Thomas C. Leppert, 53, retired as chairman and CEO of Turner Corp. just six months ago. But Leppert's plans did not include sitting on the porch in a rocking chair. On Monday, June 25, after a tough run-off against Democratic opponent Ed Oakley, Leppert was inaugurated as mayor of Dallas, the ninth largest city in the country. Interviewed by Heather Hatfield, news director of McGraw-Hill Construction, Leppert talks about giving back to the community and the parallels between running Turner and being a mayor.

Thomas C. Leppert,
Mayor, Dallas

Thomas C. Leppert retired at the end of 2006 as chairman and CEO of The Turner Corp. With revenue of $8.2 billion in 2006, Turner is ranked number 3 on ENR's 2007 list of Top 400 Contractors. During his tenure, the company’s financial performance exceeded those of the previous decade ten fold with over 40% of the return coming from businesses initiated in the last five years. Leppert began his career with McKinsey & Co., an international general management consulting firm, and was later elected a principal of the firm. In 1984, he was appointed by President Reagan as a White House Fellow. He was assigned both to the Department of the Treasury and the White House staff. In those roles, he focused primarily on banking, finance and international trade issues.