“Back when I was a kid, the only thing I remember in the area was a Bowl America and a Famous Amos. I watched the strip mall around the Mandarin Landing Publix be built. Then, the AMC movie theatre went up. Suddenly, we were in the developed world of Mandarin.”

John-Paul Saenz’s memories of growing up in the Mandarin neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida, offer a poignant glimpse into his youth. More than that, they foreshadow an extraordinary life of contribution to the built world.

The Jacksonville kid who watched in awe as buildings, shops and other structures rose from the ground around him, became just the fourth President in Haskell’s 60-year history on February 1, 2026.

When he joined Haskell, the firm was primarily a contractor that was pioneering the integrated design-build delivery method. John-Paul – JP, as he’s most commonly known – was one of 150 employees executing $400M in projects, mainly in the Southeast. Today, Haskell has 3,000 team members in 25 offices worldwide and generates more than $3 billion in annual revenue.

“It’s well-deserved. His record of leading the business side of the team is a great one,” said Haskell Founder Preston Haskell III. “He is a very, very well-rounded person who extends across many capacities and disciplines. And, he has been very successful in every position.”

From his youth on Jacksonville’s Southside to the influences of neighbors and his family in South America … from the academic rigors of Georgia Tech to his early-career lessons … from pioneering work in Latin America to developing the next generation of architectural, engineering and construction leaders, JP Saenz is a builder.

‘I’m Going to Become a Civil Engineer’

Born July 21, 1971, in Hagerstown, Maryland, JP moved with his family when he was just 6 months old. His father, Dr. Victor Saenz, immigrated to the U.S. from Colombia for his residency in radiology and practiced in several hospitals before taking over as Chief of Radiology at what is now UF Health Shands Hospital.

Following elementary school at San Jose Episcopal Day School, JP followed in his sister’s footsteps, attending Episcopal School of Jacksonville.

“By ninth grade, I had it in my mind that I was going to become a civil engineer,” he recalled. “I know, I know … extremely odd for a ninth grader to know what he wanted to do.”

The allure grew stronger through family trips to Colombia.

“Most of my mom’s cousins and uncles worked in civil infrastructure,” he explained. “They had – and still have – a construction company that builds roads and utilities for oil companies all over Northeastern Colombia. We would head down for these really fun fishing and hunting trips. Talk about a great way to get a kid interested in a profession. I associated construction with those great outdoors trips. Plus, the civil engineers were pretty interesting people. So, very early on, I decided, ‘I want that. I’m going to become a civil engineer.’ It sounded like a great way to make a living.”

Another persuasive factor at an early age was neighbor Ivan Smith, one of the founders of Reynolds Smith & Hill, then the largest architecture and engineering firm in Jacksonville.

“At the time, I had no idea who he was or the influence he had in the world of architecture,” JP recalled. “He was this nice, older gentleman who lived across the street from us. He paid me to take care of his tangerine orchard, but he also introduced me to architecture. He had a drafting table, which exposed me to the craft at an early age.”

JP’s other big influence growing up was Dick Morales, who knew JP’s family well. He was adamant that if JP wanted the best engineering experience, it had to come from Georgia Tech.

“Let’s just say, it was not what I experienced as a kid – no fishing and hunting tied to it,” he said. “It was extremely challenging at Tech, humbling, even. It was a wake-up call.”

‘Buildings Were More Exciting’

An internship with a global engineering firm in Atlanta focused on transportation engineering provided JP insight into what he did – and didn’t – want to do.

“There was a lot of roadway and underground utilities design, similar to what I had seen as a kid in Colombia, but nowhere near as fun,” he said. “I ended up not liking the office work environment or even the work. I just didn’t find it exciting enough.”

Fortunately, the program offered students flexibility that led to a spot with a civil infrastructure construction company. It didn’t hurt that the two owners were Georgia Tech alumni.

“I worked two quarters with them,” he said. “It was construction, so I worked outside a lot. I made the connection between the engineering degree with the construction career. That was starting to look even more familiar to what got me into this in the first place.”

