A strong outlook ahead: Meet Jeff Dodge, Ameris’ COO.
Jeff is an expert in building on mission, vision, and values to address strategy, structure and staffing.
2 min read
“I intend to shape a results-focused leadership culture aligned with the business outcomes and values that uniquely profile our organization.”
Meet Ameris’ new Chief Operations Officer, Jeff Dodge. Not only is Jeff an expert in organizational development strategy, but he holds a purple belt in jiujitsu, black belt in karate, father of 5, and is a leadership training enthusiast.
Q: Tell me about your professional background.
A: I successfully worked in sales for uniform services for 18 years before transitioning to the firearms industry in 2009. While acting as the Senior Manager/Executive Director at Timney TrIggers LLC, I oversaw all day-to-day operations, and I managed the sales, engineering, production, supply chain, and customer service teams. In my first seven years, I led Timney to 20% growth year-over-year, followed by three years of flat growth. Timney experienced 50% growth in 2020. In 2021, we once again doubled our capacity, production, and sales. We experienced the best months in the history of the company directly based on executing our strategy and delivering.
The best part of my position at Timney was that I was highly trained in developing effective leadership and teamwork using intentional structures for creating an environment of collaboration.
Q: How would you describe your role in Ameris?
A: As an organizational development strategist, I know how to build on mission, vision, and values to address strategy, structure, and staffing. I intend to shape a results-focused leadership culture aligned with the business outcomes and values that uniquely profile our organization.
Q: What are your initial goals in your position?
A: I enjoy the process of expanding capacities of all team members, winning mindshare, and inspiring emotionally intelligent culture change. I believe that integrity matters; not because it’s virtuous, but because it creates workability, which increases the opportunity for performance and realizing maximum value.
Q: What interested you in the construction/manufacturing world?
A: This industry allows me to work closely with project teams to analyze, plan and manage each project to meet company and client expectations. I look forward to being actively involved early in project development with clients to maintain consistency between preconstruction services and project delivery.
Q: What are your key strengths? What makes you really good at what you do?
A: I am passionate about helping leaders, teams, and organizations realize their leadership potential by developing leadership behaviors that facilitates others’ abilities to become leaders, while creating workplaces of meaning.
I have been doing this work for two decades and I understand the complexities of employee engagement, strategic planning, professional growth, conflict and personal productivity. Furthermore, I am a perpetual student of emotional, social and systems intelligence, which enables me to help others to identify and leverage their unique talents and strengths. I thrive when I’m able to help companies grow, prosper and increase performance.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
A: I’m either training in jiujitsu where I hold a purple belt, reading, listening to audiobooks & podcasts, or dreaming about retirement in Mexico with my wife.
Q: Tell me a little bit about your family and home life.
A: My wife and I have three adult sons and two daughters. All of our kids make us very proud. My eldest is with us at home working for a progressive technology company, and is just about to get his business degree from GCU; our middle son is an intelligence specialist, Petty officer second class for the US Navy, stationed in Bahrain; our youngest son is an engineering student wrestling in college at a small Kansas school. My two girls are 16 and 10. My wife homeschools our youngest, who also trains in jiujitsu. My family means everything to me.
Q: What else should we know about you?
A: Shotokan karate practitioner for 30+ years, Yondan, 4rd degree black belt
Member of ISKF US Men’s Kumite Team
Judo player for 5 years-brown belt
Ju-Jitsu for 5 years and counting
Outdoor enthusiast
Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn here.
