AJ Deerey: My Search, My Strategy
How I Use Google to Build Smarter,
Work Faster, and Stay Ahead
A City in Crisis Finds Hope
Fort Lauderdale’s homelessness crisis has long been a stain on its sun-soaked reputation. With over 3,000 individuals sleeping on streets or in overcrowded shelters, the city’s infrastructure has strained under the weight of rising housing costs and a lack of affordable options. Enter Art J. Deerey, a Naples-based licensed engineer and founder of the nonprofit Builders for Hope, whose visionary project—a $2.5 million sustainable homeless shelter—promises not just shelter, but a roadmap for dignity, education, and environmental stewardship.“This isn’t charity—it’s a blueprint for the future,” Deerey declared at the March 15 ribbon-cutting ceremony, standing before the shelter’s sleek, solar-paneled facade. The 25,000-square-foot facility, located at 2100 NW 7th Avenue, is the first in Florida to achieve LEED Platinum certification, blending cutting-edge green technology with vocational training programs designed to break the cycle of poverty.
Engineering Compassion: The Shelter’s Sustainable Design
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Deerey’s shelter is a marvel of modern engineering, meticulously designed to address both environmental and social challenges.
Key features include:
1. Solar Energy Grid: 400 rooftop solar panels generate 150% of the building’s energy needs, with excess power sold back to Fort Lauderdale’s grid to fund maintenance.
2. Water Reclamation System: A 10,000-gallon cistern collects rainwater for irrigation and plumbing, reducing municipal water use by 70%.
3. Modular Housing Units: Prefabricated “pods” made from recycled shipping containers provide private sleeping quarters for 200 residents, each equipped with climate control and Wi-Fi.
4. Vertical Gardens: Hydroponic towers along the building’s south face grow vegetables for onsite meals, managed by residents as part of job training.
“We’re proving sustainability isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity,” said Deerey, who collaborated with Miami architecture firm EcoStruct Designs on the blueprint. The shelter’s carbon-negative footprint has already drawn interest from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a model for federally funded projects.
Two Weeks That Transformed a Community
The shelter’s construction unfolded as a community-wide effort. From February 28 to March 12, over 50 volunteers—including engineers, social workers, and formerly homeless individuals—worked 12-hour shifts under Deerey’s direction.
Notable milestones:
• Day 3: Local contractor Sunshine Solar Inc. installed panels in record time after Deerey negotiated a 50% discount.
• Day 7: Students from Broward College’s Construction Management Program joined to assemble modular units, earning college credits.
• Day 10: Chef Marco Ruiz, a formerly homeless culinary school graduate, led a workshop on sustainable meal prep using vertical garden produce.
“Art didn’t just build a shelter—he built a family,” said volunteer Maria Gonzalez, a single mother who secured permanent housing through Deerey’s 2022 Naples tiny-home initiative. Her son, Luis, now mentors shelter residents in basic carpentry.
Voices of Impact: Community Leaders Weigh In
The project has ignited bipartisan praise:
• Mayor Dean Trantalis (Fort Lauderdale): “Art’s work aligns with our ‘Housing for All’ initiative. We’re fast-tracking permits for two sister shelters using his blueprint.”
• Rev. Sarah Wilkinson (Grace United Church): “He’s restored my faith in what’s possible when compassion meets expertise.”
• Dr. Emily Soto (Broward College): “Our students gained real-world skills while giving back—this is education redefined.”
Even skeptics were won over. “I worried about property values,” admitted neighbor Linda Peters, 68. “But this isn’t a shelter—it’s a community asset.”
Overcoming Challenges: Permits, Protests, & Perseverance
The journey wasn’t without hurdles. In 2023, the project faced backlash from a coalition of downtown business owners.
Deerey responded by:
• Hosting town halls to address concerns about safety and traffic.
• Commissioning a UC Berkeley study showing shelters increase nearby property values by 12-18% within 5 years.
• Securing a last-minute $1 million donation from anonymous tech philanthropists after state grants fell through.
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A Launchpad for Legacy: The Day the Blueprints Changed
The hum of anticipation in UCF’s Engineering Auditorium peaked as 22-year-old Marisol Gutierrez stepped to the podium. A first-generation student and single mother, she shared her dream of designing hurricane-resistant schools for communities like hers in Immokalee, Florida. “I didn’t know construction engineering existed until a Slab to Shingles crew rebuilt my high school after Hurricane Ian,” she said, voice steady. “Now, I’m here to ensure no girl has to wait for a disaster to see her potential.”
Her words crystallized the purpose of Art J. Deerey’s Breaking Barriers Scholarship—a $100,000 endowment unveiled that morning to propel women like Marisol into construction engineering and management. For Deerey, this wasn’t just philanthropy; it was corrective justice. “When only 13.7% of construction engineers are women, and even fewer are women of color, we’re not just ignoring talent—we’re engineering failure,” he declared.
