Featuring Alex Willing, Land Development Manager
When Alex Willing joined Rush in 2022, he brought years of complex healthcare construction experience and a growing interest in development. What he found at Rush was rare: a family of companies where he could keep advancing without ever having to leave. In just a few years, he has moved from Senior Project Engineer to Project Manager for Rush Commercial to Land Development Manager for Rush Residential, crossing from commercial construction into single family home community land development.
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Ready for the Next Chapter
Before Rush, Alex had worked on several complex healthcare projects as a Project Engineer. He had just returned to Washington after a year in Montana, where he helped a family friend build a single-family home in a rural area and explored development opportunities of his own. He came back with a clear sense of the direction he wanted his career to take, and Rush offered the range to support it.
Room to Grow, One Division at a Time
Alex started at Rush as a Senior Project Engineer in the Commercial and Interiors division, deepening his experience in veterinary, dental, and healthcare construction. He was later promoted to Project Manager, specializing in complex healthcare tenant improvement projects. From there, he made a move few companies can offer: a transition to the Rush Residential team as a Land Development Manager. Each step built on the last, and none of them required starting over somewhere new.
The Olympia Ambulatory Surgery Center
Alex points to leading the Ambulatory Surgery Center project in Olympia as the moment that shaped his career at Rush.
“After spending six years learning the intricacies of healthcare construction, it felt like a major milestone to lead a complex project of my own in the town I grew up in,” he says.
The project was challenging and rewarding in equal measure, and it ultimately marked his transition into land development.
One Umbrella, Many Companies
What surprised Alex most was how the Rush model actually works day to day.
“Rush offers a unique dynamic in that multiple companies serve different sectors of the market while also supporting one another internally,” he says.
He has been impressed by how well that diversified structure functions, and he sees real opportunity in the collaboration and integration across the organization.
Why Alex Stays at Rush
For Alex, the reason for staying comes down to the options for growth. The diversity within the Rush family of companies fosters a culture that promotes longevity and the ability to follow your capabilities and passions. With a wide variety of roles, opportunities, and team environments available under one umbrella, team members can keep evolving without leaving the organization. For Alex, that is the heart of it: opportunities to grow across teams, roles, and disciplines.
Advice for Anyone Considering Rush
Alex’s advice for candidates is grounded in what he has lived. Rush, he notes, is a strong Puget Sound company with a well-established culture. Development and construction sit at the core of the business, but the ability to work across both industries, while drawing on the expertise of multiple divisions, creates an environment that encourages learning, collaboration, and long-term career growth.
Build Your Career at Rush
Interested in building your career at Rush? Explore our current openings on the Rush Companies careers page and see how far one career can grow across our family of companies.
Quick Q&A with Alex Willing
Q: Where were you in your career when you joined Rush?
A: I had worked on several complex healthcare projects as a Project Engineer and had just returned to Washington after a year in Montana.
Q: How has your role grown?
A: I started as a Senior Project Engineer in Commercial and Interiors, was promoted to Project Manager specializing in complex healthcare TI projects and then transitioned to the residential team as a Land Development Manager.
Q: What project stands out?
A: Leading an Ambulatory Surgery Center in Olympia as Project Manager, a complex build in the town I grew up in, which marked my move into land development.
Q: What surprised you about Rush?
A: How well the diversified model works. Multiple companies serve different sectors of the real estate and construction market while supporting one another internally.
Q: Why do you stay?
A: The diversity within the Rush family of companies. There is a wide range of roles and opportunities under one umbrella, so you can keep evolving professionally without leaving.