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Careers in Construction: Nathan Berkey, Project Executive

For this Careers in Construction post, Amoroso is highlighting the impressive career of Nathan Berkey, P.E., who was recently promoted to the role of Project Executive.  Over the past 15 years with Amoroso, he has advanced from the most junior position in the firm, Project Intern, to our most senior project role.  Nathan is equally effective working out of our Southern California office, in the field at his jobsites, and giving back to the community, representing Amoroso at events, and recruiting fairs.

Nathan's promotion came after he delivered the award-winning Earvin "Magic" Johnson Park Phase IA project as Project Manager, an important civil project that will serve Los Angeles' residents for years to come. Nathan is currently managing our complex Design-Build delivery of Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (LA Metro's) new, state-of-the-art Center Street Operations Center in downtown Los Angeles.

One of the best ways to learn about a manager is by asking those whom they supervise.  He has been counting on the diligent work of Project Engineers Chris Coglianese and Jonnathan Garcia-Huerta to lighten some of the load of responsibility he has on the Metro Design-Build Project.

Chris had this to say, "Nathan's promotion comes as no surprise to me. Within my first day of working with Nathan, I recognized that he possesses the leadership skills, technical knowledge, and a savviness that earn him the respect of his peers.  Now, after working with him for three years, I can firmly say that he is a good man that genuinely gets the best version of himself and those around him by enthusiastically sharing his knowledge, his successes, and his shortcomings to learn from.  Nathan treats his coworkers like family and always understands our mission to help each other and Amoroso thrive.  I couldn't be prouder and more excited for Nathan and Amoroso on his promotion. Congrats and good luck!"

Jonnathan was equally complimentary, "Nathan is an outstanding mentor that always pushes people to grow and not limit their ceiling. He is collected at all times, always asks the right questions, and strives to come up with a path forward whenever faced with any issue. He is always willing to teach what he knows and provides guidance to help you reach your end goal. He brings out the best of all the people he works with, and you can tell he has a passion not only for the work that he does, but also the people he works with."

We sat down with Nathan in between Zoom meetings to get his thoughts on his time with Amoroso and advice for anyone who is considering a career in construction or is inspired to advance their career.

Q. What made you choose Amoroso and stick with us for the last 15 years?

Nathan: "I started at Amoroso in 2006 as a Project Intern after meeting Brian (DerMatoian, Southern California President) and Denis (Von Banck, Southern California Operations Manager) at a career fair while I was a student at USC.  My first taste of construction was at Job 678, the Valley Operations Headquarters Building, for the City of Los Angeles.  I was hooked on the fast pace of working at a jobsite and constantly encountering and finding solutions to the issues that pop up daily.  I continued interning with Amoroso for the next year and a half while I finished my degree in Civil Engineering.

Reflecting on all the projects I have worked on, what stands out are the relationships and people you meet and work with each day.  I owe so much of my career growth to the people I have worked with during my 15 years at Amoroso who have listened, taught, mentored, and guided me from a green college student to where I am today.  I want to list all those people, but it would be the complete company directory but the following people I owe a sincere thanks and include Joey Fenton, Phil Tanghal, Jim Householder, Bill Ward, Sam Chung, Steve Vaughn, Salomon Garcia, Kim Altamirano and Denis von Banck.  I hope to be able to pass the lessons and guidance I have received to others within Amoroso as we continue to grow."

Q. Is there a project or event that cemented your career choice in your mind?

Nathan: "After graduating and being hired full time as a Project Engineer, I was put on the Main Street Parking and Aiso Street Parking projects, Job 703, in downtown Los Angeles.  It is one of the most rewarding projects I have worked on because of the mentorship and learning opportunities I received.  I was pushed to take on more and more responsibilities and career growth by not only Amoroso colleagues but also the City of Los Angeles project team who encouraged me to obtain my Professional Engineering license.

Since then, I have had the opportunity to work on many other projects as a Project Engineer such as the LAUSD ADA Upgrades (Job 730, 731, 734, 735), Port of Long Beach Maintenance Building (Job 732), Capistrano Valley High School Performing Arts Building (Job 739), Irvine Valley College Life Sciences Building (Job 740).

I was promoted to Project Manager while working at LAUSD – Emerson MS (Job 748) and since then have managed many projects such as Santa Monica College HVAC Central Loop (Job 760), LAUSD Crenshaw HS (Job 769) and Long Beach VA Building 126 (Job 765) while also splitting time as the Southern California BIM Manager.  While I was the Southern California BIM Manager, I had the opportunity to work directly with nearly all the Southern California Amoroso employees.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

Nathan: "There are many parts of my job and this industry that I enjoy such as the fast pace of a project site, the constant problem solving that is required to navigate a successful project and the satisfaction that you feel when a project is completed, and you see the finished product.  Though, what I enjoy the most is the team atmosphere and comradery that is created within a project staff.  Each project that I have worked on had its own unique challenges and the only way we were able to solve these was for our teams to work together.  The employees Amoroso has is what truly makes this company special, and I value each of the friendships I have developed with my colleagues over the years."

Q. Do you have any advice for anyone who was in your shoes 15 years ago?

Nathan: "The biggest advice I could give to individuals starting out in their careers is always grow, be willing to learn and have a positive attitude.  That means ask questions, take on new responsibilities, learn new processes, and remember that having a good team that is supportive will get you through the challenges that come up on every project."