The Daily Reporter – WI Construction News & Bids Wisconsin's Construction Authority
Safety Professional of the Year –
Ally Dahlgren, Gilbane Building Company
Ally Dahlgren joined Gilbane Building Co. just three years ago, but she’s already had a big impact at the firm.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and native of the state, Dahlgren has exhibited a can-do attitude from the first time she laced up her boots to work at a job site.
“I think the ‘awe and wonder’ factor is what drew me into construction, and it remains the reason I stay in the industry,” she said.
Dahlgren has grown in her role as a project safety manager and takes great pride in walking the company’s job sites to make sure everyone is working safely. She’s an objective observer, and with each job she develops a customized project-specific safety plan tailored to the site.
This plan includes all procedures, inspection, enforcement, documentation and reporting requirements. In addition to the safety audits, checklists and other tools that Gilbane utilizes, Dahlgren is involved in training everyone to embrace the company’s safety culture.
“What I enjoy most about my job is that I get to work in different situations and with multiple personalities every day,” Dahlgren said. “It is very exciting to watch these variables come together to form something much larger than ourselves.”
During her time at Gilbane, Dahlgren has served in a safety role on several high-profile jobs that have either been completed or are currently in construction with exemplary safety records. She worked on various projects for the Wisconn Valley Science & Technology Park, the recently completed 15-story St. Camillus East Residential Tower in Wauwatosa, and is currently the lead safety person on the Wisconsin Center Expansion in downtown Milwaukee.
She has also provided safety services for the Milwaukee City Hall Restoration, Waukesha County Courthouse Addition, Milwaukee Academy of Science Third Floor Expansion and Gymnasium Addition and a campuswide sustainability project for a large confidential commercial client.
