AVAIO Taps 30-Year Vet to Build Its AI Data Center Empire

DALLAS, TX – March 30, 2026 – In a move signaling its aggressive push into the burgeoning AI infrastructure market, AVAIO Digital has appointed Jason Norado, an industry veteran with three decades of experience, as its new Senior Project Manager. The hire brings a seasoned expert in mission-critical construction to a company rapidly developing a multi-gigawatt portfolio of sustainable, AI-ready data centers across North America and Europe.

Norado's appointment comes as the demand for specialized data centers skyrockets, fueled by the voracious computational needs of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing (HPC). Developers are racing to secure land, power, and the talent required to build the massive digital factories of the future, and AVAIO is betting on Norado's deep expertise to execute its ambitious vision.

A Veteran's Journey Through Digital Infrastructure

Jason Norado’s career is a living history of the internet's physical backbone. He began in 1994 as a construction Project Manager, building the central offices and co-location facilities for MFS Communications, one of the original Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) that emerged to challenge incumbent telephone monopolies even before the landmark Telecom Act of 1996 was signed into law.

His journey placed him at the forefront of nearly every major evolution in digital infrastructure. Through his twenty-four years at Verizon and its predecessors like WorldCom, he witnessed and engineered the scaling of data centers from a modest 35 watts per square foot to the power-hungry hyperscale deployments demanding over 200 watts per square foot. His work has included designing and constructing secure build-to-suit facilities for government clients and large-scale telecommunications hubs.

More recently, Norado served as Vice President of Critical Facility Infrastructure at DataBank, where he was responsible for a portfolio of 78 data centers across 30 U.S. markets. He was instrumental in building the company’s Building Engineering team from the ground up while maintaining the industry-critical “five-nines” (99.999%) uptime. Before joining AVAIO, he was a Senior Regional Design Manager at Digital Realty, one of the world's largest data center operators, where he led the delivery of over 500 megawatts of data center capacity. His experience extends beyond construction, having served as a first responder for data center operations during every major natural disaster since 1994, including on September 11, 2001, and during Hurricanes Katrina, Sandy, and Harvey.

Fueling the AI Boom with Strategic Expansion

Norado joins AVAIO Digital at a pivotal moment. The AI data center market, valued at over $98 billion in 2024, is projected by some analysts to surge past $1 trillion by 2034. To capture a significant share of this growth, AVAIO is executing a rapid, large-scale expansion plan. The company has already secured over 1.2 gigawatts of power from utilities across its campuses, with a clear development pipeline targeting over 3.5 GW.

AVAIO's strategy hinges on a “power-first” approach, identifying and securing massive power capacity in emerging, less-congested markets. This has led to a portfolio of mammoth projects, including:
* Little Rock, Arkansas: A planned 1-gigawatt campus with an initial investment of $6 billion.
* Brandon, Mississippi: A $6 billion, 450-megawatt AI-ready campus.
* Appomattox, Virginia: A $3 billion, 300-megawatt sustainable data center campus.
* Madrid, Spain: A 64-megawatt AI-ready campus, marking its European footprint.

These are complex, multi-year undertakings that require precisely the kind of end-to-end development and construction expertise Norado brings. In his new role, he will support this global portfolio, applying his deep operational knowledge to AVAIO’s end-to-end development model to ensure these massive campuses are delivered on time and to the highest standards.

“Jason's deep experience in delivering data centers enhances AVAIO Digital's capabilities as we deliver capacity to customers across multiple campuses,” said Mark McComiskey, CEO of AVAIO Digital, in a statement. “With thirty years in this industry, from the first CLEC central offices to the most demanding hyperscale deployments in the country, Jason's experience and expertise in data center design and construction is second to none. We are thrilled to have someone of Jason's caliber join the AVAIO team.”

Beyond Megawatts: Building a Sustainable Digital Future

While the scale of these new data centers is staggering, so is their potential environmental impact. AVAIO Digital has publicly committed to a framework of sustainability, integrating it into every stage of the data center lifecycle. The challenge lies in translating these commitments into practice, a task where an experienced project manager like Norado becomes indispensable.

The company’s strategy is built on seven key tenets, including maximizing clean power, conserving water, and minimizing waste. This is not just a policy on paper but is being implemented in its project designs. For its Little Rock site, AVAIO is developing over 75 MW of behind-the-meter solar to supplement a grid that is already over 70% carbon-free. In California, a project is being designed to use non-potable water from a nearby wastewater treatment plant for its operations, reducing reliance on precious freshwater resources. The company also prioritizes efficient technologies like air-cooled chillers and works with vendors to source lower-carbon materials.

By joining the iMason’s Climate Accord, AVAIO has committed to industry-wide efforts to improve carbon accounting. Norado's decades of hands-on experience in facility operations and construction will be critical in ensuring these ambitious sustainability goals are met efficiently and cost-effectively, balancing the immense power demands of AI with responsible environmental stewardship.

Jason Norado added, “I'm excited to join the AVAIO team and look forward to supporting the growth initiatives set forth.” With his appointment, AVAIO Digital is not just acquiring a seasoned manager but a leader who has built the very foundations of the digital world and is now tasked with constructing its next, more intelligent, and sustainable chapter.