An internship with a building contractor in Atlanta, near the Georgia Tech campus, came next and further guided his career.

“I loved it! It became clear that was what I was going to do,” he said. “To me, the buildings were more exciting. It felt like something I’d be proud of helping create and build. I got a sense of what rewarding meant.”

Upon graduation, the company where he had interned, Winter Construction, offered him a job. In the mid-90s, they relocated him to Orlando. As part of the company’s aviation division, he spent two years in the mid-90s in Central Florida focused on projects at Orlando International Airport.

Part of being sent to Orlando to run the Central Florida office included, quite literally, finding an office.

“They said, ‘Go down there, lease some office space and get it started,’” he recalled. “This was completely new territory for me. I was young and new in the company. It was a big responsibility.”

To no one’s surprise, he succeeded. Eventually, though, his desire for continued advancement led him to a job recruiter.

“I was dead set on going back to Atlanta,” he recalled. “But one day, the recruiter called and said, ‘I know you’re from Jacksonville. One of my other clients is there with a design and construction company called Haskell. Have you heard of it?’”

He had, in a roundabout way, in high school.

‘Haskell Was Where I Wanted to Be’

“I knew the name, because there were Haskell children at school with my sister, Claudia, and me at Episcopal, but I hadn’t associated them with the business,” he said. “Then, when I was a senior, Haskell completed construction of the new gym.”

In addition to the job site, JP recalled specific signs around the construction area: “Haskell.”

“In my mind, the recruiter was telling me about this company that built a small gym at our high school,” he recalled with a laugh. “I was trying to find work with big companies that built big projects. I decided I wasn’t doing the Haskell thing. I was going back to Atlanta.”

When the recruiter insisted on at least an interview, JP relented.

“Everyone I met was incredibly nice and enjoyed what they were doing,” he recalled. “It was genuinely a really good experience. Not only that, but I also learned they actually did much more than build high school gyms.”

As fate would have it, JP learned Haskell had offered the job when he was home in Jacksonville, visiting his widowed father.

“I remember sitting with my dad, telling him about the offer from this company called Haskell here in Jacksonville,” JP said. “He was in favor of me accepting the job, so that made the decision a lot easier.”

In June 1997, JP Saenz officially joined Haskell.

“When you start a job, it’s just working for a company,” he said. “But it didn’t take long for it to begin feeling more like a career – truly like I was part of a team. These were people I liked working with. I felt stronger connections to not just the company, but to the people around me. Early on, I decided Haskell was where I wanted to be for the long haul.”

About a year in, JP learned of an internal job opening in Southeastern Mexico to build a Frito-Lay snack plant. With an increased desire to work in Latin America, JP found the opportunity “fantastic.”

Working full-time for upwards of two years, leading the project in Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico, led to six years commuting to and from Mexico.

“My routine for those last six years was working in Mexico Monday to Friday, coming home to Jacksonville for the weekend and then heading back to repeat the process,” he said. “Basically, I spent the first eight years of my Haskell career working mostly in Mexico.”

The schedule worked – as long as he was single.

JP recalls a longtime Jacksonville buddy calling and wanting him to meet his wife’s friend, a ballerina and Jacksonville native who was about to retire and return to her hometown.

“I was getting ready to move to Mexico and really commit to that assignment wholesale,” he said. “I didn’t really want to mess with relationships. I was just focused on getting to Mexico and keeping with the plan.”

In an act of appeasement, JP ended up accepting a dinner invitation with Charlie, his wife and her friend, Jennifer.

“That became another big fork in the road for my life and career,” he said. “I say that because, after that, rather than going back to Mexico, I thought I’d stay in Jacksonville and focus on work there.”

A bit anxious about the anticipated response, JP went to his boss and asked about the chance of not relocating to Mexico.

“He just looked at me and said, ‘You met someone, didn’t you?’” he said, laughing. “He told me I knew what I needed to do down there and that if I could handle commuting, it wouldn’t matter where I lived.”

