Who is that driving the Harley Davidson Heritage Soft Tail down a country road? Of course, it is Mike. Not often enough but as much as he can, he will drive his motorcycle up in the mountains enjoying the scenery and looking for the perfect fishing spot. Fishing is the hobby he looks forward to doing the most in his free time.
During the work week Mike is out on the open road in his service vehicle, traveling from job to job. Mike has been a WAM service technician for an amazing 22 years! Four years ago, he was elevated to General Foreman – meaning that he is also a leader among the service techs. He doesn’t mind working alone and enjoys the freedom and responsibility of managing his days. His greatest professional challenge is the diversity of mechanical systems he encounters every day. Some jobs still require tools only but most now are electronic systems that he must connect to with a laptop to diagnose the issues. Keeping up with the latest technology is becoming a bigger part of the job.
James Kastelic describes him like this: “His quiet demeanor and extensive knowledge have a calming effect on the most stressful and challenging situations with our customers and techs. Mike is like our ‘tech whisperer.’ He is a humble and confident leader, well respected by his peers and those he effortlessly guides and influences.”
Mike has learned a lot in his over 20 years at WAM. One highlight of his career are the great mentors he had at WAM, who taught him a lot in his earlier years. His advice to those entering the field is to learn from those who are more experienced. Really take advantage of those moments when you get to observe. He explains, “Pay attention, ask a lot of questions, write things down. Learn the “right” way to do things and the safest way to do it, too.”
Mike married his high school sweetheart and they have four children. Tyler, the oldest works in real estate. Mikayla is a graduate of Saint Mary’s and is working in HR. Juliana is a senior at UCLA and Trinity is a freshman at the University of Washington.
If Mike had the chance to do something completely different, he would join the 49er franchise and take a job that put him right down on the sidelines of the football field. Sounds exciting!
Long-gone are the days of dreading work and watching the clock, because nine years ago Connie made a bold move to get the training she needed to become a sheet metal worker; a job she now loves everyday. Becoming a site foreman is one of her greatest professional accomplishments to date and she has been using her talents at WAM for 3.5 years so far.
She starts in the shop at 6am either ordering material, doing prep, layout or installing, depending on their stage of work. Her current jobsite is on the 8th floor of a building in Brisbane. Connie remarks that, “I am really happy in my job, and I have a supportive team working with me.”
The number of women sheet metal workers is relatively small. It is not surprising that on occasion she will encounter skepticism out in the field about her skills. Connie knows, “I am confident in my ability, and I am able to do all the same quality work as others or even better.” Her encouragement is that “We should give everybody an opportunity to prove who they are by their work, and not as soon as you see them.”
That has helped shape Connie’s perspective and her advice to new people entering the field. “Develop your good work reputation. Your name is important, and so is having a good work ethic. Be willing to learn, correct your failures, get to work on time, do your 8 hours, and you will earn your good name.”
When she is not at work she might be in her garden or cooking alongside her husband. Her interest in art is very broad and she has abilities in: drawing, painting, sculpting, metal work, building, journal-scrapbooking, and resin art. Her creative interests draw her to experience every art form.
If she could switch jobs with anyone in the world, she would choose the content creator that goes by “Half Baked Barely Measured” on Tik Tok. She and her family live off the grid and are homesteaders. To be completely self-sufficient and off the grid sounds like a dream to Connie!
Growing up Marcus watched his Dad fixing things, tinkering with a motor, studying books and applying all his knowledge. This made a big impression on Marcus, he wondered how his Dad knew how to do all these things so well. His Dad was encouraging and the biggest influence in his life. He often spots adults who still have their Dad’s around and he wishes that was still the case for him. He likes to remind others to cherish the time you still have with aging parents.
Marcus likes being surrounded with family and good friends. He and his wife Cassandra, have 9 year old twins, a son and a daughter. He has close friends that he considers family too. He likes to say that those individuals with “a good heart and a good soul, they are in” -in his circle, as close as family now. In the summertime especially, they host a lot of backyard swimming and barbeques.
One of Marcus’s biggest accomplishments is finishing his apprenticeship with the UA Local 393 Plumber’s & Steamfitters. It still feels like a great achievement even now that he has 10 years of experience in his field. He is currently working on two projects, one in Livermore & the other in Hayward. About his type of work he says, “It is nice being mobile and having the variety of going from one job to the next. I like starting something, building it, and seeing the end product. It is very fulfilling.”
Just like his Dad he spends time at home using his mechanical skills as a hobby. When the kids wander by the garage, he invites them in to see what he is working on and asks if they want to join in. It brings him a lot of joy just seeing his kids have fun. As a family they went to Hawaii over winter break which the kids loved. On a normal week at home he loves diving in to their homework with them. He is a bit of a natural teacher and never gets tired of seeing those “ah-ha” moments when his kids learn something new.
In fact, a couple days a week after work Marcus teaches the class, Advanced Blueprint Reading & Drawing, for the apprenticeship program at The Pipe Trades Training Center. He shares his passion for mechanical work. His advice to those just starting out is, “Get up early, get in, follow directions and have a good attitude. Take it seriously and give it your all.”
Marcus loves what he does, but if could switch roles with anyone at all, he would pick Guy Feiri. “To know that your job is simply to travel around and try the best food, what a fun life!” he remarked. If you do run into Marcus around work ask him about his special talent in picking out “samples” in music. You will be glad you did.
Adam Lessler and his wife are bundled with joy as they expect their first child in June, spoiler alert, they are having a girl! Being mechanical, he likes working on cars, HVAC, and electrical as a hobby outside of work too. He is an outdoorsman who likes just about everything including: camping, fishing, snowboarding, bike-riding, kayaking, and spending time with his wife.
Adam is one of our refrigeration Startup Technicians. He has been working in HVAC for about 15 years and has been with Western Allied now for 9 years. As a startup tech he will do refrigeration, light electrical controls, mechanical, hydronics and a little bit of everything, also a refrigeration fitter. About work he says, “Honestly, I love what I do, so it doesn’t really feel like I’m going to work. I truly am passionate about working in the trades. You know, the work we do can outlast our careers. A lot of the equipment and systems that we install are going to provide comfort and an easier life for other people and other businesses, so that is rewarding.”
In many ways, Adam see’s his job as a labor of love because of all the unique settings where their work takes them. Places that touch a lot of peoples lives like Kaiser Hospitals, Stanford Children’s Hospital and the Willie Mays Boys and Girls Club.
Having a safe, reliable system that can improve people’s indoor air quality is a big deal. Especially in critical places like an operating room in a hospital that needs a specific temperature to keep things sterile. And while doctors are doing what they do, the systems that we install and maintain support their work. For those reasons Adam feels, “For me it feels more than just earning a paycheck to know you truly doing your part to contribute to a better life for others.”
In any given job site there is different equipment and he sees that today’s latest and greatest is next months old news. HVAC is an ever evolving industry. He wants to continue to grow and build upon his preexisting foundation of knowledge and skillsets.
He is appreciative that we are using cutting-edge technologies at WAM in building automated systems. Adam summed up his job satisfaction with, “For those quite a few reasons. I’m passionate about what I do. I’m very, very fortunate.”
