“To #EvolveContinuously is what keeps the possibilities endless and solutions achievable.”
With a year full of project milestones, finishes and wins, it seems fitting to dedicate our final post of the year to the people who helped make that happen. Specifically, the 19 faces that have joined the Wise family in 2023.
Some joined at the start of the year, while others hopped on board just a month ago. Yet, their experience remains consistent: Wise stands apart from other construction companies, and that’s because of our people. We don’t just recruit the best in the industry; we seek out individuals who shine not only in their professional skills but also in their character.
Meet the newest members of the Wise family who have expanded every single one of our departments—accounting, estimating, field operations, marketing and project management. With these additions, we are reminded that the journey doesn’t halt; it evolves continuously, with our team at the forefront, crafting success both within and outside of our organization.
Abigail Heron: Assistant Project Manager
Years in the industry: 3 Years
Area of expertise: cGMP Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences.
What accomplishment are you most proud of since starting at Wise? Since starting at Wise in October, I’ve been able to assist on a few different projects with different teams, all at different stages in their project life cycle. This has been a great opportunity to work with and get to know the Wise community! I’m proud of the work I’ve been doing assisting in the lab programming for a few life science projects and closing out our ninth floor terrace project.
What does “Building Beyond” mean to you? Working with the clients, trade partners, architects, and engineers I’ve been able to in my time in the industry has been incredible. Construction projects bring an opportunity for people from different backgrounds and industries to accomplish a shared goal. Building beyond to me is the passion, energy, teamwork, and creativity required for our goal to materialize. This is amplified by the reward we feel, knowing that our creation will go on to empower our clients and their life-changing missions and endeavors.
Choose one of Wise’s core values and apply it to what you enjoy most about being a Wise team member. The relationships I’ve built in my past and since joining Wise have enabled my love for learning and continuous evolution more than I could have imagined. I’ve always been curious and having so many brilliant individuals within a phone call or an arm’s reach away is one of the best parts of our jobs. There isn’t a day I don’t learn something new, and knowing the people I am surrounded by, I know that will never stop.
Alex Ankeny: Project Manager
Years in the industry: 9 Years
Area of expertise: Heavy civil construction management.
What accomplishment are you most proud of since starting at Wise? I have been with Wise for about six weeks, and I’m immensely proud to collaborate with such an incredibly talented team. I’m eager to deepen my connections with everyone as time goes on.
What does “Building Beyond” mean to you? For me, “Building Beyond” signifies exceeding expectations and cultivating lasting partnerships with both our clients and trade partners.
Choose one of Wise’s core values and apply it to what you enjoy most about being a Wise team member. Though all of Wise’s core values strike a chord with me, “Care Deeply” shines the brightest. Our buildings connect people globally, especially through our higher education projects, which touch the lives of students, faculty, and local communities. Our life science projects reach far and wide, with research that leads to life-saving advancements impacting everyone. It’s fulfilling to be part of a company that shares my dedication to improving lives through our work.
Anthony Sealy: Assistant Project Manager
Years in the industry: 2 Years
Area of expertise: Commercial construction with an interest in sustainable building practices.
What does “Building Beyond” mean to you? Building beyond means exceeding expectations and utilizing the latest technologies to improve project performance.
Choose one of Wise’s core values and apply it to what you enjoy most about being a Wise team member. A Wise core value I can relate to is “Evolve Continuously.” In the short time that I’ve been at Wise, the team I work with has implemented changes in procedures which have had positive impacts in day-to-day operations. I look forward to continuously changing the team dynamics to better serve our clients.
Chris Gallo: Superintendent
Years in the industry: 10+ Years
Area of expertise: My expertise lies primarily in laboratory and hospitality spaces, encompassing both ground-up construction and renovation work in sensitive / occupied environments. The start in hospitality refined valuable skills directly related to the specifics of lab construction. Those similar systems and challenges made transitioning between these diverse project types essentially seamless. My master’s in architecture from Northeastern University also provided a strong foundation, allowing me to transition from school to the practicalities of the construction world.
What accomplishment are you most proud of since starting at Wise? Although I’m still new here, solidifying my role as a lead on the 55 Summer Street project and joining this fantastic team has been a great experience. I’m proud to take on managing this large renovation for a new client, and I’m excited about the potential for future collaborations. If I had to produce one accomplishment so far – it would be the successful crane pick we just completed in the middle of Downtown Crossing with two larger chillers and an even larger cooling tower in a very tight logistical jobsite.
