In honor of National Engineers Week, we’re highlighting Warfel employees with engineering degrees. Experts say demand for engineers will continue to grow as governments and industry work to meet the challenges of a growing global population and dwindling resources. Check out our featured employee today (Project Manager Alex Byard), and follow along all week as we learn more about the team members who make Warfel a leader in the construction management industry.
Describe what you do at Warfel: As a Project Manager, I help oversee all aspects of projects throughout their entire lifecycle. I help cultivate and maintain Clients for Life relationships, lead and guide our internal project teams, manage the project schedules and finances, and coordinate all parties affiliated with the projects. Ultimately, the most rewarding aspect of this role is to help augment the quality of life of the people that occupy the spaces we help create.
Degree: Bachelor of Architectural Engineering and Master of Architectural Engineering, Penn State University
Why did you choose that course of study/degree? I knew that I wanted to work in construction. Majoring in Architectural Engineering provided me with the ability to study all aspects of the industry, from design, to engineering, and then the actual construction. Of the four focus areas with in the major, I chose construction management because I knew that I wanted to work for a construction company.
How long have you worked at Warfel? 5 years in May
What did you do before you came to Warfel? School (I did an internship my last summer of school at construction company in Wilmington, DE).
What is your favorite part of your job? The people I work with, because they make work exciting!
What is the worst job you ever had? File clerk at a law firm in high school.
What is your most exciting accomplishment? Having two wonderful sons!
What advice do you have for students considering pursuing an engineering degree? While the coursework in high school and college may be tough, the job is very rewarding and satisfying because you can physically see what your efforts created. Moreover, there are a plethora of job opportunities in various industries that allow people to start and maintain rewarding careers!
What advice would you give someone applying to Warfel? Our cultural assessment process here is designed to help us hire those individuals that embody the same core values as the rest of our employees. Teammates here are honest individuals that do the right thing, support others, strive for greatness, and follow through on their commitments. Warfel is the greatest place to work, because your fellow employees make the environment so enjoyable you wake up eagerly awaiting to start your day!
If you could switch jobs with someone, who would it be/what would you do? I would love to be a professional golfer (Tiger Woods was my childhood sports idol).
What do you wish people knew about engineering? Engineering is not simply sitting at a desk using a calculator. Engineering is what drives innovation in fields under the sea, on land, in the air, and in space!
What do you enjoy doing outside of work? I enjoy spending time with my wife and two sons. We like to work on projects around the house, whether it is building our deck or building a toy block towers! We love being outdoors and taking the dog with us on family walks, playing sports with the neighbors in the backyard, and reading books to our kids before bedtime.
What’s a fun fact about you that we might not know? I have lived in three states (Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania).
