Senior Project Manager of the Year – Mike Smith – Greenfire Management Services

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Working on the Davidson Park in Milwaukee was something completely new to Mike Smith, senior project manager with Greenfire Management Services.

“It was a completely civil project. There were no buildings involved,” said Smith, describing the project for the Harley-Davidson Foundation, which transformed a parking area into a 4.8-acre public park featuring unique design elements, a serenity pond and a kids’ playground. “It was so unique and detailed. Every single piece of the project integrated with every other component.”

Smith knew from a young age he wanted to build buildings. His father, Tom Smith, also worked in construction.

“Each project is different, which keeps the work fresh,” he said. “Construction does have a lot of challenges and you need to be top of your game when it comes to problem-solving.”

Smith enjoys envisioning how the project he’s building will be used. Two projects — a complete renovation for Camp Whitcomb/Mason for the Boys & Girls Club and a school library remodeling project in Waukesha — stand out to him for that very reason.

“When you’re working on a project, you’re building something for someone to take ownership of. I loved the camp and library project because I could picture the excitement of the kids using those places and how younger generations would be taking advantage of them for years to come,” he said.

Smith is a good role model for his team members, said Paul Hackbarth, Greenfire’s vice president of construction.

“Mike’s positive attitude towards any challenge he is faced with is contagious within his teams,” he said. “Mike has been successfully leading his teams by building up each team member, which shows he cares about the success of everyone on his team.”