What does “Building Beyond” mean to you? “Building Beyond” signifies much more than simply completing projects on time and within budget. It’s an approach that strives for excellence in every aspect of construction, leaving a lasting positive impact on all stakeholders as well as the surrounding Boston community.
Choose one of Wise’s core values and apply it to what you enjoy most about being a Wise team member. “Put People First” is the core value that resonates most deeply with me. As an outgoing person, this value forms the foundation (Ha!) for all my projects. Like I mentioned above… it’s about building strong, trusting relationships with everyone involved – from team members and clients to subcontractors and the local community. Making the construction process as smooth and positive as possible for everyone is ingrained in my nature. It’s a skill that constantly evolves and adapts to each unique project and the people involved.
Dave DeAgazio: Senior Superintendent
Years in the industry: 27 Years
Area of expertise: Tenant fit-ups and lobby renovations.
What accomplishment are you most proud of since starting at Wise? In my very short time with Wise so far, I am very happy with the team I get to work with. Everyone has been very welcoming and helpful to make me feel at home here.
Jason Weaver: Senior Project Manager
Years in the industry: 20+ Years
Area of expertise: Construction management.
What accomplishment are you most proud of since starting at Wise? My biggest accomplishment since joining the Wise team has been collaborating with the estimating team to deliver RFPs and walk new project potentials.
What does “Building Beyond” mean to you? Building has a beginning and an end, but building beyond is putting in the framework to support after the build is completed, whether that is building relationships with clients, personnel, subs, design team, we are putting in the framework to continue our growth and development well after the physical build is complete.
Choose one of Wise’s core values and apply it to what you enjoy most about being a Wise team member. Put People First: when you put people first all other aspects fall right in line. If you can be sympathetic and understanding to your team, you can better coordinate with them to achieve desired outcomes and goals because you are on their level. These people that experience this from you also give this back. The principle is what comes around goes around. This leads right into the next core value, Lead the Way. You have the team’s trust and respect, which allows you to lead the way.
John Keefe: Assistant Superintendent
Years in the industry: 5 Years
Area of expertise: Healthcare, Life Science, & Education projects.
What accomplishment are you most proud of since starting at Wise? Working at BCH. It has taught me to work in a fast-paced environment and accomplish tasks in a timely and efficient manner. The opportunity to learn so much in a short period of time has been so rewarding since starting with Wise.
What does “Building Beyond” mean to you? To me “Building Beyond” is more than just getting the job done for the client. It is always making sure the customer is first and feels comfortable working with Wise Construction. The client knows Wise will do what it takes to get a job done and beyond the level of the client’s expectations. It shows we care about what we do and building a product beyond expectations.
Choose one of Wise’s core values and apply it to what you enjoy most about being a Wise team member. I think “Lead the Way” is crucial for our side of the industry. As construction managers, we need to lead by example; showing the client and subs we are always prepared for any task ahead of time with critical thinking and problem solving. No matter what the task is, we will have a solution. We must lead the way from a safety standpoint too. Always making sure everyone is safe on the job site, and at the end of the day, having them go home to their families the same way they came to work.
Joseph Tumulty: Superintendent
Years in the industry: 20+ Years
Area of expertise: I started off doing carpentry but have a bit of experience and knowledge in just about every trade, specifically commercial and residential building.
What does “Building Beyond” mean to you? Building beyond to me is going above and beyond to ensure the client is satisfied and keeping good relationships. It means taking extreme pride in your work and in representing Wise.
Choose one of Wise’s core values and apply it to what you enjoy most about being a Wise team member. Evolving continuously – I enjoy working with professionals who I may learn from and share my knowledge with. I enjoy the opportunity to constantly take on challenges and commit to lifelong learning.
Justin Davis: Assistant Superintendent
Years in the industry: 14 Years
Area of expertise: Residential and commercial construction.
What accomplishment are you most proud of since starting at Wise? The work we completed at NWH in the active emergency department a month ahead of schedule.
What does “Building Beyond” mean to you? We aren’t just builders. There is much more that goes into what we do. From the extensive planning, safety, job management, and design. There is a lot that goes into building a successful project.
Choose one of Wise’s core values and apply it to what you enjoy most about being a Wise team member. Put People First: I like that Wise understands that we all need a work/life balance. Wise does a great job setting us up for a safe and successful work environment, understanding that we have families to go home to at the end of the work day.
Kerry Hubbard: Marketing Manager
Years in the industry: 5 Years
Area of expertise: AEC Proposals, Graphic Design, Branding, Copywriting.