He signed on for that routine, which lasted two years before an opportunity in the Food and Beverage Division with Haskell arose.

‘The New, More Domestic Routine’

“I remember (current Chairman and CEO) Jim O’Leary telling me he had previously been the head of F&B and that it would be a good opportunity for me,” JP said. “I accepted the offer, which came at a really good time. Jennifer and I were married in 2004, and then a year or two later, I accepted the position.”

It was especially nice, he said, because he and Jennifer had first connected when he was regularly traveling to Mexico. She was all-in with the new, more domestic routine. It also afforded him the chance to remain close to his father and follow the blueprints to becoming a husband and father.

“He is a great son,” Jennifer said. “We see his father every Saturday for lunch. We’ve done that for more than two decades. JP lost his mother when he was 15, so I feel like he has really tried hard to take care of his dad, especially since then.”

“If you stack Jennifer and me up on a chart, we’re complete opposites,” JP said. “Generally, that works really well with couples. She’s very laid back, very carefree. She’s the artsy person. I’m not. I’m analytical, while she’s more thoughtful.”

“He is very type-A and driven, while I am more laid back,” Jennifer said. “I think us having those different approaches really helped us when raising children.”

Three years after their 2004 wedding, Jennifer and JP’s first of two daughters, Mia, was born. Two years later, they welcomed Lucy to the world. Today, Mia is in school at Wake Forest University, while Lucy is a high school junior at JP’s alma mater, Episcopal School of Jacksonville.

All along, JP Saenz has been about building, rising and achieving. Those who know him know that the ascent is hardly a solo effort.

“It’s a big role, and I’m honored to be the President of the company, but I don’t really view it much differently than one year, or even 10 years ago,” he said. “We’re all still leading the business together as a team.”

While fortunate to have a “very talented” Executive Leadership Team, JP also takes pride in seeing strong leadership across the company.

“There is a clear focus on training and developing the individuals and teams at Haskell,” he said. “Our cultural priority is to give our team members the best job of their lives. We feel strongly that when people thrive, performance soars.”

“JP rose steadily through the ranks of project manager and had responsibility for many of our overseas operations,” Preston Haskell said. “From construction to manufacturing, to architecture and engineering, he has worked with all our departments. He knows those operating units of the company very well. JP is a person of much intellect, energy and personality, well-suited for this leadership role.”

“The work ethic he was taught by his family was to work hard to provide for us … and others,” Jennifer noted. “And, he has done it. He is a great provider for his personal and professional family. That’s why he is at Haskell. He provides for all the people there, as well as the overall company. That kind of support is so important to all those at work, as well as his family at home.”

‘His Character, His Integrity, His Passion’

Kally Gibbs’ first memory of JP was when he decided – of his own volition – to make an out-of-town trip to witness her receiving a “Women in Construction” award.

“I was on the stage for all of two seconds, and JP went out of his way to be there and support me,” Kally said. “I was shocked. He was the COO, and at the time, I was a distant member of his expanded team. For him to want to do that was incredible. It really, really said a lot about him and his character.”

Kally would go on to serve as JP’s Chief of Staff as COO, beginning in 2020. Since his promotion to President, she has joined the Executive Leadership Team as Chief Technology Officer.

Friends and community leaders are equally effusive about JP’s character and presence.

“When I think about JP, above all else is the quality of his character, his integrity, his passion for the job and incredible way he treats people,” said longtime friend, former Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp owner and current Tampa Bay Rays CEO Ken Babby. “Above all else, he’s a friend and a guy who goes the extra mile for people when they need it most. He cares deeply about others and is always willing to do anything he can to help others succeed, whether it’s professionally or personally.”

Humbly, Babby speaks from personal experience.

“I will never forget a time a few years ago when I was going through a health scare,” he said. “Perhaps more than any other friend of mine, it was JP who was most concerned, called most often and offered such a large amount of love and care. I’ll never forget that. He will be forever regarded highly for his integrity, high degree of strong and positive character and as a dear, loving friend.”

