A Team Built For Growth

Vanguard Industrial Partners was founded by experienced leaders in manufacturing, construction, finance, law, and technology. Collectively, the team has delivered over 90 million square feet of industrial and commercial projects, developed a regional data center, financed and structured billions in real estate, and supported municipal growth across the Southeast and nationwide.

Each partner brings proven expertise: global operations, data infrastructure, national retail construction for Walmart, and enterprise capital and technology strategy.

We came together with one purpose: to make complex industrial projects clear, investable, and enduring through an integrated design–build model that aligns capital, operators, and communities.

Executive Team

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  David DeBaets

  David is a global operations executive and industrial developer with more than 35 years of experience in manufacturing, supply chain, and plant start-ups across consumer products, automotive, and biopharma. He spent over three decades at Briggs & Stratton, where he managed worldwide operations exceeding $1.2 billion in revenue and oversaw the launch of multiple U.S. plants, including major Auburn facilities. Later, he scaled production at SiO₂ Material Science in support of Operation Warp Speed, leading rapid expansion of medical container manufacturing during the pandemic.

  For over 20 years, David has also served the City of Auburn through its Industrial Development Board, now as Chairman, where he has played a key role in aligning industrial growth with community development. His work bridges corporate execution with municipal vision, creating environments where industry, workforce, and local government thrive together.

  At Vanguard Industrial Partners, David leads industrial development strategy, public partnerships, and operational execution. His ability to connect the dots between global-scale operations and local economic development ensures that VIP projects are not only delivered efficiently, but also create lasting value for communities and investors.

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  Michael Shannon

  Mike is a veteran developer with more than 40 years of experience shaping large-scale retail, multifamily, and commercial projects. As co-founder of Shannon, Strobel & Weaver Constructors and Engineers, he not only delivered almost 400 Walmart stores and developed more than 12,000 multifamily units, but also helped guide site selection, planning, and long-term growth strategies that positioned projects for success. His firm became one of only five companies nationwide to earn designation as a preferred Walmart contractor, reflecting both executional excellence and development insight at scale.

  Over the course of his career, Mike has built a reputation as a developer who can take projects from raw land through completion—navigating sitework, entitlements, financing, and delivery. He understands how to structure projects so that they work for owners, municipalities, and end users alike, ensuring long-term value beyond construction.

  At Vanguard Industrial Partners, Mike leads development and delivery, applying his decades of experience to guide projects from vision through execution. His ability to blend strategic foresight with practical building expertise strengthens VIP’s mission of making industrial projects simple, investable, and community-building.

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  Donald Cioban

  Donald Cioban is a banking and credit executive with more than four decades in commercial lending, risk management, and institution leadership. He has held senior roles across community and regional banks, including President & CEO of Capital Bank, where he recruited the board, raised capital through multiple offerings, and grew the bank to $25 million in assets within 16 months. At Amerifirst, he served as Senior Lender and Chief Credit Officer, leading teams across three offices and approving major credits; earlier, with the RTC/FDIC, he acted as CEO for institutions in conservatorship, negotiating complex settlements and steering turnaround operations. He currently serves as Senior Vice President and Commercial Lender at Trustmark Bank in Montgomery.

  Known for disciplined underwriting and practical structuring, Don has originated, evaluated, and approved a broad spectrum of commercial and real estate credits, balancing growth objectives with clear credit policy. His career track record spans cycles, sectors, and markets, with a consistent focus on loan quality, portfolio performance, and transparent decision making.

  At Vanguard Industrial Partners, Don leads capital markets and financial structuring. He aligns operators, lenders, and sale-leaseback investors to convert capital-intensive builds into predictable operating expenses and stable cash flows, supporting VIP’s lean design-build + lease-back model and delivering investor-grade clarity on risk, schedule, and returns.

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  Travis Wisdom

  Travis Wisdom is a legal and development executive with deep experience at the intersection of data infrastructure, real estate, and public–private partnerships. As a Co-Founder of AUBix, he helped launch and scale a regional data-center platform, coordinating site readiness, utility and fiber access, and long-term tenant needs while navigating regulatory, contractual, and incentive frameworks. He also leads The Wisdom Firm, where for more than a decade he has advised operators, municipalities, and investors on transactions that balance speed, compliance, and durable economics.

  Known for pragmatic deal-making and clear, plain-English risk framing, Travis brings a rare combination of legal rigor and developer instincts. His track record spans entity formation, ground leases and easements, vendor and MSA negotiation, incentives and abatements, and coordination with utilities and local governments—especially in projects where power, permitting, and timelines are critical-path items.

  At Vanguard Industrial Partners, Travis leads legal strategy and public-partner alignment for industrial and data-infrastructure projects. He structures clean, bankable agreements; secures entitlements and incentives; and ensures VIP’s design-build + lease-back model moves from term sheet to handover with clarity on rights, obligations, and schedule—creating confidence for operators, communities, and capital partners alike.

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  Daniel Sexton

  Daniel Sexton brings more than 20 years of experience across enterprise software, family-office investing, and product development. His background spans SaaS, consumer products, real estate, and emerging technology, where he has built ventures, structured capital, and advised operators and investors on scaling strategies.

  Known for combining technical depth with capital insight, Daniel applies AI and modern software practices to evaluate opportunities, reduce risk, and package projects in a way that bridges concept, story, and numbers. His work turns complex requirements into clear data models, pro formas, and risk frameworks that support faster decision-making and transparent execution.

  At Vanguard Industrial Partners, Daniel leads technology strategy, data analytics, and digital infrastructure. He develops the internal tools that power site selection, incentive modeling, and financial packaging, ensuring each project is presented as a simple, investable opportunity that aligns capital, operators, and communities.