What accomplishment are you most proud of since starting at Wise? I joined Wise right as we were experiencing a brand refresh, which included a new website, visual identity, and updates to our core values. I’ve been able to help facilitate this refresh by updating our collateral, graphics, and messaging, which has included the design of new resumes, project sheet, and proposal templates. These updates will continue into 2024 – it’s been both rewarding and fun to see our new look come to life!
What does “Building Beyond” mean to you? More than just the physical structures and spaces, Building Beyond to me is intangible – it’s the hype of the proposal process for a really awesome job; it’s the stories of our projects and how we tackle challenges; it’s the satisfaction of our clients with both our services and their new space; and it’s the relationships we build during the process.
Choose one of Wise’s core values and apply it to what you enjoy most about being a Wise team member. From my Day 1 at Wise, it was evident that this group of people Cares Deeply about their work, each other, and the community as a whole. Workwise, each project isn’t “just another job” here – I’ve seen and heard our project teams sharing their experiences and the passion for what they do is truly palpable. Culture-wise, the company’s commitment to helping others is inspiring. Between the mentorship programs with local schools and universities to participating in the Dana-Farber PMC, it’s clear that Wise is in it for the greater good. I love being a part of a group like this!
Larry Sweeney: Superintendent
Years in the industry: 35 Years
Area of expertise: Residential and commercial construction, site work and infrastructure development, cannabis grow facilities and dispensaries, office fit-outs, lab space, occupied space, safety, heavy equipment operation.
What accomplishment are you most proud of since starting at Wise? I am most proud of my first project with Wise which was the Cardiology expansion project at Boston Children’s Waltham. Together as a team, we were able to get our C of O a couple weeks ahead of schedule.
What does “Building Beyond” mean to you? Building beyond to me not only means we are staying on the forefront of the ever-changing construction technologies and trends as a company. It also means company-focus goes beyond the successful projects but also building strong teams, culture and comradery within the company. In the short time I have been with Wise, this is the unique company quality that really sets Wise apart.
Choose one of Wise’s core values and apply it to what you enjoy most about being a Wise team member. If I had to pick one: “Show Gratitude”. After the first sit down with Eric, Alex and Paul, a tour through the office and seeing everyone smiling, I knew instantly that Wise was the place for me. Since day one, I’ve also felt so fortunate to be working here at Boston Children’s Waltham. Jumping in here with some of the most impressive, seasoned professionals and personalities has been a daily pleasure. On top of that, there is an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction that the work we are doing will make a difference in a child’s life and there are plenty of heartwarming reminders every day as you walk the halls. For me personally, I have a refreshed excitement and drive to make a difference. I look forward to getting in each day and doing all I can, together with the team, to ensure the project is a success. I am happy and honored to be aboard!
Marco Zappala: Project Manager
Years in the industry: 8 Years
Area of expertise: Commercial construction projects, private/public schools, ground-up construction, and additions/renovations.
What does “Building Beyond” mean to you? To me, “Building Beyond” is not only striving to exceed client expectations from preconstruction to closeout, but also, building a strong relationship with team members, clients, and subcontractors along the way. With these strong relationships, we can create an end-product that provides great value to many different communities.
Choose one of Wise’s core values and apply it to what you enjoy most about being a Wise team member. “Evolving Continuously” is a Core Value that I enjoy most about being a Wise team member. Each project has its own challenges, and working through each provides lessons learned and more experience that can be applied to future projects.
Neil McCann: MEP Manager
Area of expertise: Before Wise, I managed the documentation process with BIM and CAD on the MBTA Green Line Extension with STV, did VDC coordination on the Novartis headquarters at MIT, and was the BIM Manager at Gensler. Prior to moving to New England, I lived and received my architectural license in Colorado and designed resort residential projects in Vail.
What accomplishment are you most proud of since starting at Wise? 51 Melcher Street and 55 Summer Street have been big challenges and great learning experiences.
What does “Building Beyond” mean to you? Building relationships with the project teams allows for smoother project collaboration. A can-do attitude makes it easier for the subs to do their fab work, reducing rework in the field.
Choose one of Wise’s core values and apply it to what you enjoy most about being a Wise team member. Evolve Continuously is the one constant that keeps the possibilities endless and solutions achievable.
Rory Burrows: Cost Engineer
Years in the industry: 4 Years
Area of expertise: Payroll, Accounts Payable/Receivable, financial reporting, and forecasting.
What accomplishment are you most proud of since starting at Wise? I am proud to have hit the ground running helping accounting team members with monthly billings and interacting with PMs to get a sense of how many of the business functions work here at Wise.
What does “Building Beyond” mean to you? Building Beyond to me means having goals for personal and companywide success that are both achievable but also evolve to keep up with the innovation and trends of the industry.
