Theune keeps a level head under increasing pressure

2011 Rising Young Professional of the Year

Kurt Theune, M.A. Mortenson Co.

In just eight years of working with Minneapolis-based M.A. Mortenson Co., Kurt Theune has made a name for himself.

He joined Mortenson’s Brookfield office full time after graduating with construction and business degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He started out as a project engineer before being promoted to project manager and then to his current role of design phase manager.

Along the way, he’s worked on several notable projects including the healing garden at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee. The $4.8 million project transformed an underused rooftop into a 17,000-square-foot garden featuring an indoor conservatory for patients, family members, caregivers and the community. The project achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold status and other recognition.

“Kurt is one of the most adaptable and nimble people I know,” said Alicia Dupies, director of project development at Mortenson. “He’s a real problem-solver. If he says he’s going to do something, he does it and does a great job.”

Scott Heberlein, director of operations for Mortenson, said Theune’s passion for his work shows in everything he does.

“He’s always calm under pressure and is driven to make things better,” Heberlein said. “Anything he touches, there’s a level of success.”

But Theune doesn’t let that success go to his head, Dupies said. He treats everyone with respect, she said, and has proven to be a successful mentor to up-and-coming engineers.

“No matter who’s in the room, he builds a partnership with them,” Dupies said. “He’s very patient and has a great sense of humor.”

Besides the St. Luke’s project, Theune played a leading role in Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital Ozaukee’s $62 million addition, the $75 million Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee and the $115.3 million Saint Clare’s Hospital and Marshfield Clinic in Weston.

As a design phase manger, Theune is a liaison between customers and design partners and serves as a resource for clients throughout the design and construction phase.

“When working with him, I always had confidence in anything I would ask him to do,” Heberlein said. “I knew that it would get done successfully and correctly.”

Tim Jones, director of preconstruction for Mortenson, said Theune was not rattled by challenges and surprises that popped up during the building process.

“Kurt uses his ingenuity to come up with win-win solutions that satisfy what needs to be done,” he said. “And he does all of it with a humble nature.”

— MaryBeth Matzek

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