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An avian sign of good luck

Native lands are believed to reinforce the fundamental inter-connectedness of all natural things, so witnessing a majestic bald eagle born on the behavioral health project we are building for the Salt-River Pima Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) was especially meaningful. As one of the most respected birds in North America, the bald eagle signifies good fortune, courage and growth.

As the Au’ Authum Ki/Kitchell team prepared to break ground on the 51,000-square-foot Behavioral Health Journey to Recovery project in January, we were notified that an existing hawk’s nest just 300 feet from our project site was commandeered by bald eagles when their original nest, a few miles away, was blown over in a storm. In accordance with SRPMIC requirements through the Community Development Department Environmental Protection Natural Resources Division (CDD/EPNR), we were required to postpone our mobilization until the biologist could determine if any of the “fledglings” had hatched/survived. One “fledgling” was declared healthy, resulting in a 10-week delay before we could mobilize on site.

Our team was then invited to take part in the banding of the young bird on March 16, which included an environmentalist scaling the tree to secure it, then lowering it down in a bird stretcher so they could record all vital signs. The baby bald eagle weighed 8 lbs. and was 5 ½ weeks old. An identifying band was placed around its legs before raising it back into the nest. This beautiful bird will be leaving the nest at the 10-week mark and will head north to Montana/Canada. The environmentalist estimates it will return to the area in four to five years to breed.

The patients who receive care at this facility are fortunate to have a watchful attendant for years to come!

Women in Construction: June Whipple is having fun in her happy place

Kitchell Project Manager June Whipple likes to have fun.

Since the third grade, June knew she wanted to be an architect. She was driven enough to pursue a master’s degree in architecture, which she obtained from the University of Idaho, and worked for 14 years in a traditional setting for an international architecture firm – in an office, sitting at a desk, in Seattle. When she was dispatched to be a project architect on a commercial job in Scottsdale, Arizona, she was exposed to the world of construction, which opened her eyes to a whole new way to use her degree and experience. And to have fun.

It just so happened, the job June was assigned to was an expansion of Scottsdale Fashion Square, and Kitchell Contractors was the builder.

“That started my admiration for Kitchell,” June said. “This project was my first exposure to the construction side of architecture. I had heard stories about the ‘Great Wall of China’ chasm between architects and contractors, but that wasn’t my experience with Kitchell. They made it fun.”

June made lifelong connections with Kitchell veterans, including with Project Director Russ Myers, who turned out to be a friend and professional mentor. Senior Project Superintendent Mike Kussy and (then Kitchell Contractors President) Mark Pendleton also made an impact. And when the job was done, she went back to her desk job. But she wasn’t there for long, because June likes challenges, and to have fun.

June eventually made her way to South Carolina, where she was hired as an architect for Fluor. She was assigned to a job in Georgia as a Civil/Structural/Architectural (CSA) Superintendent on an 180,000-square-foot pharmaceutical manufacturing facility and lab space. And there, she fell in love with making an impact in the world of healthcare.

“I reached a point in my maturity where I didn’t want to contribute to commercialism, but wanted to do something that fed my soul.”

June might have been in a little over her head with the first job – she had never done anything like it and didn’t have training, but was told she had to finish it.

“I was just honest with the guys in the field,” she said. “They would come to me with problems, and when my eyes would gloss over, I would just say ‘take me there.’ They might have to explain very basic things – this is a fan coil, this is the HVAC issue. I would ask: ‘Do we have all the right people here for the conversation?’ Then I would ask each guy to tell me how to solve it and what’s best for the building. They all knew what needed to be done, they just needed someone to facilitate the discussion. Nine times out of 10 we’d resolve it.”

Again, after this project, she went back to the office, but she needed more.

“Every time I was done with a project, I would go back to the office and realize how boring it was. It was. Just. Too. Slow.”

June talks about women in construction as having a “secret sauce” that might upset the traditional norms, but as long as you can roll with the punches, the advantages of being a woman in this field far outweigh the disadvantages.

“Every day is a brand new one,” she says. “We talk differently, phrase things differently and get work done differently. We can also make a sarcastic joke that can put someone in their place if necessary. You can choose how you react – let it bug you or let it drive you.”

In June’s words – the new experiences, the everyday challenges, the learning – it was about having fun. “The jobsite guys learned that I trusted them, leaned on them and valued them.”

After the giant pharmaceutical job, June was dispatched to smaller pharm projects in Dallas and San Francisco, and she was still having fun when she was recruited to work for a midsize general contractor in Dallas. But it wasn’t the right fit and she didn’t feel connected. She knew where she did feel connected, remembering her days with the Kitchell team. And at the time June was looking, Kitchell was almost ready. After eight months of waiting for the right Kitchell opportunity – and declining other lucrative offers, it finally happened. June joined Kitchell in spring 2022 and has made a big impact on our Valleywise Health Hospital Tower job as a member of the field management team.

“I like organizing chaos because I find a certain challenge in it,” she said. “I enjoy roles that no one wants to do. It’s a mental challenge and fun to be the woman who gets it done when no one else will. I’ll man up!”

June enjoys the brain challenges she’s given every day, including schedule management. She says she’s driven by production and service, and especially enjoys bringing her “June attitude” to help push a long-term project over the finish line.

“Work/life balance is not about hours – it’s about satisfaction. If you want to succeed and move up the ladder you’ve got to make an investment and do the extra things that separate you from the rest of the pack. Invest in yourself, which might take away from some personal time, but invest early in small amounts – just like retirement savings – your investment will grow. If you really want to learn and grow, be present and earn it.”

And enjoy what you do.