Friday, April 10, 2026
By: Kyle Niblett
University of Florida College of Design, Construction and Planning alumni Jack Caldwell (BLAE ’10) and Justin Thibaut (BSBC ’11) were two of a select group of Gator graduates named to this year’s prestigious “40 Gators Under 40.”
Presented by the UF Alumni Association, the annual awards program was established in 2006 to recognize alumni under the age of 40 whose achievements positively reflect The Gator Nation. Criteria for the competitive award include making a significant impact on the candidate’s industry and having civic or professional accomplishments at the state, national or international level.
“Jack and Justin exemplify the innovation, leadership and entrepreneurial spirit that define our college and the broader Gator Nation,” Dean Chimay Anumba said. “Through their work, they are not only advancing their respective industries but also creating meaningful impact in the communities they serve. We are incredibly proud to see them recognized and look forward to their continued success as leaders shaping the built environment.”
Jack Caldwell (BLAE ‘10)
Jack Caldwell is associate principal at RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture and has more than 14 years of experience in the field. He has served as director and lead project manager for a variety of residential, institutional, streetscape and commercial projects for a diverse array of clientele. Caldwell has come to specialize in the master planning, landscape architecture and amenity design of large master-planned communities, and he has played a lead role in the design of more than 200 properties totaling approximately 20,000 acres. His expertise in early-stage yield study, construction cost estimating and multi-phase budgeting for such communities has proven invaluable to clients in the arena of master-planned community and mixed-use community development.
Justin Thibaut (BSBC ’11)
Justin Thibaut is the president and CEO of LSI Companies. He is a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in building construction and joined LSI after a career in the nuclear power and petroleum industries, where he held positions in project engineering, construction and business management of major capital projects valued from $500 million to $1 billion. Specializing in real estate analysis and acquisition/disposition of commercial real estate, Thibaut is also well-versed in all stages of land development and vertical construction. In addition, he is effective and experienced in complex RE transactions, including 1031 exchanges, income-producing investment sales and developer/homebuilder-developed lot programs. Some of the more significant and impactful transactions Thibaut has completed include the $100 million sale of 1,745 acres in Cape Coral, $52 million sale of the historic Red Coconut RV park property on Fort Myers Beach and numerous land transactions throughout Southwest Florida that led to the construction of three Amazon facilities — totaling more than 3 million square feet and creating more than 2,500 jobs in Lee County. Thibaut spends his free time enjoying the outdoors and Southwest Florida waterways with his wife and children and serving on various boards of local industry organizations and charitable organizations.