Dan Rea doesn’t suffer fools. Boston’s media legend, winner of Emmy’s, nominee of many more, and collector of honors and other awards hosted me on his talk radio program NightSide. Dan’s journalistic prowess and self determination cleared a man who’d been wrongfully convicted of murder. He digs in.
So, when Dan came down a long hallway at the station a few minutes before our appearance at 9PM on Friday night, the eve of the Dire States tour send off from Boston, I was impressed. One that he came down to greet us himself. Two that he laid down the law. “What are you all doing here? Who’s who? You, what’s your role? And you and you?” After Per explained when Dan’s finger pointed at him, “I keep the car going” and Bill Elverman, my publicist explained he was with Case Construction Equipment, the sponsor and I told him I was his guest per his producer’s request, we passed through his gate. But not before he said, “You’re the only one speaking,” pointing at me, “I’m not hosting a choir.”
The show lasted an hour. Dan was gracious – even polite – always firm. His listeners like him. Callers called in to debate, complain and question infrastructure in America. Bill and I were pleased hearing Dan continuing on with the conversation in our wake. After we left he plugged Dire States and its microsite. Pleased was I. Especially thinking he was going to refuse us entry into his sound chamber.
We had our first public conversation. It lasted beyond the last call. And most importantly, it was robust.
Dan McNichol is a number-one bestselling author and an award-winning journalist. His published books, articles, thought-leadership papers and speaking events focus on mega construction projects in the United States and The Peoples Republic of China.
McNichol recently contributed to a front page story in The New York Times titled, “Trump-Sized Idea for a New President: Build Stuff”. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) / Boston Chapter named McNichol as one of nation’s outstanding journalists in 2014 and again in 2003. McNichol contributes to worldwide media outlets including: The New York Times, Engineering News Record (ENR), ABC World News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) network, China Central Television (CCTV), TV Tokyo, MSNBC and PBS’s The NewsHour, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, History Channel. McNichol is a frequent voice on National Public Radio (NPR).
ENR Magazine recently tapped McNichol as the magazine’s national correspondent for a cross country tour. McNichol and Aileen Cho, ENR’s senior transportation editor, drove in a 1949 Hudson Commodore with the tagline, “America’s infrastructure is as old, rusty and energy defunct as our original Detroit lead-sled.” The journalists wrote ENR print and online cover stories about the nation’s ailing infrastructure.
A former White House appointee, McNichol served the President on US policy issues surrounding transportation and infrastructure between 1991-1993. McNichol has worked in official capacities on the nation’s largest infrastructure projects: California High Speed Rail (2017), San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Replacement (2013) and The Big Dig, a.k.a. The Central Artery / Third Harbor Tunnel Project (2000).
