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“It’s one thing if a building looks nice; it’s another if it’s functional,” says CSG Project Manager Mike Faenza. Prior to joining CSG, Mike held a variety of positions in the industry, including working for Jacob’s Engineering, an owner’s representation firm where he completed code improvement projects at the University of Connecticut. During his time working in construction management, he noticed something that would help guide his career.

“When you’re hired to build a building you’re given a set of drawings and specifications and you just have to figure out a way of getting it done as quickly as possible. One of the things I started to see is that we would finish spaces and the users would come in and wonder why it had been built the way it had.”

He realized that the right questions weren’t always being asked of the client; that stakeholders weren’t entirely sure what they were looking at in the plans, and that there was sometimes a resulting disconnect between what was being designed  and what the client had envisioned.

“Now I’m able to use my previous experience, knowledge, and ability to help guide our clients through the entire process. On the owner’s rep side we have a unique ability to shape how project decisions are made to ensure our customers are getting what they want. We concern ourselves with every element of these projects, all the way down to the finishes.”

This coming November will mark five years at CSG for Mike. He graduated with a degree in Construction Management from Central Connecticut State University in 2008, and spent several years working on institutional projects for high profile clients including  the University of New Haven and Yale. He also spent time working for the Capital Region Education Council in a clerk of the works role before joining up with CSG.

Cranbury Elementary School, Norwalk, CT

“I’m passionate about making sure our customers are happy and that the building is what they want - user friendly, easy to maintain, and durable,” Mike says.

“With these school projects, we’re building places for students to learn – and that means making sure that we are concerning ourselves with well-lit cafeterias, engaging classrooms, and playground spaces over stylistic elements like nice ceiling tiles. There’s a place for everything, but keeping priorities in check is a big part of what we do.”

Outside of the office, you can find Mike working with his hands. He’s often taking on home improvement projects.

“I like to say that I’ll try anything once. I’ll buy the materials once. I’ll install it once. If it comes out so bad that I don’t like it I’ll rip it out and pay someone else to do it. But to this point I haven’t had to rip anything out yet.”

Mike also spends a lot of time outdoors. He restored a 1980’s era fishing boat, and just bought a larger boat last summer that he is currently preparing for some fishing trips on the Long Island Sound.