November 11, 2024
The Seismic Safety & Modernization project is a new 47,743-square-foot building that will house food services, conference facilities, and a home for Operations services such as Security, Human Resources, and the Health Services Clinic. This huge new facility will act as a central commons for the Lab, a hub for employees and visitors alike to gather, collaborate, and connect as one Lab.
Meet some of the people bringing this enormous new space to life.
Lead Design Manager, Facility Engineering
What attracted you to Berkeley Lab?
My upbringing and values have always driven me to pursue work that goes beyond personal ambition, aiming to make a broader, positive impact. When the opportunity to join Berkeley Lab arose, it felt like a perfect match—both for my professional goals and my values. At Berkeley Lab, I’m not only part of an exceptional team dedicated to advancing sustainable and energy-efficient building practices, but I also have the privilege of supporting groundbreaking science that benefits humanity and the planet.
What attracted you to a career in construction?
I've always found a career in construction inspiring. It’s amazing to start with a blank page, where clients outline their vision and needs, and watch as the design team bring that vision to life as a constructible plan. Then, working alongside the build team to turn that vision into reality is incredibly fulfilling. Throughout this journey, there’s a lot of teamwork, problem-solving, and shared purpose, and the best part is stepping back as a team, proud of what we’ve accomplished. Seeing the finished space being used and appreciated by happy users is a true reward.
What is your favorite part of what you do?
I really enjoy collaborating with our talented stakeholders, design teams, and build partners. Successful projects rely on true partnership and teamwork to overcome challenges and bring our clients' vision to life. There’s something incredibly rewarding about working with such skilled professionals to create spaces that exceed expectations.
What has been your biggest career challenge?
One of my biggest career challenges was managing a high-stakes project with an accelerated timeline and complex requirements. Balancing the demands of tight deadlines, coordinating across multiple teams, and addressing unexpected issues required intense focus and adaptability. I learned the importance of clear communication, proactive planning, and a collaborative approach to problem-solving. Ultimately, this experience strengthened my ability to navigate challenging projects, and it was incredibly rewarding to see our team deliver a successful outcome under pressure.
How are you supporting the SSM project?
I joined early in the design phase to manage our design partners and stakeholders, ensuring we stayed on schedule and within budget while delivering our leadership's vision for the new facility. In construction, I oversee design teams construction administration scope and address technical issues as they arise. I work closely with the project management team to uphold our objectives, budget, and schedule, while maintaining open communication with stakeholders to keep us on track and aligned with our standards. I'm dedicated to delivering a successful project that meets our team’s vision and needs.
What are you most looking forward to when the SSM project is complete?
I’m most excited to enjoy a lunch in the new cafeteria, filled with natural light and fresh air. I look forward to seeing the larger lab community gathering, connecting, and making the space a vibrant hub for team science and collaboration. It will be rewarding to see this space come to life as a key part of our mission and culture.
Project Manager, Projects and Infrastructure Modernization
What attracted you to Berkeley Lab?
Throughout my twenty years of working for general contractors I had been approached several times to join the “Owner” side of the construction industry. Even though I had an interest in being on the “Client” side, I always felt that working for a greedy developer was not my call. When the opportunity to join the Berkeley Lab team was presented to me, I saw the chance to put my experience to good use in representing a client that stands for progress of science and this fell in line with my goals while continuing to fulfill my passion for construction.
What attracted you to a career in construction?
I started my career in the architecture/engineering consulting side of the industry. In 2004, I left my firm to pursue an opportunity to join a general contractor in Las Vegas as a project engineer, and this role allowed me to put my engineering experience to use in coordinating field issues with the design team for resolution. I found great satisfaction in the process of watching a building take shape from a set of plans, to the first shovel in the ground, to the completion of a fully functioning building. Finally, seeing the public enjoying the building that my team helped build was incredibly rewarding. I never got the same feeling from working in a design firm, and after completing my first construction project, I decided that I wanted to be part of the construction process for the rest of my career.
What has been your biggest career challenge?
My biggest challenge is always the project at hand. Making sure that the project is staying on schedule, and that it will be completed within the anticipated budget. This process requires constant monitoring of all upcoming activities and day-to-day communication with the construction team, making sure that materials and equipment are tracking to arrive on time, and always looking for opportunities to improve efficiency in the project schedule. Every new project is different and brings with it a new set of challenges to overcome.
What is your favorite part of what you do?
I truly enjoy interacting with the project team to bring issues to resolution by means of cooperation between the LBNL team members, design team and construction team to cohesively come up with the best decision for the project. The cooperative effort between all team members is very enjoyable.
How are you supporting the SSM project?
As the project manager, my role is to monitor the project’s spending within the set budget and to make sure that the construction process is staying on schedule to achieve the project’s milestones within the projected dates from start to final completion.
What are you most looking forward to when the SSM project is complete?
I’m looking forward to visiting the SSM New Facility on a regular basis, watching the users enjoy the building that our team helped put together and seeing the vision of this project come to life.
Project Coordinator, Projects and Infrastructure Modernization
What attracted you to Berkeley Lab?
My grandfather worked at Lawrence Berkeley Lab, so from a young age, the Lab was on my radar. When I started out, I thought I would be a scientist doing amazing research to solve world problems. But when my STEM studies took a different trajectory, it was exciting to discover that I could still contribute to world-class science at the Lab by supporting the state-of-the-art facilities that enable our researchers to work on the cutting edge to make the world a better place.
What attracted you to a career in construction?
During high school, I worked for my mom’s employer, a heavy and industrial construction company. I enjoyed learning about the myriad skills and technologies that went into delivering various project types. Many of the projects were engineering marvels. My favorite was at oil refineries, which made me feel like a kid in a giant chemistry set! Later, I worked on biotech, high-tech, and seismic retrofit projects in northern and southern California. Each project brought new learning opportunities, unique challenges, and rewarding interactions with great clients and stakeholders. It is hugely rewarding to deliver a successful project to eager users!
What has been your biggest career challenge?
My biggest challenge is that I’m currently supporting two line-item capital projects with a combined total project cost of over $330M. Between the two projects, there are a lot of spinning plates in the air. The challenge is keeping all my duties and responsibilities balanced to effectively support the needs of both projects and teams at a high level. Decisions have to be made on a daily basis to weigh priorities and available resources while keeping the success of the project always in view.
How are you supporting the SSM project?
As the project coordinator, I support the success of the project team by planning and managing all administrative aspects of the project, including liaising with procurement, finance, and controls partners to ensure accurate tracking and reporting of scope, schedule, and cost. I also coordinate internal and DOE project reviews and maintain open communications with stakeholders.
What are you most looking forward to when the SSM project is complete?
I can’t wait for the new SSM “Welcome Center” to be operational because it will be a truly welcoming place for Lab employees, partners, and visitors to come together in sustainable, breathtaking spaces to conduct business, collaborate with colleagues, and meet for social interactions.