Sarah DeWispelare – Preconstruction Services Coordinator | Omaha, NE

This quarter, the Central Engineering team launched a Lunch and Learn initiative to showcase their role and expertise in Commonwealth. Each session features members from our Engineering or Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) teams, providing an overview of their capabilities and focusing on one key topic for deeper learning, as well as introducing team members.

The pilot sessions are being held in Omaha, NE, inviting project managers (PMs) of all levels to strengthen collaboration and understanding. Once the format is refined, the team plans to expand to virtual sessions for other Commonwealth locations.

The first class, led by Technical Services Manager Zack Tupper, covered voltage drop, conduit sizing, and transformer basics by demonstrating tools used for calculations. Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with PMs noting the practical value of these insights for estimating and field work.

At the second class, VDC will highlight their role in project workflows. From initial setup of a model, to updates and revisions, and then typically ending with As-Builts, VDC is involved in every step of many projects. The intent of the session is to bridge the communication gap between PMs and VDC staff.

“The Electrical Engineering 101 class was incredibly informative, especially in highlighting the many ways engineering supports us. It introduced a variety of tools and resources that can be used both during the estimating phase and out in the field for quick engineering solutions. As a young PM, I’ve found that leveraging the expertise of the Engineering department is of great value; it’s helped me pull together estimates and take the design pressure off my back.”

– Easton Hoschar, Project Manager | Omaha, NE