2019 Women in Building Services: Jamie Walegir Potucek, KOW Building Consultants

Name: Jamie Walegir Potucek, P.E., LEED AP

Title: Senior Engineer

Company Name: KOW Building Consultants

How many years have you been in your current field? 14 years

What was your greatest professional achievement or most notable project in the last 12 months?
Our company reviews and approves construction projects for lending institutions. In 2018 alone, KOW reviewed over 200 projects, of which I had reviewed 50 of them. The most notable projects that cross my desk are ones that have a positive social impact. With the population growing older, assisted living facilities are in high demand, and for good reason. I just finished Whisper Woods at Smithtown for Benchmark Senior Living on Route 25A in Smithtown, NY. This three story, assisted living and memory care facility has 101 rooms and is approximately 88,000 s/f. These facilities are so important for the communities and the families with which they serve. I am monitoring construction for their next project in Woodbury, which will be an 89 unit, 74,000 s/f assisted living and memory care facility. Construction is currently 50% complete with the superstructure built and rough work mostly complete. These social benefit projects really excite me because when they are complete, it means that they may someday enrich someone’s life, perhaps even someone in my family. 

What trend(s) do you predict to dominate your industry in 2019?
I predict 2019 will be another stellar year for construction and do not see any slow down in the near future. We are still getting bids on many new construction projects taking out loans. The energy is positive and I expect it to continue through the year. 

What does it mean to you to be a team player? 
Our department would not work as efficiently as it does today without a team atmosphere. We share the work in our Plan and Cost Review Department. Lysa Russo, Jonathan, Stanton, Laura D’Angelo and myself collaborate frequently to get customers what they need, when they need it. My co-workers make my day so enjoyable and I work hard to play my part in our team and strive to do our best and maximize our goals everyday.