phonetics, composition, and writing to become fluent before beginning college at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).
When my mom told me that she was going to get a second job to help pay for my education, I told her I wouldn’t take another penny from my mom. I chose, instead, to work manual labor jobs on construction sites and in factories, despite hating getting dirty.
Once I started studying, I regularly went to the school registrar’s office with cash payments in hand from the jobs I was working. I graduated from NJIT in 1993 without student loans. My days would start at 7 a.m. and go to 11 p.m. for eight and a half years. (Right out of work, I’d go straight to school every day).
While studying civil engineering, I applied for an entry-level position to be a draftsman. I eventually worked my way up the ladder to become a highway engineer. Once I finished school and graduated as a Civil Engineer with a steady income and a 9-to-5 job, I felt that I had some free extra time (after 5 pm daily), I felt that I needed to do more.
I started traveling, including a trip back to his home country. On a trip in 1994, he met some traveling doctors returning from a medical mission. I was recruited by the group as a translator. In 1995, I traveled to Puyo, Ecuador (Amazon Region), for his first medical mission and spent the next decade translating on medical missions with the team. I’ve donated my vacation time to be able to participate in these annual medical missions.
In 2005, I was transferred to the Baltimore, Maryland office within WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff with his family. My first engineering project in Maryland was the Interstate 95 (I-95) Express Toll Lanes in White Marsh. Eventually, I worked for 18 years on Mega Infrastructure Projects in Maryland (i.e. I-95 ETLs, Inter County Connector-ICC, Purple Line Project, Harry Nice Bridge replacement, I-495/I-270 Expansion). While working on these projects, I was still volunteering in medical missions and contributing to my philanthropic world.
In 2007, along with pediatric surgeon Dr. Dylan Stewart, NICU nurse, Susan Connolly, and plastic surgeon Dr Jaime Flores, founded The Healing Hands Foundation (www.thhfoundation.org). Their mission: is to expand medical missions beyond Ecuador, to sustainably provide high-quality surgical procedures, and to build long-term relationships with the local community.
Also in 2007, I founded The Golfers for Charity Foundation (www.golfersforcharity.org) while still working for WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff as a Civil Engineers and not Vice President (www.wsp.com), one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services consulting firms.
Golfers For Charity’s annual event, now in its 16th year, is played at the Greystone Golf Course in White Hall and has raised thousands of dollars in support of several non-profits in Maryland (including The Healing Hands Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Horizon Day Camp, Cancel program support, MDHCC Scholarships, Engineers Week Program via the Education Foundation, etc.).
I always believe that everything in your life, whether professional, personal, humanitarian, or volunteering—it’s all connected.
These connections led me to be involved with the Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (MDHCC), whose work is to further promote the growth, prosperity, and retention of Hispanic businesses in the state by providing advocacy, resources, and networking. In April 2019, I was named the Chairman of the Board and President/CEO of MDHCC.
When I started as the leader of MDHCC, membership increased from 89 members to 1100 members in 3 1/2 years. I always reinforced this goal to the board—to become the biggest chamber in Maryland. Also, programs that were created to retain members and provide great benefits, created interest for others (non-Hispanics) to join MDHCC and have the opportunity to tap into the Hispanic market (the fastest-growing market in the USA).
Hispanic businesses are currently created at a 15 to 1-rate. Having a solid chamber supporting those businesses is essential to cultivating positive economic development for this growing demographic. One of the goals of the MDHCC is to educate small businesses on how to obtain certification as a Minority Business Enterprise and bid on government contracts.
I feel fortunate to have the best of both worlds, I work for a big global engineering company, but at the same time, I’m helping the small businesses that typically are trying to be a subcontractor under a big global company, and I can help through this volunteer work at the MDHCC.
Under my leadership (and my 2nd term as the President and CEO), the MDHCC set a goal to grow to nearly 5,000 members by 2026 and become THE biggest Chamber in Maryland.
I am also very involved in the community. I am on the board of the Engineering Society of Baltimore and a Trustee of the ESB Education Foundation. I organize Engineers Week, an annual program to being middle and high school students to learn about Engineering, STEM, Energy, Aviation, Cyber Security, Maritime, Manufacturing, etc. The next Engineers Week program will be in February 2024, and we will be hosting over 1,000 students from all over Maryland.
I am serving my second term at the Maryland Governor’s Workforce Development Board. In 2024, I am planning two Medical Missions with the Healing Hands Foundation, one in the Spring to Ecuador and the other in the Fall to Guatemala.
We are planning the Golfers for Charity annual golf event on May 13th at Graystone Golf Course.
The Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Annual Scholarship Golf event will take place on October 7, 2024, at Woodlands Golf Course. This event is specifically to raise funds for Hispanic Students.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As an immigrant, it was always a challenge to try to fit in. I had to work five times as hard to be able to be at everyone’s level and be able to be included. One of the things that I always share with the younger generation is two (2) words…
… PRESISTANCE PREVAILS!
We’ve been impressed with WSP & MDHCC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Marco V. Ávila, P.E. is a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the State of Maryland. He has been practicing his Civil Engineering Profession for over 37 years (25 Years with WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff). He has experience providing engineering and program/project management services for major infrastructure projects in the public and private sectors, including transit, highways, bridges, Public-Private Partnerships (P3), and telecommunications. He has a consistent track record of cost-effective project delivery under demanding circumstances. Marco is fluent in Spanish and speaks Portuguese.
While working as a Vice President/Civil Engineer/Program Manager for WSP-USA, Marco has gained the trust of his clients and peers. Apart from loving engineering, Marco is an active member of local chapters of several societies: including the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the American Council of Engineering Companies-Maryland (ACEC/MD), The Engineering Society of Baltimore (ESB), Engineers Without Borders, and Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (MDHCC), Advisory Council for St. Jude-Baltimore, Board Member at Sail Baltimore, Association for Enterprise Growth (AEG)-Inner Circle Baltimore Director, among other organizations.
MDHCC: Apart from the engineering world, Marco dedicates his free time to volunteering in other organizations. Marco is currently the Chairman of the Board and President of the Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (MDHCC). He took over MDHCC in April 2019. With the help of the new leadership at the Chamber, Marco had big plans for the Chamber, in his first term he grew membership from 425 members to 1,100 members. Serving his second term, he is planning to grow membership to 5000 members by the end of his second term (2026). This growth included a combination of organic members and new Associate Members.
The new programs created and implemented for the MDHCC members include Mentoring, Education, Growth, Partnership, Promotion/Marketing, Procurement Advisory, International Business Marketing, and Networking. In addition, Marco and his team created the NEW Maryland Hispanic Chamber Scholarship Program. The Scholarship Program will provide scholarships for high school students, college students, graduate students, trade School students, and special charitable projects.
Organizations will have the opportunity to team up with the MDHCC to provide these scholarships. Furthermore, Marco plans to bring more businesses to Maryland from all over Latin America through the Maryland Sister States Program (in partnership with the Maryland Secretary of State office and the Maryland Department of Commerce). The MDHCC board of directors recently voted in Marco to serve his second term as the Chairman of the Board & President from 2023 to 2026.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was born in Quito, Ecuador. Went to a catholic elementary and high school. Always proud of my roots and proud to be a hard worker. Always looking to make a difference in someone’s life and the community.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @marcovavila
- Facebook: @marcovavila
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcovavila/
- Twitter: @marcovavila
- Youtube: @marcovavila
