Designing Connection: How Gage McKinnis Aims to Revitalize Community Through Construction
UNIONDALE, NY / ACCESS Newswire / May 5, 2025 /Leading with a passion for innovative design and sustainable development, Gage McKinnis is the chief operating officer (COO) of JIA Communities, a home-building company. Mr. McKinnis aspires to make a significant impact on the Northwest Arkansas region and bring back the meaning of community through new construction. He envisions the creation of neighborhoods that inspire connection.
Coached to Success
Mr. McKinnis was raised on a farm and ranch by his father, a teacher and coach, and his mother, a nurse. His parents taught him the value of hard work and what it truly means to be a good person. They also instilled in him the importance of being grounded in faith.
Throughout his high school and college football career, Mr. McKinnis was coached by his father, to whom he attributes his personal development. He was named All-American and was a two-time scholar-athlete. Though he had originally planned to enroll in the construction management program, he switched to business management and international business due to issues transferring credits while he continued to pursue his college football career.
Mr. McKinnis has worked a total of 10 years in the construction industry. Eight of those years have been in the materials side through commercial fenestration as well as hardwood lumber. The last two years have been spent at JIA Communities managing the business operations.
"A lot of my success in my career and my ability to create relationships has come from the root of being a good person who is willing to work hard and shoot straight, knowing that I 've got the best interests in mind for anyone around me. That 's what led me down this path of my professional career in the construction world and building materials," Mr. McKinnis says.
Mr. McKinnis regards his service as the COO of JIA Communities as the biggest accomplishment of his life, especially at the age of 35. For the expertise he has built in the construction industry, he has been recognized by Marquis Who 's Who with inclusion in their biographical volumes.
Focusing on Community
In the Midwest, like much of the U.S., the urban sprawl mentality has dominated the last three decades in construction. Mr. McKinnis believes that building communities where single-family homes take up large parcels of land and don 't have walking access has taken away the sense of community that inhabits older neighborhoods.
"The issue with the Midwest is it 's so large and it never really took on an identity of walkability like you see in New York City and Chicago. And some of these areas are connected through infrastructure in a manner that allows people to never interact with cars. That 's what we 're trying to drive," Mr. McKinnis explains.
The goal Mr. McKinnis has set for JIA Communities is to develop a new city center for the Northwest Arkansas region and create a walkable community. This new community will consist of high-end commercial development and have various residential offerings. Through this project, Mr. McKinnis hopes to "bring back the meaning of community," which he regards as important to the American spirit.
Taking on such a large effort doesn 't intimidate Mr. McKinnis. His upbringing, education and experience have taught him the importance of being a leader who can energize his team to focus on a mission.
As JIA Communities moves forward towards its vision, Mr. McKinnis remains committed to its mission of creating genuine relationships and enhancing the quality of life for residents in their communities.
"I 've always found myself coming to the table with the ability to make a decision, see the bigger picture, create the steps and communicate those steps to those team members around me to get everybody on the exact same page," Mr. McKinnis said.
About Marquis Who 's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who 's Who in America®, Marquis Who 's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who 's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms worldwide. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who 's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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SOURCE: Marquis Who 's Who
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