Talk to six Kiewit employees, and it might surprise you how simultaneously similar yet different their careers can be.
Jennifer Choi and Megan Wood started as interns. Wood recalled researching Kiewit before an info session at Colorado School of Mines, where she was pursuing an engineering degree with environmental emphasis.
“I told myself this is the moment to be brave and go ask for the opportunity,” Wood said. “I remember going up to one of the Kiewit speakers and asking if they have environmental interns. They were looking for one on the MoDOT 554 Bridges project in Missouri. At that time, it was kind of a rarity to have that specific internship. It ended up being the start of a long career.”
Choi described her time as an intern as “fulfilling.”
“I was trusted with meaningful work and felt valued even as an intern,” Choi said about working on a power plant estimate. “The estimate lead took time out of his day to guide me through the task and expectations. He was patient as I worked through the assignments. In the end, my work product was used to help estimate the work.”
Lizan Gilbert, Katie Massay, Claudia Pulido and Tina Solly had professional experience before joining Kiewit, each referred by someone they knew.
“A friend of mine had worked with Kiewit and said, ‘Hey. They’re looking for someone to come train some people on equipment,’” said Solly.
At the time, she had just wrapped up work as an equipment operator and planned to take British Columbia’s winter construction season off.
“He said, ‘Oh, come on.’ He talked me into it.”
That’s how Solly, now a superintendent, started with Kiewit nearly 24 years ago, training other operators on the Yoho Five Mile Bridge.
A geotech by trade, Gilbert spent 11 years at design firms before joining a contractor. She accepted a job at Kiewit as a sponsor for underground work after consulting Kiewit’s Paul Madsen, whom she knew through a professional organization and “had a ton of respect for.”
“I went to Paul and said, ‘Why would I join Kiewit?’ And he said, ‘Lizan, I’m going to tell you, I believe that Kiewit is the best. We do the best work. We have the best people. We certainly have our flaws. But in the class of underground contractors, Kiewit is the best.’ And that’s why I’m here.”
Massay began her career as an EMT firefighter before moving into marine compliance and safety.
“Everybody says the grass is always greener,” she said, recalling her first impression after making the leap to Kiewit. “But it was much, much greener. I’ve never been more interested in the work.”
As a senior safety manager, Massay works closely with both staff and craft to provide teams the resources and support they need to work safely.
“One of the things I noticed coming to Kiewit was the craftsmen and women who follow Kiewit around. They make my job easy,” she said. “They are bought into the program, bought into the culture and want to be part of these interesting scopes of work, these cool things that happen. My own safety team — I’ve never been part of such a high-functioning group of people. We each come with our own specialty, I’d call it, and not one of us has an ego. We depend on each other.”
Pulido’s background is in bridge design. She joined the company after former colleagues she greatly respected joined Kiewit Engineering Group Inc. as it was getting off the ground more than 10 years ago. Today, she’s the engineering director, managing more than 300 engineers in Kiewit’s Mexico office and supporting projects across several markets.
“I explain to our engineers the importance of constructability and that engineering is here to support construction,” she said. “We need to make sure we understand the field’s needs and either say, ‘Yes, you can build it like that,’ or make a design change so we can have the best constructible projects.”
In her prior role, Pulido managed Kiewit’s first group of infrastructure engineers in Mexico, a team she says is “very special to me.”
“When I moved down to Mexico, our infrastructure engineering team was only 20 people,” she said. “Being able to build a team of engineers who are highly technical, driven and incredible humans, it was rewarding to see the decisions we make as leaders change their lives — that’s amazing.”
For Wood, now a regional environmental manager, the Colorado U.S. 34 Big Thompson Canyon Permanent Repairs team stands out. She worked on the initial temporary repair project, and many of the same employees from across the company returned for the permanent job.
“The people were so driven by the end goal,” she said. “We worked together seamlessly. It was cool to see that as a common theme across Kiewit.”
A mountain highway also comes to mind when Solly is asked about her favorite project.
“Sea to Sky Section Three,” Solly said. “We had different tasks that we performed. It was always lively. The team was tight and close. Management had the skills to manage people and it comes down to, you manage the people and they’ll take care of you. Everything was just go, go, go, go, go. It was so much fun and hard work. We had lots to be proud of.”
Choi, now a commercial manager, said trying to pick a favorite project would be impossible.
“That’s like asking me to pick one of my dogs as my favorite,” she laughed. “Each project has shaped me in a unique way — providing new challenges, opportunities to grow and lifelong friendships.”
The employees shared that building cool projects remains a highlight, but as their careers progress, developing people is an even greater reward.
“I’ve built enough tunnels in my career,” said Gilbert. “What’s far more interesting to me is the people. I work now for the opportunity to help and build the people.”
“Seeing all the young engineers that I’ve had over the years grow and evolve and become foremen and superintendents and managers, it’s been great,” Solly said. “It’s a lot of pride.”
Their roles vary greatly. They haven’t worked on the same projects. Yet the themes that weave through their careers might make these six employees more alike than different.
There’s something else they all have in common. Maybe it was obvious. They’re all women. And each of them has found great success and gratification working in a predominantly male industry thanks to their skill sets and strengths, hard work, supportive peers and mentors, and taking advantage of opportunities.
“There’s space for everyone,” Choi replied when asked how to encourage more people, particularly women, to join the industry. “If you’re passionate about building — whether it’s actual structures or solutions — or if you are eager to learn and determined to improve the community around you, this industry can be the right fit. Bring your strengths, perspectives and curiosity, and you’ll find a path. The opportunities are real and so is the support. There is definitely space for you.”
We asked the six employees featured, “What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?” Find out what they said in this digital exclusive.
