Cai W. Eberhardt (B.S. ’82) is vice president for planning, construction, and design for Foot Locker, Inc., a leading retailer of athletic footwear and apparel with more than 3,500 stores in 30 countries.

Eberhardt launched his global career after a chance encounter with a senior manager at the Suffolk County (N.Y.) Water Authority. “We struck up a conversation,” he recalls. “And he helped me land a job that turned into a 10-year career as a construction foreman for the Water Authority.”

Construction appealed to Eberhardt. His wife, Susan (B.F.A. ’83), a New York Tech student at the time, noticed his natural talent for drawing, so she suggested that he study architecture at New York Tech. “That’s where I learned to love architecture,” says Eberhardt, whose younger son, Matthew (B.P.S. ’10), is also an New York Tech graduate. “I earned my degree by studying at night while I worked full-time.”

Within weeks of earning his degree, Eberhardt landed his first design job for New York City parks. Eager for greater architectural challenges, he later worked for Toys R Us. “I got the retail bug,” Eberhardt says, “Because in retail, if you can imagine it, and convince someone it’s a good idea, you can build it in months.” After guiding some of the largest and most complex construction projects in Toys R Us history, including 680,000-square-foot, fully automated distribution centers, he went on to oversee massive projects for other top brands, including Ann Taylor and U.S. Shoe, the owner of Lenscrafters and Casual Corner. “New York Tech gave me confidence,” Eberhardt says. “That’s why I’ve been able to tackle new challenges and build things that have never been done before.”

Today, Eberhardt oversees a staff of 90 and is responsible for global procurement at Foot Locker Inc. “We built more than a thousand new stores in three years,“ he says. Eberhardt’s work in creating new store prototypes contributed to explosive stock growth and played a vital role in new ventures like the House of Hoops, a small boutique-style store that carries Nike’s most popular sneakers.

He shows no signs of slowing down after nearly 18 years with the iconic brand. “I like to travel, so I love working with people all over the world and creating something together that&rsquos meaningful.” His advice for New York Tech architecture students? &ldqup;If you are interested in retail store design, call me. We always need good architects.”