Before anyone in the UGA community sets foot in a new or renovated building, Ray McDonald, Bubba Cowart and Ike Free have made sure it’s safe to do so.
“We’re on the job from concrete pours to final inspections,” Cowart said.
That might mean doing inspections to ensure materials are installed to code, or showing up at 2 a.m. to monitor concrete pours, or even coordinating utility shutdowns needed during construction and renovations. As contract compliance specialists in the Office of University Architects, they work with contractors to make sure work is completed on time and correctly.
“You’re on the project from start to finish,” McDonald said.
The three of them have worked together officially as part of the Office of University Architects since September 2024 but have known each other and worked together in different capacities for much longer. Not only do they work with others in the Office of University Architects, but they also work frequently with outside contractors and municipalities.
“We wear a lot of hats on a day-to-day basis,” McDonald said.
McDonald has worked at the university for 30 years. He started in the Large HVAC Shop before landing in his current role in 2005. Cowart worked for the Athens-Clarke County inspection office for 13 years and then built houses for another 11 years before joining the Office of University Architects in 2008. Free’s background is in electrical construction. He worked with the university as an outside contractor since 1993 — with McDonald and Cowart inspecting his work — before joining the Office of University Architects last year.
“One of the good things about working here as a contractor was that I knew most of the nuances already,” Free said.
While they all work toward the same goal to ensure building codes and design standards are met, they have some specific roles. For example, Cowart serves as the main liaison with Athens-Clarke County and McDonald coordinates with Atlanta Gas Light.
No day is ever the same for them — and probably isn’t even at the same place. They might be on a job site at one of UGA’s extended campus or in the office obtaining permits. That variety is actually one of the things they enjoy most about their role.
“We work together really well even if we don’t see each other daily,” Cowart said.
“We’ll go help each other,” McDonald added. “Everybody knows that all you’ve got to do is make a phone call or send a text, and someone will be there helping you out. It’s a team effort.”
McDonald points out that the team effort goes beyond their office.
“Good contractors make our life easier,” McDonald said.
They also team up on inspections, noting that one might see something the other doesn’t.
Summers can be particularly busy for them, trying to wrap up projects before the fall semester begins.
“It’s rewarding to finish a project,” Cowart said.
They all have projects that mean a little more. Cowart is partial to the Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Facility at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex, and Free particularly enjoyed working on projects at Sanford Stadium. The one McDonald is looking forward to is the Medical Education and Research Building because his daughter plans to go into the medical field after graduating from UGA.
“It’s rewarding to see a project from start to finish. It makes you feel like you have a part of it,” McDonald said.
With each concrete pour and final inspection, they’re keeping the users in mind.
“I make sure that when I leave each day, I know that I’ve done something to better UGA,” McDonald said.