Shiel Sexton Spotlight…
This month’s Shiel Sexton Spotlight features Lacie Hacker, our Manager of IT Services! Lacie has worked at Shiel Sexton for nearly 18 years, and she talked with us about her role, what she likes about Shiel Sexton, as well as what she enjoys about working in the construction industry.
What do you like most about Shiel Sexton and your role within the company?
I love that I can interact with everyone in the organization from top to bottom. I am able to form connections with each and every person that works at Shiel Sexton through answering questions or performing service updates. Within my role, I can experience all sides of what we do as an organization, and it allows me to gain a better understanding of Shiel Sexton’s capabilities.
One of my favorite things about Shiel Sexton is that it has a hand in the community. We frequently volunteer as an organization, and I love that Shiel Sexton gives its employees the opportunity to help others in our community. In addition, I also like that I can walk down the streets of Indianapolis and see the impact that our projects have made within the Indianapolis community. I’m proud of what we have done as an organization, and I like that we can impact others through our volunteering efforts and through our projects that we take on.
What are some of your favorite projects that you’ve worked on during your time with Shiel Sexton?
Back when I first started at Shiel Sexton, we didn’t have an Intranet. This project took a lot of work and probably dozens of updates, but I am proud of how our Intranet connects our employees. From company news and events to recognizing new hires, I like the connectedness that our Intranet brings, and I like being able to continually improve it to meet the needs of our organization.
In addition, another project that I loved working on was establishing our sponsorship with Providence Cristo Rey High School. Over the past ten years we have sponsored the school, we have helped dozens of students with their education as well as helped them discover what career path they would like to embark on. These high school students come in once a week and work with our IT department to gain knowledge about what a career in IT looks like. I believe that this program gives these students the opportunity to build transferable soft skills and get a sense of what they would like to do for a career. I love that this program allows students to grow themselves personally and professionally before they head off to their next adventure.
What do you like most about working in the Construction Industry?
With Shiel Sexton, I like the fact that we can get our hands dirty to know what it takes to do a job. We can go out to job sites and see our work in action, and I love being able to see the development of our projects from start to finish. Also, I have found that in construction we are able to have more informal, but still effective, communications with others than other industries. I believe the best ideas are sparked through transparent conversation, and in this industry, we can collaborate in a much easier way. Therefore, allowing us to keep doing what we do best here at Shiel Sexton.
How does technology affect the landscape of the Construction Industry?
As we all know, technology advances substantially each year, and because of that, I think it has positively affected the construction industry. I think technology has opened the door for projects that we wouldn’t have considered previously. We are able to streamline a better communication system with clients and we can explore more potential opportunities for Shiel Sexton.
A perfect example of this is preconstruction planning or virtual construction. With technology, we have the tools to map out a project before even stepping foot on the job site. Honestly, without technology I think it would be difficult to execute those higher level, more difficult jobs.
Thank you, Lacie, for your continuous service at Shiel Sexton!