Where military experience meets federal leadership
At a glance
For most people, a career means one job, one set of responsibilities and one way of showing up for work. For Todd Graham, it has always meant two. Over 30 years, he rose to the rank of Colonel in the US Air Force Reserve while building a career in federal facilities management, showing up for GHD's clients and for his country at the same time. His retirement from the Reserve this year closed 30 years of parallel service. His work for federal clients at GHD continues.
The image shows Bruce Malone (left), Cemetery Superintendent at the American Battle Monuments Commission, presenting Todd Graham (right), US Federal Sector Leader, with an American flag that was flown over the Normandy American Cemetery to mark Todd’s retirement on June 1, 2026.
Two careers, one commitment
Serving in the US Air Force Reserve means maintaining two parallel lives: the civilian career and the military commitment that can pull you away from it with limited notice. Activations, exercises and deployments sit alongside your day job. For 30 years, Todd made both work.
As a civil engineer officer, Todd commanded the 235th Civil Engineer Flight with the Maryland Air National Guard and served on active duty at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio and Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, DC. He was also activated for Operation Enduring Freedom at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, and later for Operations Allies Refuge and Allies Welcome, supporting the Air Force response to the 2021 Afghanistan evacuation from the Air Force Directorate of Civil Engineers at the Pentagon.
His role at GHD covers much of the same ground. The overlap is not coincidental. Todd spent three decades on both sides of the work we deliver for military clients.
There were moments when both worlds demanded something at the same time, and you learned quickly how to prioritize. The civilian career made me a better officer because it sharpened how I thought about client needs and delivery. My military service made me a better consultant because it taught me how decisions actually get made inside a military organization. As for why I stayed 30 years: the mission, and the people you serve alongside. That combination is hard to walk away from.”
The skills that cross both worlds
Working with military clients requires more than technical knowledge. It requires an understanding of how installations operate, how decisions move through a command structure and what it actually means when a project touches mission readiness. That understanding is difficult to teach and easy to spot when it is missing.
For Todd, it was never an abstraction. His career has included supporting Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Army clients, and his time as a civil engineer officer gave him firsthand experience of what military facilities need to do and how the people who depend on them think about risk, timeline and performance. That perspective travels directly into the work he now leads across GHD's US federal defense portfolio, including the firm's growing presence in the Indo-Pacific, where GHD is delivering critical defense infrastructure under the Pacific Deterrence Initiative.
"Todd has earned the trust of clients across the federal sector through his leadership, industry knowledge and commitment to delivering outcomes," said Ted Whiton, GHD's Executive General Manager – US. "He brings a deep understanding of our clients' priorities and a genuine passion for building long-term relationships."
Closing the chapter
In May, Todd posted a photo of his boots on LinkedIn. "Last time lacing up these boots and blousing my pants as a member of our armed forces in the U.S. Air Force Reserve," he wrote. Three hashtags: #AirForceReserve, #CEAirmen, #30Years. It was a quiet way to mark something significant.
Stepping away from the Reserves did not mean stepping away from the mission. Todd has since been appointed US Federal Sector Leader at GHD, taking on responsibility for the firm's federal business across the continental US and Pacific. The same rigor that shaped his military career is what he brings to that role.
At GHD, we are proud to have veterans on our team whose experiences go beyond what appears on a resume. Todd's three decades of parallel service reflect a level of commitment that our federal clients see in the work every day.
"We have strong client relationships and significant opportunities ahead," Todd said. "I'm looking forward to working with our teams across the Pacific and continental US as we continue supporting federal clients and helping them address some of their most important challenges."