AJ Kwan’s lifelong dedication to his country stems from his humble beginnings. His mother was from Mexico and his father fled communist China as a teenager. They met, started a family and ran a successful corner store in San Antonio, Texas. With hard work, they lived the American dream.
Kwan attended Texas A&M on an ROTC scholarship and served as a B-52 navigator and civil engineer for the U.S. Air Force for twenty years. He earned his master’s degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
His decision to join the service was rooted in gratitude for what the United States gave to his parents. The father of two says, “I wanted to pay my country back for the opportunities they provided for my mom and dad.”
Today, Kwan is retired from the military but continues to give back through his own successful business. In 2002, he started Anthony Kwan Engineering Associates (AKEA Inc.) and later AKEA Design to provide architectural and engineering, construction management services to federal, public, institutional and commercial clients. The two companies handle the entire design and build process for many Veterans Affairs, military and other government agencies throughout the Southeastern United States.
A design build project included the 1-million-gallon elevated storage tank at the VA Medical Center in Miami. The impressive structure is a pedosphere tower used as a source of potable water that can supply the hospital with a seven-day emergency supply.
The majority of the staff are University of Florida graduates who take pride in their community and seek opportunities to support it. Local projects include work for the City of Gainesville, Alachua County school board and the Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center.
Kwan recalls the instant fondness he had for this area when he was recruited by Environmental Science and Engineering 30 years ago. He quickly fell in love with the beautiful surroundings and family-friendly environment and knew the central location made it an ideal place to start his business.
He reflects on his time in the Air Force as the foundation for learning how to be a good leader and treats his employees how he treated his airman. AKEA staff includes LEED-accredited professionals, registered architects and professional engineers with decades of experience providing architectural, design and construction services.
Kwan is especially proud of how his team is driven by the desire to serve veterans. He states, “We want to give our veterans the best possible medical facilities, the best designs and construction we can. Our country owes them a debt and we are there to help fulfill that debt.”
By Jennifer Kennedy