CIA Staff

David A. Blackburn | Marlon B. Akins


David A. Blackburn
Founder and Senior Project Consultant

David A. Blackburn is a native San Diegan who has devoted his education, training and career to real estate acquisition, renovation, conversion and development. His entrepreneurial talents have created a wide array of successful business ventures.

After graduating from San Diego State University in 1976 with a degree in real estate and a minor in finance, Blackburn joined Mission Center Realty Inc. He started handling the company’s contingent sales. Blackburn learned new project sales, real estate syndication, investments, apartment sales and business development & planning. Blackburn maintained a position as one of the company’s top sales agents. Following two years of association with Mission Center Realty, Blackburn obtained his brokers license. In 1982, Blackburn started his own company, DBW Property Systems. It evolved to B&H Property Systems Inc., a company still in business today.

While running B&H, Blackburn started and ran an amazing array of businesses over the past 25 years, including a residential real estate office brokerage, sign manufacturing company (Valentine Sign Company), commercial mechanical heating and ventilation company (American Air & Mechanical Inc.), international trading company (Commodities), and a custom motorcycle rental and sales company (Custom Motorcycle Rental & Sales LLC).

Blackburn’s latest venture is a new company engaged in mitigating construction defect litigation, Construction Imaging & Archiving Inc. The business was inspired by Blackburn’s motorcycle rental business. Blackburn began taking photos of his motorcycles with the renter on it to establish its condition prior to rental. His insurance company was so impressed with the protocol, it offered Blackburn a 25% discount on his policy. Blackburn decided that a similar protocol could be used to track construction projects, with the potential of a similar rate of cost savings at a much greater level.

Blackburn acquired, built, or renovated multiple commercial, industrial and residential projects in Arizona, Nevada, and Montana and California worth a combined total of $136 million. Currently Blackburn is working to develop property surrounding a large ski resort in Bitterroot, Montana.

Blackburn flies his own plane and has achieved his twin engine, high performance, and instrument license. He is currently working on his commercial rating as a pilot. Blackburn has participated for years at local and national air shows flying his 1941 North American A-T 6 trainer in formation flights as well as simulated aerial combat flights.
(return to top)


Marlon B. Akins
Marketing and Client Services

Marlon B. Akins joined F.I.A.’s team in 2008. His knowledge of Client Development and Marketing has added growth and guidance to the process of making F.I.A. the undisputed leader of innovation within its market. Marlon focuses on insuring that F.I.A. continues to provide the most creative and technologically advanced solution in the Quality Assurance & Control Industry. Marlon is originally from St. Louis Mo. “Go Cardinals!” After graduating from the University of Missouri (Go Tigers) with a B.S. in Business Management, Marlon left the Midwest for a climate devoid of snow, also known as sunny Southern California. With a background that encompasses over ten years of Sales and Marketing experience in the Telecom/Technology arena, four years in Financial Services, Marlon has become essential to the Forensic Imaging & Archiving Team. During the ten years in the Telecom/Technology with companies like SBC/AT&T, Marlon steadily progressed from individual contributor to Manager/ Director as he refined consultative selling skills, sales and product training, Marketing and the invaluable ability to make the complex appear simple. Marlon is a former collegiate athlete that still enjoys nearly all sports. As a father of two daughters and husband to a college track star, he still manages to play in a recreational basketball league or two while maintaining a single digit handicap in Golf. The competition is still the main attraction, and it is that same competitive fire that fuels F.I.A. to be the best in the industry; BAR NONE.
(return to top)