Behind the Build – Jennifer Nebesky

Go Behind the Build with Project Coordinator Jennifer Nebesky as she looks back on finding her way into construction, wearing many hats throughout her role, and the relationships she’s built over the last 18 years at Riley.

Was there a moment when you realized this was the career you wanted to build?

Not really. My high school job was at a lumber yard as a cashier, so I was already working with general contractors and subcontractors when I was fifteen. I had absolutely zero desire to go to college, so I worked there full time after graduating. Each job I had after that was in the construction industry because that’s where I had all my work experience, so I would just keep applying for jobs in that industry, starting at the residential level and eventually moving to commercial.

Is there someone you’ve worked with who changed the way you think about your work?

Yes, it was Mark Presterl, who originally ran all the Abbott/AbbVie work and was an owner until he retired in 2019. He remembered everything. To this day, I can text him and ask him if he remembers who did what job and what info he could give me. He’d be able to tell me what year the job was, who the contact there was, and other minor details. He was super focused when he bid a project, and he rarely made any errors doing the work. It was something to witness how much information he could keep in his brain. And he called it like he saw it and was very direct, which I appreciate and try to emulate.

Is there a part of your role that people rarely see but makes a big difference?

I’m a jack-of-all-trades, but the master of none. I dabble in everything here, from precon/bidding and project coordination to accounting, office management, and event planning. The only thing I haven’t done yet is swing a hammer out in the field, and absolutely nobody wants that.

What’s something that motivates you, even on the busiest days?

Honestly, it’s the people I get to work with. There is longevity here, and I’ve worked with a lot of people, not just in this office but the other offices, for the 18 years I’ve been here. And it’s not just at Riley, but also the subcontractors I work with have been the same ones too, so you get to have a familiarity with everyone and develop great relationships with them.

What’s one quality you’ve worked hard to develop?

Trusting my own judgment to make sound decisions. It’s an ongoing process to do so because you tend to second-guess yourself, but you can’t always ask someone what to do. You have to trust yourself enough to make decisions on your own.