Which project, deal or transaction was the “game changer” in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? I started working as the sustainable design/LEED consultant and energy efficiency specialist for National Grid in 2006, work that has continued through present day. I built on 13 years of advanced energy efficiency expertise consulting that contributed to crafting their utility incentives programs.
Which project, deal or transaction was the “game changer” in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? I started working on Swampscott High School as the project architect and took over as project manager when it went into construction. The personal growth that was afforded to me during that project was tremendous.
What were your biggest fears when you started out in your profession? As a young woman in engineering, I was concerned that I might not be taken seriously or given the same opportunities as my male peers were given. Although there are always outliers, my experience at SMMA has been quite the opposite.
What were your biggest fears when you started out in your profession? When I first started, my biggest fear was the power suit! I later realized it wasn’t the power suit itself I was afraid of, but what it represented. It meant conforming in what was considered a man’s world: dressing like a man.
What were your biggest fears when you started out in your profession? My biggest fears included paying back student loans, since competition was huge, and the economy was not the best. I was always worried about a layoff, but I worked harder and longer than anyone else to ensure that it would never happen.
What inspires you: I’m inspired everyday knowing that I am affecting the experiences people have when they inhabit a space. Knowing that my work will affect people’s lives, even if they are not fully aware of it, motivates me to produce only my best work.
What inspires you: I was always good with numbers and I strive to be a perfectionist at what I’m good at. If somehow my skills can help people advance society towards a greater cause, then that’s inspiring to me.
Which project, deal or transaction was the “game changer” in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? Working on Dana Barros Basketball Club – Stoughton, Mass., a 40,000 s/f space. We installed high-quality finishes, not typical in a basketball facility of this type.
What are you doing differently in 2019 that has had a positive impact on your career? Despite my natural instinct to be heads down to get the work done and focus on the task at hand, I’ve been put in a position where I am not interfacing with clients more and leading coordination with consultants.
What was your first job and what did you learn from it? From the time I was twelve and through high school, I worked for my mother as an assistant in her small business services company. I learned that there were going to be tasks I didn’t like to do in life, but it was still necessary to do them.
