Branden Laptalo HENSEL PHELPS


Growing up in the rural Central Valley farm town of Newman, CA, Branden Laptalo knew next to nothing about construction when he came to San Jose State University (SJSU) 15 years ago to study civil engineering as a community college transfer student. He met AGC student chapter leaders at a campus ca- reer and club fair and decided to join the group to learn more about construction opportunities. Te first event he went to with the stu-


dent chapter—a jobsite tour of a regional medical center project that Skanska was building in San Jose—convinced Laptalo that this was the career path for him. “Tat is pretty much where I fell in


love with construction,” he recalls. “I saw the action going on at that jobsite and how dynamic the field of construction was and immediately knew that is what I wanted to do.” Laptalo jumped in with both feet, taking on leadership roles in the stu- dent chapter as vice president and then president during his senior year. It was through the AGC of California student chapter that he was introduced to Hensel Phelps, which hired him full-time after graduation. Over 13 years, Laptalo has risen


through the ranks at Hensel Phelps, alternating between field and office man- agement positions, working primarily in the healthcare sector on projects for Stanford Health Care, Kaiser, and others. Currently he is project manager for a $1.6 billion Kaiser hospital campus project in Sacramento. As he grew in leadership roles within his company, Laptalo also embraced opportunities to grow within the industry by participating in networking, learning and leadership opportunities at AGC of California. He joined the Emerging


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CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026


“I would definitely encourage people who are early on in their careers to participate and not shy away from those leadership roles, even though it can be challenging to manage your time while you are juggling work and building your resume in your own company. It opens up your network and gives you some experiences that you don’t normally have on a day-to- day basis.”


– Branden Laptalo, Hensel Phelps


Leaders (EL) (formerly CLC) early on and took an active role from the outset, advancing to EL Steering Committee Chair in 2021. Knowing how he had personally ben-


efitted from student chapter involvement, as EL Chair Laptalo leaned into student chapter outreach, organizing student job- site tours and other activities. “I wouldn’t be in the construction industry if it weren’t for AGC of California, so I wanted to open the eyes of other students who are in the same boat as I was to show them that construction is a great field to be in,” he noted. In addition to regular attendance at


AGC of California’s annual CONSTRUCT conference, Laptalo participated in vari- ous AGC of Calfornia training programs, including a three-day leadership training program that offered a 360-review with feedback from coworkers, his boss and direct reports. “It taught me about delegation and other things I’ve definitely used to grow my career and leadership skills,” he not- ed. “I keep (the feedback) on my desk


and reflect on those insights gained to this day.” In 2026, Laptalo was elected to the


AGC CEF Board of Directors, providing him with an opportunity to help shape the nonprofit’s work and network with industry colleagues, sharing insights and solutions on key issues they all face. Participating in AGC of California leadership roles like EL and AGC CEF requires some extra time and sacrifice, Laptalo said, but is well worth the effort. “I would definitely encourage peo- ple who are early on in their careers to participate and not shy away from those leadership roles, even though it can be challenging to manage your time while you are juggling work and building your resume in your own company,” he commented. “It opens up your network and gives you some experiences that you don’t normally have on a day-to-day basis. It gives you a glimpse into the industry’s future and helps you build connections. Ultimately, it’s going to make you a better builder and a better leader in the future.”


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