SMPS ONE2ONE MENTOR SPOTLIGHT | DREW PROCHASKA + CHELSEY PERKINS
Posted by [email protected] on Mar. 23, 2023 / Spotlight / Subscribe 0
MENTOR: Drew Prochaska
Project Manager at Forney Construction
Length in the industry: 13 years
SMPS Member Since: 2015, Current President
Why did you apply to the mentorship program? As my career evolves, I find it very helpful to get to know others and their journey. I find that mentors get just as much out of the relationship than proteges. It is always beneficial to have fresh perspective outside of your own firm or social bubble.
What do you hope to learn from each other? We plan to be a sounding board for each other as we explore fresh ideas and ways to be leverage our company more effectively. We are both at a small/medium firm and can learn how marketing and business development is implemented when there is not a large team dedicated to this.
How did you (or plan to) structure your mentorship? Do you meet at the same time every week? Do you have an agenda for each meeting? I listen first. See if the protege would like a formal structure with set goals or if we just need to reserve time to meet and talk. We have decided to go with the latter and have established some goals in the process.
What do you like best about working in the A/E/C industry? It is a close knit group in a big city. Even at different firm roles or personal responsibilities, we all "get it". We have similar pains and rewards. My favorite reward is seeing space turn from dirt to an asset to the community, knowing all the work that went into it.
PROTÉGÉ: Chelsey Perkins
Director of Marketing at Infinity MEP+S Consultants
Length in the industry: 7 years
SMPS Member since: 2022
Why did you apply to the mentorship program? While I've been in leadership and marketing within the AEC industry for 7 years, I've always been self taught. 7 years of finding the answers and strategies myself without prior experience or mentorship to help gain wisdom and maturity in those strategies or decisions.
What do you hope to learn from each other? - Gain insight into making relevant contributions in leadership through hearing stories, experiences, advice, etc. - Gain a greater understanding of some examples of priorities (marketing or not) and preferences (mainly of approach and style) of leadership through counsel. - To be able to lean on my mentor as a sounding board for some of my ideas, questions, and requests I have for my own leadership
How did you (or plan to) structure your mentorship? Do you meet at the same time every week? Do you have an agenda for each meeting? We have monthly lunches on the calendar and I have more than enough inquiries to keep us engaged on learning and sharing.
What do you like best about working in the A/E/C industry? I love having a hand in building up communities, providing structures for valuable services, creating beauty and innovation and mostly having a hand in making people's visions come to life.
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