construction executive, Mortenson Construction
Title: Construction executive
Company: Mortenson Construction
Education: Bachelor of science degree in construction management, North Dakota State University, 1982.
Family: Wife of 17 years, Karla. Two sons, Mack (15) and Derek (13).
City of Residence: Pewaukee
Hobbies and Interests: "I am very involved in my sons’ activities. My older son is involved in the theatre, having performed with First Stage Theatre and Milwaukee Shakespeare. My younger son is the ballplayer. He has been involved in football, basketball and baseball. My wife and I enjoy traveling and spending time with family in Minnesota."
What are you working on? "Over the past year, I have been involved in the Harley-Davidson Museum in the Menomonee Valley, the new Crowne Plaza Hotel in the Milwaukee County Research Park and now I am overseeing the Aurora Medical Center in Summit."
How does the market look to you? "Right now, the market is incredible. It’s an amazing time to be in this business. As far as what’s next – it’s hard to predict. However, we’re seeing a continued focus on health care in Wisconsin and beyond, as well as multiple opportunities in the hospitality and corporate market sectors. As far as trends – technology (whether to build projects or to house the technology itself) continues to progress quickly. Green or sustainable building and LEED Certification is also becoming a widespread trend in our industry."
What was the best deal you’ve ever been involved in? "I have worked on many construction projects across the country and don’t know that I could identify a single best deal. The wonderful thing about a career in construction is that each deal has its own opportunities and challenges. There is something new to learn each day, and the industry continually changes."
What was the funniest moment of your career? "One day when I was at a project site, my superintendent and I were inspecting a storm sewer catch basin. I bent over to take a measurement and I dropped my daily planning computer into the catch basin. It had all of my contacts, phone numbers, meetings etc … We spent the next hour working on trying to remove the catch basin grate so that we could retrieve my planner."