Choose one of Wise’s core values and apply it to what you enjoy most about being a Wise team member. Evolve Continuously – One of my main roles at Wise is to help develop and implement an effective cost-reporting system that creates actionable data for leadership. Very early on I felt welcomed and guided by several team members who expressed interest in being involved in helping drive the cost report effort. This in turn will help in implementing our strategies and lead to opportunities to teach new staff as well as learn from a wide array of team members within Project Management.
Sam Naso: Superintendent
Years in the industry: 6+ Years
Area of expertise: Occupied healthcare spaces.
What accomplishment are you most proud of since starting at Wise? Since starting with Wise my biggest accomplishment is the experience that I’m gaining from working with a team that truly cares about what we’re delivering. I’m grateful to be learning from a team with so much construction experience that I can use to make myself the best Superintendent possible.
What does “Building Beyond” mean to you? To me, Building Beyond means the mindset of being all in on a project. This means working as a team and delivering the best possible product for a client, which includes a project on time and under budget. Building Beyond is the relationships that you form along the way and knowing how important those are for our success.
Choose one of Wise’s core values and apply it to what you enjoy most about being a Wise team member. My personal favorite core value to live by is to evolve continuously. I pride myself in a mindset that you can learn from anybody, and you never actually stop learning. This is especially important in the construction space, and I try to keep that mindset with me daily.
Stephanie Pappas: Project Manager
Years in the industry: 10 years
Area of expertise: I transitioned from the field since I had my daughter, so my area of expertise is in both healthcare and life sciences. I’ve mostly been on ground-up projects but being in an MEP superintendent role I’ve had to work within existing buildings doing renovations and enabling projects that ultimately connect to the bigger ground-up projects. Along with the healthcare and life science expertise, my focus was on major MEP systems. Namely understanding all the main infrastructure of the new buildings, temporary utilities for the course of construction, MEP start-up, commissioning, closeout, and quality control.
What accomplishment are you most proud of since starting at Wise? Since joining Wise I’m most proud of seamlessly joining the Wise family and learning the company processes to implement on my projects. Getting up to speed and wanting to progressively get better to understand how to run projects more efficiently is what I strive to accomplish, and every day is an opportunity to do better.
What does “Building Beyond” mean to you? Building Beyond, to me, means looking at the larger picture as to why we do what we do. Not only is executing a challenging project rewarding but understanding how the end user plans to utilize the space and what that means to the greater cause is how I look at Building Beyond. Whether it’s constructing lab spaces or oncology units, wanting to produce the best product for the success of the end user is why I love working in construction.
Choose one of Wise’s core values and apply it to what you enjoy most about being a Wise team member. During my review process I found myself saying “there’s definitely room for improvement.” To Evolve Continuously is something I try to keep in mind while working on projects because there are multiple ways of building. There are also evolving ways of becoming more efficient in all aspects of construction and I hope to continue to use mentorship to pass on how I’ve learned to build but also to learn from others. I love how Wise is always open to new possibilities and provides an environment to grow from these opportunities to not only better their employees but also share these ideas to thrive as a whole company.
Suhani Jain: Project Engineer
Years in the industry: 8 Years
Area of expertise: 5-year architecture degree from India, and a Master of Project Management with a Concentration in Construction Management Degree from Northeastern University.
What accomplishment are you most proud of since starting at Wise? I am proud that I was able to transfer from a 3-month intern at Wise to a full-time position as a project engineer. I am also proud that I have been given the opportunity to assist in OWS and Atlantic Ave projects again in Downtown Boston.
What does “Building Beyond” mean to you? Building Beyond for me is using higher quality materials, implementing innovative techniques, and incorporating core values into construction management.
Choose one of Wise’s core values and apply it to what you enjoy most about being a Wise team member. Wise has the culture of empathy and compassion that stems from “Care Deeply.” There’s a strong emphasis on listening to each other, understanding diverse perspectives, and supporting one another professionally and personally.
Tyler Virden: Project Executive
Years in the industry: 23 Years
Area of expertise: Preconstruction planning and execution of institutional, hospitality, and science projects.
What accomplishment are you most proud of since starting at Wise? Most proud of the support I have received from the organization and teams in my quest for healthier living and longevity.
What does “Building Beyond” mean to you? Building projects while also building individuals, teams, and lasting relationships.
Choose one of Wise’s core values and apply it to what you enjoy most about being a Wise team member. Evolve Continuously: I am really enjoying working with the talented teams here at Wise, sharing what I’ve learned, and continually getting better as an organization every day.