Taylor Nelson leads the planning and scheduling efforts for Brasfield & Gorrie’s Industrial/Aerospace Power Process and Utilities Divisions. Taylor has 10 years of experience in project management and project controls. He is based in the company’s headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama.

Construction is in Taylor’s blood. He was born and raised in the rural town of Hartselle, Alabama, which his family chose as home while they were involved in constructing Browns Ferry Nuclear plant in nearby Athens. After graduating from Athens State University with a degree in business management and a minor in project management, Taylor earned his MBA from the University of Alabama. He later obtained his Project Management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute.

Taylor began his career as a project scheduler for Tennessee Valley Authority during the construction of Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in Spring City, Tennessee. This was the last operational nuclear plant constructed in the United States. He played an integral role in ensuring the $4.7 billion project was completed on time and on budget. The team developed and managed the project schedule in Primavera P3, and Taylor often jokes about being the youngest person he knows to have used P3.

After completing his time at Watts Bar, Taylor worked for several high-profile companies. Those include BP, where he implemented planning and scheduling best practices. Also, Southern Company, where he led project controls for a large capital project.

Since he joined Brasfield & Gorrie, Taylor has led planning and scheduling efforts for successful projects ranging from $20 to $350 million. Those projects have included buildings for Duke Energy, Amazon, Raytheon Technologies, Airbus, Milo’s Tea, and Alabama Department of Transportation. To date, Taylor’s favorite project is the recently completed City Walk BHAM, a linear park in downtown Birmingham built for ALDOT. It includes the fifth largest skatepark in North America, and City Walk was the plaza for the 2022 World Games. Taylor is proud of the positive impact the project will have on his community.

Outside of planning and scheduling, Taylor works with several universities across the southeast to help educate students about careers in project controls. He has also served as an industry grader for Auburn University, Tuskegee University, Mississippi State, and the University of Alabama.

After attending a section meeting in Tennessee, Taylor joined AACE in the hopes of finding strong mentors to help him grow and strengthen his craft as a project controls professional. Since joining, he has met several like-minded professionals that serve as a sounding board for him in his career. Taylor now serves as the AACE Alabama Section President and is a member of the Rising Professionals Committee.

Taylor advises young project controls professionals to continue striving to learn. “If you stop seeking out opportunities to learn, this field will leave you behind,” he says. That thirst for knowledge also fuels his favorite thing about the industry—the ways technology and innovation work together to create new tools and new ways to accomplish tasks.