1. Tell us about your background.
Kessler Sr. I began my career in the electrical industry in the mid-1980s as an apprentice for IBEW Local #126, serving the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh region, specifically in utility and commercial outside power distribution. Near the end of my apprenticeship, I had the opportunity to work on the railroad for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in Philadelphia on projects that concentrated on signal and communications systems for various rail lines. I very much liked working on the railroad and with a young family, I found that specializing in this type of work has great job security. I was very fortunate to have my IBEW Local 126 business manager recommend me for a job in New Jersey as a field superintendent. That opportunity led me to a long-term career that took me to all corners of the US, working for many transit agencies, supervising large signal, traction power, and overhead catenary projects, and working with multiple electrical contractors.
Kessler Jr. I was born and raised in southwestern Pennsylvania and received my bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 2014. Right out of college, I worked for C3M for a few years, then as an engineering consultant for five years, and then returned to C3M in 2021.
2. Describe your role at C3M and your core responsibilities.
Kessler Sr. I am currently serving as the construction executive on the WMATA Fiber Optic Cable Infrastructure and Metro Box Enclosure Installation project, in Washington, DC. My core responsibilities are related to construction engineering and long-term scheduling. This project has had 12 design revisions in 26 months, requiring our JV partnership team to be flexible.
Kessler Jr. I lead C3M’s central engineering department. Central engineering provides field-level documentation to craft workers, which includes developing electrical equipment interconnects, site layout coordination of temporary and permanent equipment, OCS prefabrication and erection details, and more. The team is currently five strong, and we’re involved in every active C3M project. My core responsibilities are establishing and maintaining our work product standards, incorporating field feedback, and coordinating staffing between existing and new projects.
3. What do you like most about your current role?
Kessler Sr. The ability to mentor younger and less experienced team members and see the results as they mature and take on more responsibilities.
Kessler Jr. What I enjoy most is engaging and receiving feedback from the field; it’s ALWAYS productive. Engaging with the craft workers, listening to their comments, making changes in our processes, and creating a full feedback loop are the only reasons my department works.
4. What brought you to C3M, and what do you like most about the company?
Kessler Sr. In the early 2000s, I was working for L.K. Comstock National Transit on the WMATA Largo Rail Extension Project, a design-build job WMATA's controls and indications system ran through the ATC rooms. These circuits were not laid out yet, so I went to find out who was responsible for this portion of the build, and that's where I met Chuck Tomasco, now a current C3M president. We spent a lot of evenings assembling the circuit layouts and kept in touch over the years. In 2015, I was finishing a project in Portland, Oregon, and wanted to work closer to my home in western Pennsylvania, so I contacted the C3M team and found that they had a project at Morgantown University, 2 hours from where I lived. I interviewed and came on board after!
Kessler Jr. I started with C3M at its inception in 2014. I was privileged enough to be one of the original 15 or so folks on board. I left to pursue a different aspect of the industry and returned in 2021. What I like most about C3M is that I truly feel like I am an integral part of the team.
5. What has been your favorite project you have worked on and why?
Kessler Sr. Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project—Phase 2. This was an opportunity to see the challenges the civil and trade contractors face while working full-time as a jobsite resource for Clark/Kiewit.
Kessler Jr. I was the chief electric inspector for a $200M+ signal power upgrade initiative for the NYC subway. The job was double-shifted, 7 days a week, for 18 months, with 30 active sites daily—400 locations in total. We had a survey, asbestos abatement, install, cutover, and punch list crews working simultaneously. Nothing went in service without my blessing. The job was bonkers. It was hands down the most fun and rewarding project I’ve done to date.
6. What do you find most gratifying about working in the construction industry?
Kessler Sr. Seeing the work completed as you envisioned before the construction ever started.
Kessler Jr. It’s one of the largest jigsaw puzzles you get to help put together. Different components, vendors, and contractors all working for a common objective of finishing the job. When it’s all done, you get to stand back and say, “we did that.”
7. What are you most proud of accomplishing, either personally or professionally?
Kessler Sr. I really enjoy being in a bind; I like figuring a way out. My wife says that I would not be happy if there weren't problems to solve.
Kessler Jr. It started at around 9 years old. My dad had a set of railway signal single-line drawings in his work van. I remember looking at them in total amazement that all these lines and symbols were really just a way of communicating an idea and function. I was hooked. I wanted to be the person who could develop and interpret those drawings and see what was on the paper turn into reality.
8. What are you most proud of accomplishing, either personally or professionally?
Kessler Sr. Gaining and having the full trust of the leaders on my team is very important to me, and I am able to provide for my family and three children along the way.
Kessler Jr. In the spring of this year, I passed my Professional Engineer exam. I spent a lot of time saying “no” to life’s extracurriculars in favor of studying. The process shed light on both how much and how little you know after 10 years of experience.
9. Bob Jr., tell me about how your dad working for C3M influenced you to go on the same path?
I’ve had no shortage of influence from my dad to get into the construction industry. My dad had a couple of sayings when I was growing up:
“Be air conditioned in the summer, and heated in the winter.”
“Show up and care; you’ll have 80% of everyone else beat.”
“Do something, even if it’s wrong.”
That first phrase led me to pursue an engineering degree, the second two provided some solid advice for work ethic and motivation. Ultimately these three sayings and discovering those single-line drawings when I was 9, led me here.
