Drumroll, please!

Dear Family and Friends:

Welcome to my new blog! I'm sure you're all wondering about the title, so let me explain: my company, Hensel Phelps Construction Co, has just notified me that my next project will be in San Jose, CA - located at the South end of the San Francisco Bay! My current project, the DC Court of Appeals, is scheduled for "substantial completion" April 15th, so I'll be moving sometime around/by May 1st.

Some of you might have known that my long term plans included a cross-country move, but even I didn't expect it would be happening so soon. Both for career advancement and to satisfy some of the San Jose project's needs, my district VP and operations manager thought it best for me to make the move to the Northern California district sooner than later. I am extremely excited to be able to see another part of the country and to be doing it with the company I love so much!

I've started this blog because I want to keep everyone in the loop. You'll get to see my move, my new apartment and my new project. A 5 hr plane ride isn't much different than a 5 hr drive (except that I get to catch up on my sleep when I'm flying), but moving is a good excuse to work on my communication with you all!

Since my move comes at the close of my first full project with HPCC, let me show you what I've been up to at the DC Court of Appeals these past 2 years. As a field engineer on the renovation of- and addition to the 4th oldest public building in DC, I've been responsible for everything from concrete form layout of new foundation systems to checking the locations of steel in a harness 50' off the ground. More recently, I've been in charge of coordinating all of the activities that need to be completed for the owner to accept each space, running 15+ subcontractors around each area until it is [near] perfect. I've been acquiring skills like how to refinish mahogany doors, caulk toilets and counters like a pro and polish white Italian marble to a mirrored shine. In the past few months we've been working 7 days a week and 12+ hrs a day, most days. I'll be here for at least another 2 weeks finishing strong!

Anyway, here she is:





In these past two years, I've also had the opportunity to be the first field engineer to be invited to participate in the Eastern Division Safety Task Force - a proactive group of managers and superintendents who seek to challenge the safety expectations of the division and company. I am hoping to continue my part in developing Hensel Phelps' safety standards by participating in NorCal's STF. I'll miss all of my co-workers/friends in the Mid-Atlantic, but HPCC is like one big family - we'll all run into each other again on some project in some state at some time. They have all been so supportive of me personally and professionally.

I don't know my new address yet nor exact move dates but I'll most likely be relocating to San Jose at the end of April - I'll be looking for a small apartment in/around San Jose/Santa Clara/Sunnyvale while my belongings are being trucked across the country. Hensel Phelps will be covering all of the relocation costs (and then some). I will also be transferring right around the time of another raise and will be receiving additional subsistence pay for living expenses! Now I just need to find an apartment for <= what I'm paying now so I can keep saving!

How fun would it be to be able to fly directly into/out of your work place?? Well, I can! My new project, the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, is contracted at $800m and includes the renovation of Terminal B, the reconstruction of Terminal A, the construction of a new [huge] rental car facility (CONRAC) and, eventually, the demolition of Terminal C. I'll be seeing the design and construction of steel and concrete structures built for seismic and aircraft loading! Additional bonuses? Jora worked on Terminal B as an intern last summer, so I already know a bit about the area as well as some of my co-workers! I'm also lucky to have her parents so close by in SF.

I will be starting this new phase of my career as an office engineer - a lateral title change and "the next step" in my employment with Hensel Phelps; I will now be charged with understanding the contractual obligations of each subcontractor and coordinating their material approvals and site mobilization. Without the office engineer, the field does not receive the pieces with which to build, nor does it receive subcontractors who are knowledgeable about their scope of work and Hensel Phelps'/the Owners' performance requirements. While I loved my time in the field, I am looking forward to continuing to use my communication skills with new subcontractors and being able to take advantage of my attention to detail when it comes to getting them to do what I need them to do. :)

So, everyone, now you know someone in the Bay Area! What does that mean?? You now have a free place to stay when you want to go wine tasting in the Russian River or Napa Valley, hiking through Sequoia National Park or skiing/snowboarding in Tahoe. :) Northern California is so  beautiful, I couldn't be more excited!

I will get to see a few of you in May, at my sister's graduation (gosh, I'm old!), but I also plan on taking a long weekend trip to NY sometime later this summer. And just for the record ... I will NEVER miss Christmas with the family! Thank you all for your love and support ... you'll be seeing and reading more soon!

Love, Kabri <3<3

P.S. I will not be home for Easter this year, my project turns over the Wednesday after and we're all-hands-on-deck until then. :( Just means that someone gets extra money eggs.