Southern Miss Alum Heads Margaritaville Construction Project on Gulf Coast

BILOXI, Miss. - Margaritaville, the ever-popular Jimmy Buffett song, will no longer be just a lyrical paradise, but one of the largest developments in downtown Biloxi as work moves forward on the new Margaritaville Casino and Resort.

A project of this magnitude requires someone with the knowledge and ability to handle the task. And Jason Wold, a 1999 graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi's construction engineering technology program, has plenty of responsibility on his shoulders as project executive for the highly anticipated development.

Although Wold went to work for Yates Construction right after graduation, he moved up from assistant project manager to project manager in only eight years. From the ground-breaking to the first day the resort is open to the public, Wold will make sure the casino and resort live up to the owner's expectations, all while reasonably maintaining its budget.

"In the last few years, I have had a couple major projects that have given me the opportunity to step up and show the company what I can do," said Wold, whose responsibilities include status reports to the owner and keeping production going according to schedule.

Expected to open in March 2010, the $445 million construction project will likely be one of the hottest spots on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Margaritaville, when completed, will consist of two hotel towers, a 90,000 square-foot casino, restaurants, shopping and open walkways along the storefronts.

Wold said his construction engineering technology degree from Southern Miss has helped him tremendously in his career. "As soon as you step into the field, it all starts coming back," he said. "You remember the terminology that was used and the specific analogies or examples that were used in the classroom."

One of the professors that Wold, and many others, have come to rely on to teach them the finer points of construction engineering is David Marchman, associate professor and associate director in the Southern Miss School of Construction. Marchman, who teaches courses at both the Hattiesburg campus and the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach, is fascinated by what Margaritaville will become.

Marchman said the most important skill any of his students need when completing the construction engineering technology program is the ability to communicate effectively.

"Good communication allows construction professionals to easily manage the project with their colleagues, architects and, most importantly, the owners," Marchman said, and he believes Wold effortlessly exhibits this talent, which has contributed to his early success.

Another Southern Miss School of Construction alum working on the Margaritaville Casino and Resort project is Nicholas McIlwain, who graduated in 2001. He is serving as senior estimator, coordinating with each group working on the project to make sure they stay within budget.

"The program at Southern Miss prepares you well above any program that I've seen," said McIlwain. "Working on this project is very exciting and very challenging, but a lot of fun."

Construction crews are currently working on the foundation and concrete sections of Margaritaville, and Wold projects that the structural steel will be visible to passersby beginning in April. "You'll be able to see the iron which serves as the skeleton of the project," said Wold. "April or May will be a real turning point for the public to see a change in vertical construction."

Wold is not sure what the future may hold for him after Margaritaville is complete, but one thing he knows is he loves what he is doing and wants to continue doing it. "As long as I am enjoying the projects that I am building here, I have all intentions of staying in construction," he said.

For more information on the construction engineering technology program, visit http://www.usm.edu/construction.

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Jason Wold, project executive for Margaritaville Casino and Resort, stands before an architect's rendering of what the project will look like when completed in March 2010. A Southern Miss School of Construction graduate, Wold has worked his way up to project executive for Yates Construction since graduating eight years ago. (Southern Miss Public Relations photo by Charmaine Williams)