John O’Keefe Recognized with Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award

John O’Keefe, chief operating officer of Clark Construction Group and chief executive officer of Guy F. Atkinson Construction, was recently recognized by Penn State College of Engineering with a 2019 Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award. The award, which was established in 1966, is the highest honor bestowed by the College of Engineering and recognizes graduates who have reached exceptional levels of professional achievement.

John earned a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from Penn State in 1987. 

Upon graduation, John joined Clark as an engineer. Throughout his 32 years with the organization, John has worked on a wide range of project types, from hospitals to major transportation infrastructure projects, and has led multiple divisions of the company. 

In 2013, John became president and chief executive officer of Guy F. Atkinson Construction, a subsidiary of Clark. In 2018 was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer of Clark. As chief operating officer, John is responsible for overseeing the company’s project development and delivery processes and works with Clark’s operations groups to ensure they have the resources to be successful and achieve Clark’s strategic priorities.  John continues to provide direction for Atkinson as chief executive officer. 

John is an active supporter of his alma mater, serving as a member of the Penn State University School of Engineering Industrial and Professional Advisory Council and the Penn State Department of Architectural Engineering PACE Advisory Council. Additionally, John, along with his wife Lori, established the John and Lori O’Keefe Scholarship which helps support two to three Architectural Engineering students every year.

John O’Keefe, along with eleven other engineering graduates, will be honored April 8 at the College of Engineering’s annual Outstanding Engineering Alumni Awards ceremony at the Nittany Lion Inn on the University Park campus.