We are celebrating the one-year milestone anniversaries of Vee and Toni! This past year has been a big year of growth for MWA, and we are lucky to have these two bring additional kindness, work ethic, and humor to the fold.
Read on to learn more about what Vee and Toni do for their teams, what inspires them, and what they like to do outside of work!
“Vee brightens everyone’s day—not just with fabulous accessories but with excellent listening skills and kindness. She’s also happy to pitch in if an extra set of hands is needed. I’m so thankful that Vee joined MWA.”
Vee Cota, Project Accountant
What project(s) are you working on right now?
I am the project accountant for MWA’s TRM and Interior Environments Studios. I have been working with the TRM Studio on airport projects in Spokane and Yakima, long-term projects with so many moving parts and huge components to manage. I have handled Yakima since its inception, and it’s going to be exciting to see it through its completion in 2028. It’ll be a great project for the community, and I get to contribute to its success in a unique way. People focus on the design and construction of these large projects, but I get to see the behind-the-scenes and keep track of so much information that keeps them going and makes them possible. It’s shocking at first learning how many people and resources go into these projects, but when you start to get involved, it begins to make sense why.
What’s your favorite thing about working at MWA?
There’s a huge sense of community in the office and Portland in general. I love how everyone gets along, which is not something I’ve experienced in every office. Portland’s life and work culture is refreshing after only working in the Los Angeles area before moving here.
How do you maintain work/life balance?
People know me as a big reader. I also taught myself embroidery eight months ago, and it’s been so rewarding! So far, I’ve embroidered cacti, snails, and flowers. I am currently working on a mountain and river scene, which has been challenging but a lot of fun. I am still a beginner so it’s going to take me a few months to do, but it’s been cathartic getting to repeatedly stab something that ultimately becomes something beautiful.
What do you hope to do more of in the next few years?
In the next three to five years, I’d like to buy a house in Portland. My mom is going to retire soon, and she wants to move to Portland from Southern California when she does. I’d like to be established here when that happens. It’ll be great to have her here, and she is super excited about potentially moving to a 55-and-older community and enjoying her retirement. I’d also love to get a dog!
What is your next career goal that you would like to tackle?
My goal is to move into a management role in the near future. All the moving parts of project accounting are so interesting to me, and I love learning about the details, why things work the way they do, and how we turn an idea into reality. I am excited to take on more leadership in the Finance Studio to manage these moving parts and continue working with people.
What originally drew you to your field of work?
I started out as an office administrator at a disaster mitigation, reconstruction, and restoration contractor in Long Beach. When the role of billing coordinator opened up, I jumped at the opportunity. I learned so much from the finance team in those first few years. I did do a brief stint working as a Disney cast member at the same time, which gave me some fun stories to tell. After a few years, I moved up to the role of accounts receivable collections specialist. In that role, I did a lot of accounts with homeowners who were dealing with major damages in their homes, like water and fire damage, which opened my eyes to how important personal finances are, how difficult the conversation of money is, and how so many people do not understand finances. It really helped me develop empathy, working with people who were dealing with a very stressful situation and lost all their belongings. I did this for five years when I had the idea to move to Portland, which eventually led me here to MWA.
What is one thing you want readers to know about your work at MWA?
Everything that is done here falls back to accounting. If you think timesheets don’t matter, they do. Everything affects accounting, revenue, and getting money in the door so we can pay everybody.
What are causes that are important to you?
As a child of immigrants, many causes come to mind right now. Our rights as brown, queer women are being dramatically and swiftly stripped. I am constantly worried about if my Spanish-speaking family members in LA are going to be okay. It’s strange at times to learn about things happening, and then immediately having to go on with my day.
I donate monthly to Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC). They do great work in advocacy and community support, as well as facilitate trainings on how to keep our neighbors safe. I encourage everyone to look into PIRC’s work and consider donating as well!
Is there a particular architect/designer/artist’s work that inspires you? Why?
The art I really enjoy is mostly from the Renaissance, but my favorite artist is Hieronymus Bosch, an early Netherlandish painter known for his large triptychs. I love that there is so much to look at in one painting. I am getting a tattoo of the strange bird shrimp figure I enjoy from the right panel of The Garden of Earthly Delights.
Toni Ly, Marketing Coordinator
What project(s) are you working on right now?
In the Marketing Studio, we’re constantly juggling a multitude of hats. Currently, my big projects involve planning the annual MWA summer picnics, running MWA’s social media pages on Instagram and LinkedIn, leading production on MWA’s quarterly internal newsletter, writing posts for the MWA Blog, maintaining our project database, and of course, pursuits that help get projects in the door.
What’s your favorite thing about working at MWA?
I love that the work we do is important and essential and aims to serve people’s needs. I love that the people here are kind and funny, and it’s clear that they love the work they do. The MWA culture is very special, and I am so happy I get to be a part of it.
Of course, the office location is a huge plus. I love that Revolution Hall is an adaptive reuse building with so much life in and around it. Hosted events and concerts constantly activate the building, and having lunch on the roof in front of stunning views of Portland, people-and-pet-watching at the dog park, and having a post-work happy hour at Show Bar are great perks.
How do you maintain work/life balance?
Outside of work, you can find me at the movie theater, at a concert, reading a book, or doing something outside. I have really gotten into running this past year, and I’m so glad that MWA attends running events together.
I am currently learning how to knit, which is such a soothing activity to keep me sane and do something with my own hands. I will hopefully have a hat to show for it soon!
What do you hope to do more of in the next few years?
It’s my second year in my role, and I’ve learned so much this past year about the hard skills required, but also about working with people and nurturing relationships. I am excited to continue growing into marketing and move beyond the knowledge base I have established last year, meeting new people and exchanging ideas along the way.
What originally drew you to your field of work?
In school, I was always captivated by the art of selling your idea. I went to school for architecture, and I realized that communicating your design idea is just as important as the quality of the design. No one can experience your design and how good it is unless you convince them that your concept is worth selecting. This is marketing!
I also felt like I enjoyed the graphic design that goes into projects. Again, the visual communication it takes to make a design legible, or better yet appealing, is just as important. No one can appreciate your ideas unless they understand them fully.
What is one thing you want readers to know about your work at MWA?
Marketing communicates MWA’s identity, goals, value, and vision to the public, our clients, our project partners, and our awesome MWA team. All of the bits and pieces of our tasks come together to serve this central mission, whether it’s proposals, social media presence, or internal events.
What are causes that are important to you?
As Vee mentioned before, PIRC does great local advocacy, and I also donate monthly to support their work. I’d also like to plug a few other organizations I care about that are out there helping our communities and filling in the gaps:
Is there a particular architect/designer/artist’s work that inspires you? Why?
Steven Holl is a source of inspiration for me. I experienced Holl’s St. Ignatius Chapel at Seattle University as a teenager, and I remember how it transformed the way I thought about buildings and how they can make you feel.
Tatiana Bilbao is another architect that comes to mind. Her work centers context; the people, the land, and the surroundings define the design product. What is incredibly compelling with Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIO is that they utilize collage and diagram to tell stories, discern design problems, and seek out solutions.
Works from modernists like Alvar Aalto, Lina Bo Bardi, and Luis Barragán have taught me so much about space and form. Some of my favorite visual artists are David Hockney, Félix González-Torres, Yayoi Kusama, and of course, Frida Kahlo.
