2018 Airport Business Top 40 Under 40: Brian Dorman

Oct. 1, 2018

Brian Dorman
Aviation Project Officer
Syracuse Regional Airport Authority
Age: 37

  • Alma Mater: State University of New York at Buffalo, BS Civil Engineering; Syracuse University, MS-s (2018) Engineering Management
  • Favorite Aircraft: CH-53 Helicopter
  • Favorite TV Show: Antony Bourdain Parts Unknown
  • Favorite Hobbies: Playing with my Children, 

Brian Dorman was working at a consulting firm when he got is first exposure to working with the aviation industry.

Dorman grew up around the construction industry but aviation presented a new opportunity to work on projects facing different rules and regulations to those outside his background. The new challenges grew his interest in the field and drove him to success.

“When it’s time for me to leave, I want to be able to look back and say I left things better than I found them," he said. “I like to know that I’m making a positive impact.”

Dorman is a project manager for the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority (SRAA).His daily activities include planning, design and coordinating construction projects to improve the authority’s facilities and structures to help make the region a leading destination.

“I value the opportunity to be involved from a projects initial need and conceptual ideas to the final product and construction completion,” he said. “It gives me a sense of satisfaction to leave at the end of the day knowing that progress has been achieved, whether in the form of design or the actual construction phase.”

He’s currently the lead project manager for the $60 million dollar terminal renovation at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport. Dorman has worked as a project manager/engineer on large scale, state and local projects for over seven years.

"The current terminal improvement project in which the conceptual design concepts began almost two years ago,” Dorman said. "Seeing this project come together with such an aggressive timeframe for completion has been very challenging and rewarding at the same time.”

Prior to Dorman’s tenure at SRAA, he worked as a civil engineer for CHA Consulting’s civil site service group. He has worked as an engineer/project manager for several multi-million dollar projects. He is able to adapt to the constant activity of moving parts involved in large scale civil engineering projects while ensuring safe, cost-effective and timely completion of projects.

A Native of central New York, Dorman served in the United States Marine Corps in the 0351 Anti-Armor Assault Division as a Demolition Section Leader. He was in direct command of 12 marines with oversight of day to day operations.

Dorman has a B.S. in civil engineering from The State University of New York at Buffalo, E.I.T. certificate from the state of New York and is currently pursuing an M.S. degree in engineering management at Syracuse University.