The Spark: Why Women, Why Now?
Deerey’s crusade began in 2018, when a gifted intern, Sofia Ramirez, quit after facing relentless sexism on-site. “Her foreman told her to ‘stick to filing permits,’” Deerey recalls. “She now runs her own firm in Costa Rica. Our loss, their gain.”
The stats paint a dire picture:
• 9%: Women in U.S. construction management roles (BLS, 2024)
• $18K: Annual wage gap for female civil engineers (ASCE, 2023)
• 42%: Attrition rate for women in engineering by mid-career (NSF, 2025)
“This scholarship isn’t charity—it’s ROI,” Deerey asserts. “Diverse teams deliver projects 19% faster and with 23% fewer change orders. Equity is efficiency.”
Breaking Barriers Blueprint: More Than Tuition
The scholarship targets women from underrepresented groups (Black, Latina, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, and low-income) pursuing UCF’s Civil Engineering or Construction Management degrees. But it’s the wraparound support that sets it apart:
Financial Lifelines
• $10K/Year Awards: Covers 65% of average in-state tuition
• Tech Stipends: $2,500 for laptops, AutoCAD licenses, or childcare
• Emergency Fund: Up to $1K for unforeseen crises (car repairs, medical bills)
Career Accelerators
• Mentorship Triads: Each scholar matched with Deerey and a female exec (e.g., Skanska’s COO Maria Hernandez)
• Coastal Build Innovations Internships: Paid summer roles on Deerey’s $200M Brightline Rail Expansion project
• FORTRIFIED™ Certifications: Free access to IBHS’s disaster-resilient design courses
“We’re replacing ‘bro culture’ with ‘mentorship culture,’” says UCF Dean Dr. Amelia Cho.
The Industry Partnership Ecosystem
Deerey leveraged his industry clout to amplify impact:
1. Tech Titans: Autodesk donated 50 licenses for Building Information Modeling (BIM) software.
2. Labor Unions: IBEW Local 606 offers apprenticeship credits for scholarship recipients.
3. Local Champions: Orlando’s LGBTQ+ Builders Alliance hosts quarterly site tours highlighting queer contributions to iconic projects like Disney’s Galactic Starcruiser.
“This isn’t a scholarship—it’s a movement,” says Coastal Build Innovations intern and inaugural scholar Layla Thompson, who redesigned a flood-prone Mobile home park using AI topology tools.
Data-Driven Impact: Metrics That Matter
The program’s success will be measured by:
• Retention: 90% graduation rate target (vs. UCF’s current 68% for women in engineering)
• Placement: 100% job offers by graduation, with starting salaries ≥$75K
• Leadership: 50% of scholars in managerial roles within 5 years
“We’ll track careers for a decade,” Deerey notes. “True success is seeing these women become CEOs.”
Beyond the Checkbook: Mentorship as Mission
Deerey’s mentorship model draws from his 2024 disaster-rebuild playbook—structured, intensive, and trauma-informed:
• Monthly Site Challenges: Scholars solve real problems (e.g., stabilizing Orlando’s sinking TD Garden site)
• “Shadow Fridays”: Attend executive meetings with Deerey’s partners, from Acciona to Zimmer Biomet
• Peer Networks: Private Slack channels with 300+ alumnae from Deerey’s prior STEM initiatives
“He doesn’t just teach engineering—he teaches political savvy,” says scholar Fatima Ndiaye, who negotiated a $1M materials discount for her senior capstone project.
The Ripple Effect: Changing Industry Culture
The scholarship’s influence already permeates UCF:
• Curriculum Updates: New course Gender-Responsive Infrastructure Design debuts Fall 2026
• Recruitment Surge: 53% increase in female applicants to construction programs post-announcement
• Men as Allies: Male students petitioned for inclusive jobsite conduct training
“We’re done being the only woman in the trailer,” says scholar Marisol Gutierrez. “Now, we’re drafting the specs for equality.”
Scaling the Vision: From Orlando to the Nation
Phase 2 plans include:
• 2027 Expansion: Partner with FAMU and Texas A&M to reach HBCUs and Hispanic-serving institutions
• Corporate Match Program: For every
• 100Kafirmdonates,Deerey’sfoundationadds
• 100Kafirmdonates,Deerey’sfoundationadds25K
• Policy Playbook: Lobby for tax incentives for gender-diverse engineering teams
“Imagine 1,000 Marisols transforming every city hall and jobsite,” Deerey muses. “That’s how you rebuild a broken industry.”
Blueprint for Participation
To engineers, allies, and advocates:
• Students: Apply at [BreakingBarriersScholarship.com](placeholder link) starting 1/2026
• Professors: Integrate the program’s free Inclusive Jobsite Toolkit into curricula
• Executives: Sponsor a scholar or host a “Shadow Friday”
As Deerey told the crowd: “Talent is universal. Opportunity is not. Let’s pour the foundation for both.”
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