Rolfs no stranger to grit, determination

Early in Danielle Rolfs’ career, she was working as a project manager on what is now the Wisconsin Center. On one of her first days on site for the project, she was donning jeans, work boots and a hard hat and had a big roll of plans under her arm when something out of the ordinary happened.

“I’m walking down the street and a carload of women drive past and yell ‘You go girl!’ I kind of laughed and it was this moment of encouragement that I won’t forget,” she said. “I thought, ‘This is where I want to be.’”

Rolfs has relatives both in real estate and architecture and at JWC Building Specialties and started working as an intern at JWC while she was still in high school. Thirty years later, she is not only vice president of JWC and president of Monroe Installation – a company she helped start – but is also close to buying JWC with her brother.

Since taking some time away from the company to go to college, she has gone on to do almost every job there, including estimating and inside and outside sales.

“I haven’t left, I’ve just moved from one role to another,” Rolfs said.

In the office she is recognized for her kindness and her ability to manage two companies all while being a mother of three. In the field, her knowledge and tenacity have made a lasting impression.

“She never backed down and often she was one of the only women in the room. She’s very sure of herself, always ahead of the curve and very accessible,” said Keith Farley, owner of Oliver Construction, which has worked with JWC for more than 30 years.

Farley said he can trust Rolfs to complete her work thoroughly and competently. She has gone well beyond fulfilling her basic responsibilities, even calling in on weekends to ensure a job is getting done.

And with resourceful resilience, Rolfs keeps on.

“Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Keep looking for growth,” she says. “If you want to persevere, you keep pushing through.”