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UNF Degrees: BBA – ’97; BT – ’94 Employment: President, Breaking Ground Contracting, Jacksonville For Mary Tappouni and her construction company, environmental sustainability is more than just another building option. It's a philosophy she has incorporated into the very fabric of her firm and shares with her employees. |
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Tappouni is president of Breaking Ground Contracting Company, one of the few female-owned
construction companies in the state. But that's not all that sets her firm apart
from others. "I love to teach other small businesses how to 'green' their operations.
Thatss the thing that makes us unique.
We don't focus on green building alone, but
the process of environmental awareness." This philosophy begins in her office, where
employees are provided incentives to drive fuel-efficient vehicles and incorporate
water-saving features in their landscaping and inside their homes. The company practices
sustainability in their own offices and on job sites, and teaches it through Breaking
Ground Education Services.
The road to her own construction company started when Tappouni transferred from the University of Florida to UNF. She said she loved UNF's small classes and the high level of building experience among the faculty. When she graduated in 1994 with her bachelor's degree, Tappouni said she knew then she wanted to own her own company. She stayed on at UNF to earn another bachelor's degree, this one in business administration, in 1997. The role UNF plays in the community served to increase Tappouni's awareness of the importance of community involvement when she was a student. She and her management team are all mentors in Jacksonville organizations, and Tappouni was recently the project manager for a HabiJax home built by women. The community involvement is part of Tappouni's philosophy but is somewhat surprising considering she never intended to stay in Jacksonville. "UNF is why I'm here. It's why my company is in Jacksonville." |
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