Partners & Executives
Todd E. Gates
Chairman
A native of Virginia, Todd Gates moved to Southwest Florida in the early eighties after visiting the area with his family for many years earlier. Starting his construction career as a laborer and learning the construction industry from the ground up, Mr. Gates quickly advanced to estimating and project management. In 1993, recognizing a void in the commercial marketplace, Mr. Gates set off on his own and founded GATES. Today, the firm is a leading construction management, general contracting and design-build firm with offices throughout Florida and the Republic of Panama, with a footprint which includes the Southeast U.S. and Latin America. As a Southwest Florida resident, he is honored to been involved in many of the area’s iconic and award-winning projects for clients such as The Ritz Carlton, Scripps/Naples Daily News, The Golisano Children’s Hospital, Florida Southwestern State College, The Diocese of Venice, FGCU, just to name a few.
Mr. Gates is passionate about giving back to the community, serving on a wide variety of boards and donating his time and knowledge as a spokesperson for many civic events. He has been the recipient of numerous personal and professional acknowledgements such as “Builder of the Year” by Collier Building Industry Association, “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Gulf Coast Business Review, and “Hall of Fame Laureate” for his support and leadership as a role model for local area youth. Gulfshore Business Magazine recognized him as one of the “Top 50 Power Players” in Southwest Florida, ranking him in the Top 10 on their coveted list. A graduate and highly active alumni member of Leadership Florida, Mr. Gates is not only dedicated to the improvement of his local communities, but also to the state as a whole.
John A. Hayes
President & CEO, GATES Group
President & CEO, GATES Construction
President, GATES Butz Institutional Construction, LLC
John Hayes has over four decades of experience in the construction industry. As President & CEO of GATES Construction and President of GATES Butz Institutional Construction, LLC, he oversees all construction operations for GATES projects throughout Florida. Starting his construction career in his home state of Minnesota, Mr. Hayes graduated with highest honors from the Dunwoody Industrial College, School of Building Construction. A state licensed general contractor, Mr. Hayes has been involved in the industry as both the builder and developer.
Extremely active in the Southwest Florida community, Mr. Hayes served as past Chairman and director of the Commercial Builders Council of the Collier Building Industry Association (CBIA). He also served as past director and treasurer of the Pelican Bay Rotary. He is a former board member for the Lee County Building Industry Association (BIA)and most recently Mr. Hayes was appointed as a Member of The City of Fort Myers Building & Zoning Oversight Committee. He also serves as a board member for The Education Foundation for Lee County Public Schools and the YMCA of the Palms. An avid sports fan, he has coached Jr. Everblades Travel hockey for the past fifteen years, and most recently was appointed to the coaching staff of the Florida Alliance AAA 01 team.
Mark Card
Principal – Sarasota
Mark Card has over three decades of experience in the construction industry; much of it in Sarasota and the surrounding counties. As Principal of the Sarasota office he oversees and supports all of its client relationships including preconstruction, construction, and overall customer experience. A state licensed general contractor, Mr. Card has been involved in the industry as both contractor and developer. As a permanent resident of Sarasota County for over a decade, Mr. Card cares deeply about the local community and sits on multiple not-for-profit boards and organizations.
Kim Bragg
Project Executive — Palm Beach Gardens
Kim Bragg has over three decades of experience in the construction industry; much of it in Palm Beach County and the surrounding counties. As Project Executive of the Palm Beach Gardens office, Mr. Bragg oversees and supports office staff and client relationships including preconstruction, construction, and overall customer experience. A state licensed general contractor, Mr. Bragg has been involved in the industry as both contractor and developer. As a resident of Palm Beach County for over three decades, Mr. Bragg is actively involved in the local community.
Marco Petretta
Director of Construction & Operations
As Director of Construction & Operations, Mr. Petretta is responsible for the overall project coordination, from the pre-construction stage and permitting, through to owner occupancy. Mr. Petretta is a LEED Accredited Professional and has his ASHE Healthcare Construction Certificate. Starting his construction career in his native country Canada, he graduated from the University of Toronto and received his B.A.S. in Civil Engineering and a MEng in Structural Engineering. He moved to Florida in 1999 as a Structural Design Engineer before moving in to the construction field in 2001 and joining GATES in 2007. When Mr. Petretta is not spending time with his wife and three daughters, he is actively involved in the community, coaching youth hockey.