Dale Silha, senior vice president of the Pacific Northwest region for McKinstry Co. LLC, says he discovered his passion for working with people, entrepreneurship, and applying systems thinking to larger problems and organizational challenges through his first job out of college as a process manufacturing engineer at Hewlett-Packard.

At McKinstry, Silha says he's proud to have a fulfilling career developing people, initiating ideas and strategy, solving client problems, and supporting an evolving organization that enables these things to happen.

Education: Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, University of Idaho; MBA, Santa Clara University and Idaho State University.

What's the best career advice you've received? Embrace conflict and utilize it to move people and organizations forward. Addressing and then utilizing conflict can deepen understanding of differences in perception, or beliefs between people, and unlock a richer awareness of each other that can often lead to better engagement and positive outcomes.

How do you continue to grow and develop as a leader? I mostly grow from others — clients, peers, and employees — more so than any formal training.

What is a major professional accomplishment you're proud of? I'm proud of leading a group of McKinstry businesses that focus on energy efficiency and operational optimization in the built environment and energy infrastructure. Over the past seven years, eight different businesses have tripled in size by shifting focus from responding reactively to a client's needs to establishing deeper partnerships to provide the planning and guidance to help our clients navigate their larger problems and challenges. It's not only created more resilient and sustainable businesses, but also has improved client satisfaction and perception of the value we bring.