SMART Local 66 is proud and excited to highlight just a few of our amazing sisters during Women in Construction Week.
Name: Teresa Hinton (Journey Level)
How many years have you been in the trade? 18 years
What is your specialty and/or what do you dream of doing in the trades one day? I’m currently working as a Fire Life Safety Foreman and Technician within the Mechanical Services Group. After spending over 14 years in commercial installation, I ventured into project engineering for UMC for a year, but quickly realized that my true passion is in the field. I thrive when I can work with my tools. My goal is to stay connected to field operations, continuing to grow and learn while helping to expand the Fire Life Safety Division that Lacey Neubauer and Dave Hansen built at UMC. I’m excited about the opportunity to elevate our division by establishing operations across the U.S. for fire and smoke damper testing, all while embracing the latest technologies that will shape the future of our industry.
What company do you currently work for? I have been at University Mechanical Contractors LLC for six years this years. I took a small break in 2022 when I left the field to try my hand at project engineering for UMC. UMC has always been my home company, but I also loved working in the field for Mac-Donald Miller and on special projects for Holaday Parks when I was an apprentice.
What is your favorite job you have been on, or have done since you’ve been working in the sheet metal industry? Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working on a wide array of incredible projects and specialized niches that were once taught only in apprenticeship but are now standard practice. Some of the most memorable experiences include: building and installing the FRP at the Brightwater Sewage Treatment Plant, installing 250,000 CFM fans and specialty architectural panels at UW Husky Stadium, and contributing to the Sound Transit Capitol Hill project. I’ve also worked on the Trimbleing for Amazon’s Block 14, Block 19, and the Spheres, shaft duct installations at Expedia, large-scale pressure testing projects, and dozens of hand layouts for 38+ story towers. Additionally, I’ve been involved in hospitals, numerous tenant improvements (TI), and new construction on major projects for companies like Boeing, Meta, Microsoft, and more.
It’s hard to sum up 18 years of work, but if I had to pick one standout project, it would be the Sound Transit U-District Link Light Rail Station. This was my third below-ground light rail project, and working with everyone on-site felt like one big family reunion. It was by far the best crew, and the equipment we got to install is something not many people get to experience. All in all, it made the project special.
Name: Carrie Thomas (Journey Level)
How many years have you been in the trade? 7 years
What is your specialty and/or what do you dream of doing in the trades one day? I’m a Tabb Tech and would like to learn/ do more in building energy.
What company do you currently work for? I am currently working for McKinstry, which has been a Great Experience so far.
What is your favorite job you have been on, or have done since you’ve been working in the sheet metal industry? I have done a lot of cool jobs. Some of my favorites were: The Sea-Tac Airport (Which had a Great Crew), The Muckleshoot Tribal Center, the Seattle Sounders Training Facility, and last but not least, the Seattle Storms training facility
Name: Leanna Payne (Journey Level)
How many years have you been in the trade? 17 years
What is your specialty and/or what do you dream of doing in the trades one day? Mostly shop work with occasional field assignments with companies including McKinstry, MacMiller, Hermanson and UMC.
What company do you currently work for? Vital Mechanical
What is your favorite job you have been on, or have done since you’ve been working in the sheet metal industry? Working in special projects allows me to explore the artistic side of the trade. I recently worked on a specialty fan wall at Henry’s Gym in Seattle. All hand fabbed and built in the field.
Name: Allison Henson (Material Handler)
How many years have you been in the trade? 18 ½ years
What is your specialty and/or what do you dream of doing in the trades one day? Office Coordinator is my job classification, and love what I do and hope to keep doing it for a long time to come.
What company do you currently work for? Been with MacDonald Miller for all of my years in the trade. Been a great company to work for.
What is your favorite job you have been on, or have done since you’ve been working in the sheet metal industry? Started as a Material Handler/Driver and loved getting to see all the different jobsites, but what I do now is by far my favorite part of my job.
Name: Kelsy Sturzen (Journey Level)
How many years have you been in the trade? 7 years
What is your specialty and/or what do you dream of doing in the trades one day? I started out as a material handler in the warehouse and moved on to be a hybrid service apprentice doing TAB. Currently, I am working in both commissioning of systems and coordinating the smoke control testing for our group. I think my dream job would be to be able to have some involvement in our testing and the standards that are being set for those entering into our union and the work that we do.
What company do you currently work for? Holaday-Parks
What is your favorite job you have been on, or have done since you’ve been working in the sheet metal industry? I loved working on the Space Needle. I helped balance the fans that are in between the layers of glass for the see-through floor. It was both terrifying and so cool to look down and have there be nothing underneath me except a 4-inch pane of glass. I also enjoy being on the residential towers, mostly for the beautiful views from the rooftops. It provides a really special view of our region that most people don’t get to see.
