{"id":11665,"date":"2022-10-17T12:26:17","date_gmt":"2022-10-17T17:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/?post_type=news_events&p=11665"},"modified":"2023-06-21T08:40:14","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T13:40:14","slug":"qa-with-mindy-haffke-imegs-client-executive","status":"publish","type":"news_events","link":"https:\/\/www.imegcorp.com\/news_events\/qa-with-mindy-haffke-imegs-client-executive\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Mindy Haffke, IMEG\u2019s Las Vegas MEP client executive"},"content":{"rendered":"
Mindy Haffke is a registered professional mechanical engineer and leads the MEP team in IMEG\u2019s Las Vegas office. Mindy talks about her early career, her team, and her bucket list in the following Q&A.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Q.<\/strong> What led to your interest in mechanical engineering and design?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A.<\/strong> What led me to be interested in mechanical engineering and design is being part of a family of engineers to admire and follow in their footsteps. I naturally excelled in math, but never realized I wanted to become an engineer until I entered college. My family helped me realize engineering is a profession I could try and supported me ever since. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Q.<\/strong> What steps led you to where you are today, the youngest client executive at IMEG?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A.<\/strong> Taking risks and perseverance led me to where I am today. My career path was not easy, but I never let anyone or anything stop me from achieving my goals. When I first started my career, I was in the manufacturing industry, where a Professional Engineering license was not required. Colleagues told me I was wasting my time studying for \u201ca piece of paper\u201d and the Director of Engineering even threatened that I wouldn\u2019t be promoted if I became licensed. I didn\u2019t listen to the negative comments. I continued my engineering journey, where that \u201cpiece of paper\u201d opened more doors for me and is my differentiator from other designers. Next, I decided to enroll in graduate school. Shortly after finishing my first semester in the Executive MBA program, that \u201cpiece of paper\u201d led me to the A&E Construction industry. Achieving two goals simultaneously was very challenging, but I remained focused. I quickly learned all I could about code and mechanical\/plumbing design while developing my leadership skills and strengthening my business acumen. I completed the program and after only being in this industry for two years, I was offered the opportunity to be the Client Executive of the Las Vegas office. If I didn\u2019t have that \u201cpiece of paper\u201d in hand along with my new EMBA credential, I don\u2019t think I would have been considered for this position.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Q.<\/strong> What is one of your most memorable projects?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A.<\/strong> Charles River Laboratories. This was my first project where I was exposed to the entire project process while working directly with the client. I explored several different design paths, learning about displacement ventilation, laboratory exhaust stacks, and other lab requirements. We started with a complex lab and submitted a simplified solution for permit. I learned a lot in just one project. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Q.<\/strong> What advice do you have for young engineers and those interested in joining the industry?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A.<\/strong> Don\u2019t stop learning and always ask questions. I believe one\u2019s career is limited by the limits we put on ourselves. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Q.<\/strong> Have you had any mentors in your career?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A.<\/strong> I\u2019ve been lucky enough to have three mentors in my career\u2014one who made me feel safe and welcomed as a female minority engineer, one who believed in me and fought to close the gaps between myself and my male counterparts, and one who taught me everything I know in this industry. I have eternal appreciation for each of those who gave me patience as I learned, grace as I failed, and unconditional support while I blazed my own trail in engineering. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Q.<\/strong> Describe the qualities and capabilities of your team.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A.<\/strong> The competency, kindness, and support my team has for each other is incredible. Anyone can be a great engineer, but not everyone can be a great team member. When I think about this team, I can recall a time when each team member showed care and consideration for another on our team. It\u2019s as simple as someone asking, \u201cHow can I help?\u201d, answering a question, or making each other laugh when someone is having a bad day. It\u2019s moments like this that make each challenging day worth it. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Q.<\/strong> How do you relax and unwind? What are your hobbies?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A.<\/strong> Staying relaxed and focused to tackle each day is attributed to exercise; it keeps my mind sharp and wakes me up in the morning. If I\u2019m in a bad mood, I sweat it out. On the weekends, you can find me on the golf course, snowboarding in the mountains, eating or cooking delicious food, or simply relaxing on the couch watching a mindless reality TV show.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Q.<\/strong> Do you have anything or things in a \u201cbucket list\u201d that you wish to do or achieve in the future, either personally or professionally?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A.<\/strong> I have a personal and professional goal to change the face of engineering. I want to break the stereotype of engineers. I want to encourage more females and minorities to enter the engineering profession, show people it\u2019s cool to be a nerd, and help develop their skills to be the next leaders in our industry. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Have a question for Mindy? Email her at <\/em>Mindy.V.Haffke@imegcorp.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":11666,"template":"","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n