OUR HISTORY

McKissack & McKissack is an outgrowth of the oldest minority-owned architecture/engineering firm in the United States.
Its roots go back to before the Civil War, when a slave named Moses McKissack learned the building trade from his overseer. It was his grandson, Moses III, who launched the first McKissack & McKissack in Nashville, Tennessee. The year was 1905.
McKissack & McKissack was founded by Deryl McKissack in 1990. When Ms. McKissack established her company, she was the fifth generation of her family to carry on the building tradition.

McKissack & McKissack is a leader, enhancing people's lives by advancing the design and construction industry.

1975
Upon retirement, William DeBerry’s wife, Leatrice, assumes the position of Chief Executive Officer of the McKissack firm.
1990
As an outgrowth of the McKissack firm founded in Nashville, TN, Deryl McKissack starts her own company—McKissack & McKissack—in Washington, DC as a sole entrepreneur working with very limited financial resources.
2002
Deryl McKissack expands the organization into the Chicago region, to begin working on large programs for Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Housing Authority and the City of Chicago (O'Hare International Airport).

Citizens of community

We have transformed the communities in which we work, live and play.
By Deryl McKissack

Trust for the
National Mall

McKissack & McKissack is a proud contributor to the Trust for the National Mall, the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service dedicated to restoring and improving Washington, DC’s National Mall.
membership

National Forum for
Black Public AdministratorS

The National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) is the principal and most progressive organization dedicated to the advancement of black public leadership in local and state governments.  With over 2,500 members, NFBPA has established a national reputation for designing and implementing quality leadership development initiatives of unparalleled success.
McKissack has been an extraordinary supporter of the NFBPA through the outstanding leadership Deryl McKissack has shown over the years.
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