Tess Massaroni, Project Engineer

Wisconsin Entertainment & Sports Center

Who has served as your role model/mentor and what's the most valuable advice they've given you?
Angie Helfert, project manager at Mortenson, has been a tremendous inspiration and mentor for me. As a younger female entering the construction industry, I have been grateful to have a strong female leader to follow. Working with Angie over the past two years has taught me that it’s important to understand the technical ins and outs of building details, to always look for the best solution both in terms of constructability and cost, and to jump right into solving an issue.

What advice would you give to someone starting out?
Don’t allow being in a male dominated field to intimidate you from making decisions and trusting your instinct. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes – it’s the best way to learn and develop. Recognize the strengths of the craftworkers and learn from their expertise, but don’t allow their experience or confidence to prevent you from challenging them when there is a situation that doesn’t seem to work or match the documents. Maintain your personal identity and embrace being a female in the field!

What is your favorite part of your career?
I love that my days are never the same and that the work we do is so collaborative. On a daily basis, my tasks are constantly changing and evolving, which allows me to be challenged in new ways all the time. It’s fun to work with and learn from different people within the company and in the field.

What are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on the new Milwaukee Bucks Arena as part of the enclosure team. Being on a large, high profile project is something new for me, and has proven to be an exciting challenge. Working on the enclosure has the potential to be really rewarding – seeing your work in place for years to come will be pretty cool. That being said, there is a lot of planning, coordination, and attention to detail that needs to happen in order for the enclosure to come together without issues. The work has only just begun!