‘A Family Man First and Foremost’

Despite a significant public presence in Jacksonville, where it maintains its global headquarters 60 years after its founding, Haskell has expanded into a worldwide organization. Because of its capabilities in process engineering, packaging systems, consulting, and fabrication, its unique value proposition continues to grow.

“The reality is most of our business is not only outside of the city, but outside of the state and the country,” JP said. “Jacksonville is the headquarters, and what a lot of people here in town don’t realize is that we’re so much more than what meets the eye. We have 25 offices all over the world. The team in Kuala Lumpur takes a lot of pride in Haskell, just like we do here in Jacksonville, Dallas, Salt Lake City, Mexico City and in all our locations.

“When we were founded, design-build was a differentiator. Today, that’s part of our expertise that has allowed us to think differently and add the extra services and capabilities that simply make us better than most other companies. We’re unique today, just like when Preston founded the company.”

While he genuinely loves what he does for a living, he said he hoped he was defined more broadly as a person.

“I’d like to be regarded just as a good person, who was caring, adventurous,” he said. “A lot of people think I’m a hardened business professional, but above all else, I see myself as a family person.”

“JP truly does put his family first,” Jennifer said. “He absolutely loves his career, but he is a family man first and foremost. He’s a very supportive husband and loves that I still want to teach.”

“JP is an intuitive leader who has higher expectations for people than most of us think we can achieve,” Kally said. “He really believes we can do it. He draws out the best in people working with him. His position can be intimidating to some, but he is always very approachable and even goes out of his way to make sure folks are comfortable.”

“We all have different titles from time to time, and new positions are created, but the story remains the same,” JP said. “We’re just all trying to move this company forward for the 3,000 people working with us and build it the right way. We have fun doing it. Yes, it’s a job, and sometimes it’s hard, but it sure is fun, too.”

“He is a very giving person,” Jennifer said. “I also have to say he has become more of a softie as he has gotten older. In that regard, he really tries to get to know the people he works with and understand why they want to be there and what it is they want to become better at. That was the way he was treated coming through the ranks, so it’s important for him to offer that same support back.”

“JP is not only a person of good intellect, but always has a terrific personality,” Preston said. “That makes him not only fun to be around, but good to work with. I think that combination is very important. He certainly exhibits those qualities, but he also really enjoys working at the company. Plus, the people who work around or for him really seem to enjoy doing so.”

Understandably, those people also greatly respect him. After all, JP Saenz isn’t reveling in all he has built for himself but is instead using his ascent to continue strengthening the company he has devoted his professional life to.

“We have a very solid line of succession for the foreseeable future, and JP is very much a part of that,” Preston said. “I’ve always had an interest in JP and have always said he could do any job in the company. I’ve admired him greatly from day one.”

“What he’s poised to do is leave a legacy for the next generations that come through Haskell,” Kally said. “To him, his main job now is to grow that next generation of leaders here and make sure that this company is built to last.”

JP and the Executive Leadership Team recently embarked on a two-week cross-country visit to Haskell’s largest offices, followed by trips to its offices in Mexico City, Kuala Lumpur and Manila. The rigorous trip ensured that Haskell’s new 10-year strategic vision was shared in person, directly with team members. The new vision reinforces the company’s values of Team, Excellence, Service, and Trust, the purpose of “Creating Things That Matter,” strengthening the core business and focusing on innovation to thrive in the modern era.

“I’m really proud of our accomplishments and all Haskell has become,” JP said. “I’m a hometown guy, so to see how far this company has come since Preston started it here in Jacksonville is incredibly rewarding.”

About the Author: Doug Milne, Jr. is a Jacksonville native who worked as a Senior Producer and Media Official for the PGA TOUR for more than three decades. Today, Milne is a freelance writer and video producer. His written work appears each month in three Jacksonville-based publications and outlets around the globe. Milne can be reached at dougmilnemedia@yahoo.com.