Our most valuable resource is our people. We empower our team members to be their best and to help us achieve our mission. Meet Gracie Mesa, Area Facilities Operations Specialist at The Building People! She is a key member of our Facilities Operations Team. Gracie has 23 years of experience in project management.
Read more from Gracie about his background and role at TBP.
What is your professional background?
My professional background is Project Management.
What is your current role at TBP?
My current role with TBP is Area Facilities Operations Specialist for South Texas Region 3 area. As an AFOS, I am responsible for six United States Army Reserve Centers (USARC).
Can you tell us about the work you do at TBP?
As an AFOS, I visit the USARC to conduct site visits. During the visits I verify preventative maintenance is being completed and that grounds, janitorial, and pest control services are being conducted and maintained for the centers. I meet with facility coordinators to discuss any building issues, coordinate contractor work and verify it’s completed, and look out for any environmental issues and report those as needed. I also conduct site visits on minor construction projects, such as SRMs, where I observe and report project progress.
Besides site visits, I am also responsible for ensuring safety precautions are being adhered to and verifying that the building HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire suppression, fire alarm, and protection systems are functioning as designed. If there are any issues, I work to get them resolved so our soldiers are not affected, and they can concentrate on their mission at hand and not worry about the building.
What is a fun fact about you that people may not know?
Something some may not know about me is that I am half Filipino. I was born in the Philippines and have dual citizenship.
What do you like most about working in your role?
I enjoy building trust and helping others as much as I can while developing relationships with the people that I am surrounded with.
How do you define success?
To me, success is simple. Success is when you are trusted, valued, and appreciated for the work you do.
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
I have been wanting to learn to speak Tagalog for a very long time. I did not pick it up as a child. Tagalog is a language spoken as a first language by the Philippine population. My mother’s side of the family is fluent in Tagalog. I would like to surprise my mother one day by speaking to her in Tagalog.
What is a favorite quote that resonates with you?
A quote that resonates with me is one by Benjamin Franklin, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
To this day, I try to live by the advice that many people, I believe, go by: “Treat people the way you would like to be treated and respected.”
What is the accomplishment you are the proudest of to date?
For years, I struggled as a young adult achieving my degree. I was a single mom with three young daughters. Life happened. I promised myself that when they were grown and on their own, I would go back and finish what I had started. It took longer than what I wanted to, but I eventually achieved getting my Bachelor of Science in Management in September 2019.