By Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering

Truth be told, David Wantman is a little uneasy about being selected as a Distinguished Alumnus from the University of Florida.

The co-founder of WGI, a successful South Florida-based consulting, planning, surveying and design firm, Wantman is not worked up about accepting the honor in front of thousands at the engineering commencement. It’s the honor itself that has him questioning, “Why me?”

But make no mistake, UF has good reason to celebrate him, and the humble Wantman is honored. He adores the orange and blue. Proof: During the final tense seconds of UF’s basketball championship against Houston in April, his Garmin watch buzzed with warnings about his heart rate.

The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering has no doubts about his 2025 induction.

“David Wantman truly embodies the essence of a Gator engineer: dedication, innovation, and a relentless pursuit of excellence,” wrote Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment Chair Kirk Hatfield, Ph.D., in Wantman’s nomination letter.

A 1990 UF engineering graduate, Wantman remains a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board in the College of Engineering. He established the Wantman Group Endowed Fund for Excellence in Civil Engineering in 2012 to support UF’s civil engineering teaching and research.

Hatfield noted Wantman was an active member of the Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering’s (CCE) External Advisory Board from 2005 to 2011. He served on ESSIE’s advisory board starting in 2011, taking the leadership helm in 2022.

“He has consistently provided me with invaluable advice on faculty-management strategies, emphasizing the importance of fostering collaboration among faculty members at all levels to achieve collective success,” Hatfield added. “His influence has cultivated a culture of dedication and hard work within CCE and ESSIE, contributing to a doubling of ESSIE’s federal research expenditures since 2016.

Wantman said he is proud to be a part the college’s progress and is honored by the award.

“It hasn’t really settled in yet,” he said. “I assume it will when I have to get up on stage. I haven’t been to a graduation where I’ve been on stage since high school, so it should be interesting.”

Wantman’s wife, Kelly, also graduated from UF, as did one of their two daughters.

Asked how his UF engineering education affected his success, he said,

“This is going to sound a little bit strange, but it’s not so much the calculus and the physics or the chemistry – which I was miserable at it – or the technical skills. It’s more the fact that UF doesn’t hold your hand.

“When I was in school, there were no cell phones. We stood in line for a pay phone in a dorm if we wanted to call somebody. UF obviously wanted their students to do well, but they also weren’t going to coddle you. So the biggest thing I say when I meet students is this university has taught you how to survive.”

After graduation, Wantman worked at his father’s firm for a short time before moving to Tampa to work at a peer’s firm for 10 years.

“Then my second child was born, and my wife wanted to stop work. I had to make some decisions about how to close an income gap because she was making more money than I was. My dad had gone back into business, so I approached him,” he said.

He and his father, Joel Wantman, developed WGI – Wantman Group, Inc. – into a firm with more than 600 employees in more than 20 locations.

WGI’s mission: Creatively transform how our world is envisioned, designed, and experienced. The firm touches many aspects of civil engineering and technology.

“Practical application is something you can relate to – roads, bridges. You turn on your faucet and you want fresh water, that’s us. You turn on your light switch and you want light, that’s us,” he said. “You want the signals to be timed appropriately so that traffic doesn’t sit forever at a signal, that’s us. You decide you want to ride your bike, and you want a bike lane on the road, that’s us.”

As Wantman heads to the podium soon to accept his honor, he understands this is great time in Gator Nation. Wantman, who attends home football games and whose daughter was a Gator cheerleader, will speak on hallowed ground during commencement, the spot where the basketball team powered its way to an SEC title before heading west to claim the championship.

“I was in San Antonio with my dad for the Final Four,” he said. “We watched the semifinals and the championship game, and my Garmin watch was telling me my heart rate was too high. You need to relax.”

The Gators won the game in the final minutes, overcoming a significant deficit. Indeed, the Gator Nation’s collective blood pressure was boiling.

“There were times where I was sitting looking at the screen going, ‘OK, this is not a lot of fun.’ Well, that experience cured me of basketball for a while. I don’t care to watch a basketball game any time soon. It was emotionally draining,” said Wantman, who also is a Gator Booster.

UF has given him much pride.

“Obviously, my kids graduating from UF obviously was a big achievement,” he said when asked about his accomplishments. “I gave back to UF because I felt like a lot of good came out of my degree and my experience there.”

And while he may be a little uneasy during commencement and his speech, the Distinguished Alumnus honor is greatly appreciated.

“It’s something I won’t forget,” he said. “Maybe I’ll sweat a little bit. We’ll see.”

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