CMAdvisor May/June 2010 - 6

Past Scholarship Recipients ThRIvE in Career Roles
Nearly eight years after receiving his scholarship, BRAnDOn lEBO uses his expertise in the project manager role at the large, family-owned general contractor Lobar, Inc., in Dillsburg, PA. Lebo enjoys the various challenges of the job, overseeing all aspects of management on four to five commercial construction projects. “Whether it is negotiating a change order with an owner or working with the project team to develop new ways to beat the project estimate, everyday presents a new set of challenges and situations that must be addressed,” Lebo says. “Receiving the CMAA scholarship was one of the most valuable experiences of my college career,” Lebo says. “During the conference, attending the different seminars, dinners, and activities gave me the opportunity to meet many members of CMAA. It gives potential employers an opportunity to meet the scholarship recipient on both a business and personal level.”

AMBIkA ORRIll, PE received her Foundation scholarship in 2005 and now works as an analyst in the Integrated Cost and Schedule Department at General DynamicsAIS in Scottsdale, AZ. Orrill is interested in the technical aspects of projects, such as those related to her current satellite project, and the sophisticated performance measurement techniques.
“The scholarship I received not only provided financial assistance, but it provided me an interface in which I could connect with other professionals in the industry,” she explained. “Since being awarded the scholarship, I have stayed in contact with CMAA members and they have all been very helpful in my professional development. I greatly appreciate the generosity of the organization, and I look forward to joining the local chapter and getting more involved in the organization.” As a cost estimator and CPM scheduler in the Las Vegas, NV, office of O’Connor Construction Management, ShRIRAM JOShI likes the variety of projects—from fire stations to large hotels and casinos—as well as teaming up with GCs, subcontractors, architects, engineers, and consultants. “As an international student back then, it was my first opportunity to attend such an event with a huge number of construction professionals,” the 2006 scholarship recipient shared. “In fact, I came to know my employer through that CMAA event.” Both JEFF BOwlIng and FARRAh FARzAnEh won scholarships in 2007 and 2008, and both work as project engineers for Webcor Builders in Los Angeles, CA. Bowling’s current responsibilities on the new JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton Hotels & Residences and 56-story helipad project include monitoring and directing subcontractor progress, creating matrixes and as-builds to track any variations in the schedule, and benchmarking activities to place the project three months ahead of schedule. “This scholarship introduced me to a number of talented individuals within the CMAA family who are at the top of their game, and whom now I call friends,” Bowling says. “My desire is to donate my time to repay my gratitude for this prestigious scholarship.”

CMAdvisor May/June

The CMaa Foundation scholarship program provides much more than just financial support. It also establishes a solid base of resources that helps new Construction Managers succeed in their career paths. CMAdvisor recently touched base with past scholarship recipients now thriving in the workplace.

Farzaneh recently transferred to Webcor’s bid team to focus on creating Building Information Models for prospective projects. Her greatest joy is generating 3D or 4D models of the project prior to it being built. “Owners are quite excited to see their vision come to life in a model,” she says. “I am truly honored to say I was a CMAA scholar, am very blessed to be accepted into this family of professionals, and will always strive for excellence and maintain CMAA’s high standards,” Farzaneh adds. The CMAA Foundation is currently accepting scholarship applications for the 2010–2011 academic year. Applications are due wEDnESDAy, JunE 30, 2010. More information about Foundation scholarships, including a more complete list of past recipients, is available on the CMAA Foundation website.

CMAdvisor May/June

CMAdvisor May/June 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CMAdvisor May/June 2010