MWA is celebrating the one-year anniversaries of Manager of Finance & Operations Dan Johnson, Architect Wayne Yoshimura, Designer Kelsey Plucar, and Designer Madeline Phillips. This talented group of individuals has made strides in contributing to MWA’s friendly culture, overall organization, and technical expertise. We’re grateful for the time and energy they’ve dedicated to MWA so far.
This blog shares the highlights and aspirations of each teammate from their first year, giving you a firsthand look into life at MWA.
Dan Johnson, Manager of Finance and Operations
“Dan is one of my favorite people to work with. He is responsive, has a great sense of humor, and is dedicated to the firm’s business success. As a bonus to all of us, Dan has great taste in food + wine.”
–Kate, Senior Marketing Manager
What projects are you working on right now?
Regarding overhead, we’re developing an IT program to replace and update our employees’ equipment on a regular basis as well as finishing the Portland office buildout. For Accounting, we expect to transition to Vantagepoint by October or November this year.
What’s your favorite thing about working at MWA?
The people, the general positive energy of caring for other people, the planet, and wanting to make things better. Many firms focus solely on the profits and not on how and why the profit matters to the firm, the firm’s growth, and the employee. MWA has a nice balance of achieving firm profitability but also of being equitable and adhering to our purpose and mission.
How do you maintain work/life balance?
I like to maintain an active social life and keep active in the yard and around the house. It’s nice to have things organized and decluttered to keep my mind clear and able to focus on the present.
What do you hope to do more in the next few years?
Continue to assist MWA in becoming a stronger and more sustainable firm through more structured operations and employee incentives to do and become the best in their career path.
What is your next career goal that you would like to tackle?
To become Director of Finance and Operations.
Is there a particular book/podcast that inspires you?
I love music. That’s my escape, as well as watching some interesting series on Netflix or other streaming services. I hardly ever watch live TV or flip through the channels.
Wayne Yoshimura, Architect
“Wayne has a great emphasis on team inclusion and clear communication. He’s not afraid to take the time to learn or share something new. On top of that, he always surprises me with his love for dogs and usage of GIF.”
–Kelsey, Designer
What projects are you working on right now?
I am working on a few Divert recycling facility projects as well as wastewater pump station buildings.
What project phase is your favorite?
I really enjoy the construction phase as it is the result of the work from a team of professionals to bring an idea to reality.
What’s your favorite thing about working at MWA?
I like the camaraderie and culture of the office. I also enjoy the pet-friendly culture.
How do you maintain work/life balance?
I try to keep my work hours consistent to allow me to plan my off-work activities well in advance.
What do you hope to do more of in the next few years?
I’d like to be able to travel internationally to distant and exotic places.
What is your next career goal that you would like to tackle?
Perhaps working toward another professional certification such as LEED or CDT.
When you started your career, why did you want to become an architect?
I really enjoy the blend of art, design and technology in the profession. Being an architect requires wearing many hats to understand how a building is designed, constructed, and functions well for the end user.
Is there a particular architect’s work that inspires you?
I admire the work of modernist architects such as Louis Kahn, Alvar Aalto, and I. M. Pei. I like the simplicity and elegance of their work.
KELSEY PLUCAR, Designer
“Kelsey is detail-oriented, asks the right questions, and is very organized. Kelsey is easygoing, professional, and strengthens our team through the art of humor. She also brought me a jar of homemade jam when she knew I couldn’t have the delicious baked goods the rest of the office was enjoying. That girl rocks!”
–Colleen, Project Manager
What projects are you working on right now?
I’m largely working on Cascadia Waste Water Treatment Plant, McMinnville Water & Light Office Building, and Mount Tabor Yards Office. However, I am also actively involved in a handful of Divert projects that are about to start up, and construction administration is about to begin on the Vancouver PFAS and Camas PFAS.
What project phase is your favorite?
The early design phases are when you absorb critical information about the project and build relationships with the design team and clients. No design solution is entirely off the table, and you’re working to determine the guiding principles and project limitations. This can lead to wonderful moments when the client becomes equally excited about what this building can be and how it will fit their needs.
What’s your favorite thing about working at MWA?
MWA’s culture consists of great people and personalities with a shared interest in improvement and collaboration. It takes no time to feel welcomed at MWA. There are abundant opportunities to provide feedback, get involved in firm initiatives, and work on a variety of projects, which provide great opportunities for professional development.
How do you maintain work/life balance?
I care deeply about my work and the success of my projects, so it can be very difficult to disconnect at the end of a workday. Fortunately, weekends are the easiest place to let the mind relax. I like to occupy my weekends with working on building my travel trailer, spoiling my dogs, river floating, motorcycle riding, or fruit/flower picking in Hood River. It’s also important to take time off and travel every now and then.
What do you hope to do more of in the next few years?
Professionally, I’d love to lead more projects, be given more responsibility, and continue to work on a variety of projects. I’d also like to work more on the early phases and CA on projects.
Personally, I’d love to start taking weekend trips with my travel trailer (which should be done by the fall), continue to create and have new experiences, and spend more time learning or refining my craft skills.
What is your next career goal that you would like to tackle?
On top of the professional growth listed in the previous section, my next career goal is to become a licensed architect. To accomplish this, I need to study and take the ARE’s, which I intend to start within the next 6 months.
When you started your career, why did you want to become an architect?
What appealed to me about this field was the idea of crafting the world around us to the human experience, expanding on the creative process, and building on how much I care about people. The most rewarding part of this job can be seeing the reaction of a client when you’ve made them feel heard, excited, or like you’ve absolutely nailed it.
Is there a particular architect’s work that inspires you? Why?
I have always felt a connection to Le Corbusier. He was the first architect whose work I studied extensively in school and I appreciated that he believed in five principles of architecture that informed all of his works. Although it’s inconsequential, I’m also drawn to Corbu because we share a birthday and I’ve always admired the glasses.
Madeline Phillips, Designer
“Madeline is a joy to know and I’m so grateful I get to see her around the office. She is hardworking and professional, but also never fails to make me laugh. I can always rely on her to help me gather information about projects and she never hesitates to answer my questions. Thank you, Madeline, for being you and making MWA great!”
–Toni, Marketing Coordinator
This year, we celebrate Madeline’s first year as a full-time employee at MWA! However, Madeline joined MWA as an Energy Trust of Oregon Intern prior to joining full-time. To see how her MWA journey has evolved, check out Madeline’s One-Year Anniversary Blog, which highlights her internship.
What was it like transitioning from Intern to Designer?
Since I’ve become a Designer, I’ve taken on more projects and have a wider variety of tasks. I am on the production side, but I get to attend design meetings, consultant meetings, and see the bigger picture of the projects. I have now been here long enough to see a project closeout process and attend site visits, which are fun because I get to see the before and after and visualize the project beyond the screen.
What do you hope to do more of in the next year?
In my next year, I’m looking forward to more design and production experience. The Yakima Air Terminal-McAllister Field project will be completing Work Package One, and I look forward to getting more construction administration experience and being on-site.
For our TriMet On-Call project, I’ve attended workshops, including our design alternatives workshop. Though I haven’t done a deep dive into each phase at this point, I’m getting closer to experiencing a little bit of everything.