Mom’s advice leads Nowak to fulfilling career

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Holly Nowak knows her mom is always right.

As she was choosing classes for her freshman year at Edgar High School, Nowak was encouraged by her mom to step outside her comfort zone and pursue a program for kids interested in engineering.

Nowak said she has always loved math and science. But through a high school program called Project Lead the Way, Nowak saw first-hand how construction projects went from blueprint to completion. As part of the program, she met contractors that were building an addition to Edgar High school and witnessed the project plans take shape.

“It was really cool to see something go from a piece of paper to a physical building right before our eyes,” she said.

That high school program — and mom’s advice — prompted Nowak to attend the Milwaukee School of Engineering after high school.

She’s now a project manager at Miron Construction, overseeing a range of jobs in central Wisconsin, from a loading dock expansion at a cheese plant to a $10.8 million recreation center for the Menominee Tribe.

At MSOE, and during internships with Miron and Mortenson Construction, Nowak found herself drawn to vertical construction, though she initially explored a side interest in civil engineering and left college with dual degrees in engineering and project management.

After college, Nowak signed on to work at Miron full time. She said she knew she wanted to join the company after completing an internship during school.

Although the firm started Nowak off with “baby projects to get my feet wet,” she’s risen to tackle a range of jobs around central Wisconsin. Among her most complex was the relocation of sterilization center at Marshfield Clinic. Nowak oversaw crews that cut a hole in the roof of the 70-year-old building to install 35-foot structural steel beams for the support of new equipment at the hospital.

She’s now overseeing the construction of a recreation center for the Menominee Tribe. The project will provide members with a place to exercise during the winter. Nowak said it’s been fulfilling to oversee such a variety of work.

“I’ve been really fortunate with the wide variety of projects that have come my way,” Nowak said. “That’s what keeps the job exciting.”