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Relentless Ally

Building from the Heart 

“Iris is a joy to work with; she is one of the most caring individuals I have had the pleasure of knowing. Iris is caring in the sense of delivering a quality product to the client every time. Caring in the sense of respect for every individual on the project and gaining their trust by delivering on every promise she makes. Her positive attitude and nature are contagious on the job site, as well as to her team.” 
Karl Joeris, Vice President
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Terminal Renewal & Improvement Program
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Iris Canary, an assistant superintendent on the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFWIA) Terminal Renewal and Improvement Program, is part of the team currently working on the 400,000-square-foot renovation of Terminal A Phase III. This project is a significant interior remodel, as well as a replacement of all back of house systems. “The job site is vast, we easily walk eight to 10 miles a day,” stated Iris. 

As assistant superintendent, Iris says one of her favorite things about her job is interacting with people, collaborating with the team and solving problems. Iris wants to ensure project success by building trust and open communication with owners and trade partners, so at the end of the day, we deliver on their dream, their vision.   

To carry out a build of this magnitude required a strong team with a singular focus on the project success. The team uses Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) principles, where DFWIA and end-users, construction teams, design teams, consultants and subcontractors are on a collocated job site. Iris is proud of the fact that this collocation cultivated mutual respect, humility, and the readiness to listen, contribute, and collaborate as a team for the betterment of the project. “Each stakeholder provided their collective expertise and held each other accountable to optimize results. This philosophy allowed all stakeholders to come to the table early and, using their expertise, identify conflicts and provide solutions with an equal voice. The result of using this intensive collaboration was improved quality and efficiency and reduced project cost,” shared Iris. 

Iris believes it’s easy to love what you do when you love the people on your team. “You do what you have to do to get the job done; you are never off the clock,” she says. “I have great pride in being able to say my hands are on that, my fingerprints are on that, so it must always represent the best I have to offer, the best the team has to offer,” shared Iris.  

Part of working with a great team is ensuring everybody on the job site is safe. Iris said, “You have to keep your team safe first and foremost, making sure everyone goes home at the end of the day, every person, whether they are sweeping the floor, floating drywall or hanging pipe—they are family, and you want to protect your family.” 

She first got into the construction business simply by association. Her late husband, Jeff Canary was a superintendent in the industry for 27 years. To honor him, she runs half-marathons in support for organizations that help people stay well and get well, find cures, and fight back against cancer. 

Iris Canary builds from the heart, striving daily to deliver on dreams in the communities in which we live and work