Leading from the ground up

When Chris LaFace (BSBA ‘05) reflects on his University of Florida Warrington College of Business experience, it’s marked with resolute gratitude.

“I owe a lot of my success to that place,” he said. 

Today, LaFace has found his success in leading more than 1,200 employees as President and CEO of Ripa & Associates, one of Florida’s largest site development contractors. 

But on his first day with the company in May 2005, just one week after he graduated with his bachelor’s degree in business, he wasn’t sitting in a corner office. He was driving a dump truck. 

For LaFace, the decision to go into the field and immerse himself in the fundamentals of the company he was working for was intentional, and one that would set him up to lead with profound insight. 

The road to being a Gator

LaFace’s journey to Gainesville wasn’t traditional. Raised in Tallahassee in a family full of Gators, UF had always felt like part of his story, but it wasn’t until three years into earning his degree that he became a Gator himself.

After graduating from high school in 1999, LaFace wanted a fresh start, both academically and personally. 

“I didn’t have great grades,” he recalled. “And, I’d been in Tallahassee for 19 years, so I decided it was time to move on.” 

LaFace ended up in Tampa at Hillsborough Community College alongside a few of his friends from back home. In Tampa, LaFace met his now wife, Angela, who was planning to attend UF. 

“I realized that if I wanted to keep her around, I needed to figure out a plan,” he joked.

LaFace found his plan in transferring to Santa Fe College, with the ultimate goal of joining Angela and earning his degree in business from the University of Florida. 

While LaFace didn’t have a clear picture in mind of what he wanted to do after he graduated, he knew that a foundation in business would help him get there. 

“I always had a business mind, and thought that [a degree in business] would help me find my way,” he said. 

At Warrington, he gained a broad understanding of finance, accounting and economics, all of which he still uses in his daily work. His education provided what he described as a global view of how businesses operate and compete. 

One particular moment in his studies still sticks with him to this day. In the last class that he needed to graduate, LaFace knew that he had to earn at least a C on the final exam to pass. As he read through the test, he was struck by how familiar some of the questions seemed. 

“I started thinking, ‘I know all of this,’ and ultimately realized that the professor had taken questions from previous exams and used them in the final,” he recalled. 

He earned a 98, passing the final exam he would need to finally graduate. 

For a student who had taken a long route to Gainesville, walking out of that classroom was more than finishing a final exam – it was validation that he was officially a Gator graduate. 

Learning from the ground up 

With his diploma in hand, LaFace moved back to Tampa with Angela, who had also completed her UF degree. Her father founded Ripa in 1998, and by 2005 the company was growing. LaFace saw an opportunity to put his business degree to use and further grow the company. 

That’s how he ended up behind the wheel of a dump truck on his first day of work, heading into the field of a construction site. 

“I wanted to learn all of the aspects of what [Ripa] did and how they did it,” he said. “I tried to soak in as much as I could.”

For several years, LaFace immersed himself in operations, working alongside crews and absorbing the details of site development. That hands-on start shaped his leadership style. 

Today, when he’s making decisions about equipment, safety and crews, he’s doing so with his own personal experience as the foundation. Coupled with his business education, that experience has helped grow the company into the multimillion dollar business it is today. 

“I love making deals,” LaFace said of his role. “You need to win a lot more than you lose in order to be successful.”

Leading through the storm

LaFace’s current success wouldn’t be the same without facing significant challenges, though. Progressing through the company ranks, he stepped into a leadership role around 2008, just as the Great Recession was taking hold of the nation’s economy. 

LaFace recalls there were four major construction companies based in Tampa at the time. After 2009, though, Ripa was the only one left standing. 

“That experience reshaped how I approach business,” he said. 

Leading through a national recession, one that hit the construction industry particularly hard, made LaFace realize the importance of focusing on people. Today, leading with culture is one of Ripa’s top priorities. 

“We treat our people as much like family members as best that we can,” he said. “In construction, you can buy all the equipment that you want, but it’s going to take people to make everything happen.”

People-focused leadership

With 20+ years of experience at Ripa, LaFace has had a lot of time to learn what it means to be an effective leader. One particular lesson stands out, and it doesn’t involve strategy or finance. 

“You have two ears and one mouth for a reason,” he said. “Listen. You have to listen to people.”

Over the years, he’s learned that humility and empathy are just as important as business acumen. He credits his father-in-law, who led Ripa before him, for modeling a leadership style rooted in respect. Whether speaking to a new hire or a CEO, he treated everyone the same, LaFace described. 

“That’s something that I’ve carried with me,” he said. “Treat people how you want to be treated.”

For aspiring leaders, his advice echoes his personal lessons: be humble, listen carefully and treat others with respect, no matter where they fall in the chain of command. 

A lifelong Gator

Despite building his career in Tampa, LaFace remains deeply connected to Gainesville. A supporter of athletics, he’s a member of the Gator Boosters Board of Directors and Florida Victorious Advisory Board. Attending football games as a student and with his family, he wants to share that experience with his own son. 

“It’s fun to be able to pass along that excitement, one that I still feel today,” he said. 

LaFace’s journey, from student to CEO, reflects his personal commitment to advancement. While his title has changed over the years, his appreciation for the foundation he built at the University of Florida has not. 

From the driver’s seat of a dump truck to the C-suite, LaFace has led by learning, listening and never forgetting where he started.