Kenny Baguio was born in Fremont and grew up in Hayward, California. Though he has traveled to and lived in places like Newark and Eugene, Oregon, Castro Valley is where he calls home. Kenny graduated from Silicon Valley College with a Bachelor of Art in Graphic Design and Visual Aid in 2004. He had dreams of doing 3D animation with Pixar or EA. But when Kenny graduated, the tech bubble had burst, and the need for 3D animation graphic designers was at an all-time low. This didn’t stop Kenny! He had a few odds and end jobs before his brother got him a job with him at a residential SM shop in San Mateo in 2005. He started out as an AC specialist. After 2 years in the trade and completing the AC Specialist program, Kenny moved over to the building trades apprenticeship in 2007. Towards the end of his 4th year in the apprenticeship, Kenny started working for WAM in mid-2011. At that time, his general foreman Fred Schwartz was told by Randy to take a summer CAD detailing class offered by the union. He recommended Kenny take it too if he was interested in it. So, he signed up and was almost turned away because it was a journeyman upgrade class, not for apprentices. They were one man short to hold the class, so to keep the class they let him take the class as an apprentice. Having CAD knowledge from college, the class was a breeze. In the final year of his apprenticeship, they introduced him to CAD detailing. It turns out it was the same exact class he just took that summer! So everything was still fresh and he ended up being the instructor’s assistant to help everyone else out. This is when he knew he had to become a detailer and not let that 4 year Bachelor’s degree go to waste. In January of 2012 when he was working with Chris Miller and Kiley Johnson, his first son was born and he took time off to be a new dad. When he was ready to return to work for WAM, the work really wasn’t there. So he went on to the next shop. But right before the end of his final year in the apprenticeship he was given the opportunity to become a detailer elsewhere and has been detailing ever since.
A full circle was made when Kenny returned to WAM in 2017 to start in the BIM/Detailing Department. Kenny loves working with his team. He says they keep it lighthearted and work hard as well. He feels like Western Allied is not your standard Mechanical Shop – it’s very much a family here. He has never felt more connected to folks, than at any other place he has worked. Kenny says folks here aren’t as expendable; that a lot of the field guys he worked with in 2011 were still there in 2017 when he started again – something that is very rarely seen anywhere else. Kenny has been happily married to his wife Julia for 12 years (together for 21 years total) and has three boys Kenny 9, Jayden 8, and Logan 6. All were born within 41 months of each other.
Some fun facts about Kenny? Well, I’m sure folks in the BIM/Detailing department can tell you he is just a big kid at heart. He loves to joke and keep things lighthearted. Kenny is a huge A’s/Raiders fan and also has an extensive Baseball and Football card collection. He recently sold four one-of-a-kind autograph cards of Al Davis and Bo Jackson for a hefty sum! He is also a diehard KoRn fan. Kenny hasn’t missed a concert in 20 years and will be seeing them at the Shoreline next month!
Kelsey Frame was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up next to Pasadena in a town called La Canada Flintridge. Kelsey originally went to college to study psychology, but eventually ended up deciding to pursue a degree in photojournalism. She spent the early years of her life working at her family’s auto body repair shop where she worked as an office manager/admin for several years. She eventually decided to move up to the Bay Area so she could be closer to her family and be a part of her nephew’s life. Kelsey tried a few different jobs when she came to the bay area, but only when she fell into HVAC did it feel like it was fate. She got her foot in the door in 2013 at a residential HVAC company, which was the first time where she felt like she belonged in an industry. She picked up things easily, and for the first time in her professional life, she felt like she could be herself in the office. Kelsey says her favorite thing about WAM is the sense of community. Not only does she feel supported professionally by a team, but she also feels like the people she works with are her friends. Kelsey says they have integrity, which is the most important thing to her.
Fun fact about Kelsey: She recently moved into her own place. She also took up botany as a hobby during the pandemic, and now has hundreds of plants.
Mae Mabuyo was born and raised on the second largest island in the Philippines called Mindanao, where she eventually pursued her Bachelor of Commerce degree from Xavier University – Ateneo De Cagayan. While attending, she majored in business management and minored in accounting. In 2010, after traveling to Asia, she stopped in the United States to visit an aunt in Union City where she eventually made a few friends. Amid her visits, she received her visa to stay at the end of 2012. As time passed in Union City, Mae would meet an online friend, Nees, who she dated for two years; and in 2011, they got married. They now have two children, Gene (9 years old) and Geneva (6 years old). What does Mae like most about Western Allied? Well, she started her career in the hospitality industry, which was a very stressful environment. So, when she came to WAM, she was very excited about the hybrid work schedule. For her to be able to work from home as a mother was such a wonderful gift to her. Though she does admit that adjusting to the schedule was hard at first, she feels like she is in the full swing of things. She says she has finally been able to find the balance between her family and work. She also says that everyone at Western Allied is so nice and that she enjoys how approachable and dedicated everyone is.
Some fun facts about Mae: she loves to travel. She also used to be very into sports. In high school, she played volleyball and softball. She loves running and is very competitive. Lately, she enjoys playing badminton but needs to find a new partner/teammate to play with in the bay area. Any takers?
Mario was originally born in Peru. He came to the United States with his whole family in 2006 after he graduated from high school. His family found their home in Redwood City, California, and they have been there ever since. And when we say his whole family, even his extended family is in the area – Mario says it would be easier to name the three uncles in Peru, instead of naming all the folks who moved to the United States. Mario went to SJ State where he graduated as a Mechanical Engineer. He first started his studies in computer science. After his first class, he realized quickly that computer science was not the right career path for him. He switched his major to Mechanical Engineering and the rest is history. He and his wife, Christina, have been married for three years, and have been together since 2007.
What’s Mario’s favorite part about Western Allied? He says it’s the people he works with. Everyone he has met is very friendly and great. The team that Todd has put together is a group of the best engineers. Everyone is so helpful. They are always willing to help, regardless of how busy they are, they always find time for their teammates. He also loves the vast experience everyone on the engineering team has. There is so much knowledge.
Fun facts about Mario: In high school, Mario swam for the Peruvian national team from 2000-2005. Mario likes to meld all four styles together when swimming. He also enjoys woodworking. He is most proud of the ceiling fan he installed in his living room, his bookshelves, and the barn door to the main bedroom.
