We know that the saying is April showers bring May flowers, but we’re hoping to give them a little sunshine too with this month’s Employee Spotlight! This month we are featuring the ever motivated, Mrs. Joanna Trago.

Joanna has officially been with Gardner/Fox since 2006, but briefly before she went into the U.S. Marines, she worked with us as a field carpenter. After she returned, she began working with her father, Patrick Baker as a commercial estimator. She is now second in command in the commercial estimating department and has a hand in almost every commercial estimate that goes out of our doors.

Joanna has seen hundreds of sets of plans and drawings, and her favorite project so far has been the renovation of the maternity ward at Pennsylvania Hospital. The maternity ward remained opened during the renovations, therefore, it required extensive temporary protection and a complex phasing plan. “Generating the estimate involved conferring with our designers and project management team to determine the best guidance to offer our subcontractors during the bidding effort.” Joanna enjoys the challenges that come with estimating.

As if 40 hours a week wasn’t enough, she also volunteers her estimating skills to the Community Design Collaborative (CDC). She helps develop design and estimate packages that can be used to request grants for small business owners, educational facilities, institutional facilities, and community initiatives. Joanna was actually a finalist in the CDC’s Community Design Awards last year! You can actually read about it here.

Not only does Joanna kick butt in the estimating department, but she kicks butt in real life! A fun fact about Joanna is that in addition to being a Marine, she has a black belt in Shotokan Karate. She has competed and won numerous competitions, and occasionally teaches at a local dojo.

When Joanna is not running out for permits or sending out estimates, she can be found studying. She is currently working towards acquiring her Accounting & Finance degree. When she finally finds down time, she enjoys spending it with her husband and dog, fixing up their newly purchased home.

Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication Joanna, we wouldn’t be here without you!