Who inspired you to join the CRE Industry? My grandfather, Thomas Kenney, was a civil engineer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As a civil engineer, he worked on a number of projects that in one way or another gave back to the community. I was inspired by his example. He encouraged me to study architecture; and I began taking architecture and engineering classes in high school. I then went on to Roger Williams University and earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree. 

How have you been networking during the lockdown? The lockdown coincided, actually, with my first day at DJSA. I began on March 23; I came into the office, got set up to work remotely, and my first months were virtual. I worked on schematics for a multifamily project north of Boston. The transition to this new position was easier because I had worked with two of my colleagues, Zach Silvia and Megan Kane at another firm. That made the communications via Zoom, phone and email easier. Networking has consisted of Zoom and conference calls with clients and other professional contacts.

What aspects of working from home have you enjoyed most? Probably the biggest advantage of remote working is the time I saved on commuting to and from work. It added some flexibility to my schedule and helped create a strong work-life balance. We would meet each Monday to talk about what we were all working on for the week, and we had a number of Zoom meetings and conference calls with clients. While remote working affords flexibility, being in the office again gives us all a chance to brainstorm and share ideas in person.

What recent project or transaction are you most proud of? Before joining the DJSA team, I worked on a high school project on all phases from drawings through to construction. I began in 2016 and when I left it was virtually completed. It’s gratifying to see a project come to completion I look forward to similar experiences here.