Jeff Anderson

Since work on the Project first began, SSW Senior Structures Superintendent Jeff Anderson has been an advocate for finding, hiring and supporting disadvantaged workers. He has steadfastly backed efforts to hire women onto the Project, which has recently been recognized for having unprecedented numbers of female workers. For 33 years, Jeff has been a part of the Skanska team, but this is his last month at the Project and the company.

He's headed for retirement.

Before Jeff settles into a life of traveling with his wife and spending time with his grandkids, though, we asked him a few questions about his career.

How did you first become interested in the construction industry?

Growing up, my dad was a structural iron worker, working in Downtown [Los Angeles] on the highrise buildings. When I got out of high school, he recommended that I go to welding school to learn a trade.

How did you begin your career with Skanska?

I came to work in October of 1986 with Yeager [Construction Company], who Skanska bought [in 2002]. Prior to that, I was in the marine construction business doing underwater welding and construction. I started as a Journeyman, quickly became Lead Man, then Foreman. I was promoted to General Foreman at the Prado Dam project, then later became Superintendent.

What are some of the most memorable projects you have worked on?

I like the challenging ones and seem to end up on a lot of them. Certainly the Prado Dam [across the Santa Ana River near Corona, CA] was unique to the company. It was maybe one of the most technical projects that we had been involved in, building a dam with an outlet structure and outlet tower with a lot of mechanically intricate, detailed work.

I also went to Seattle to demolish a double-decker bridge and replaced it with two side-by-side bridges. The design of the old bridge was the same as one that failed during a California earthquake, so this was a much needed improvement.

From there, I went to Expo 2 [Phase 2 of the Metro Expo Line project, extending service from Culver City to Santa Monica] which was the first light rail project my group had ever been involved in.

What is one thing that excites you about the future for the construction field?

There is a lot of work in the industry right now, far more than there has been in the past. Projects are bigger and put a lot of people to work.

What would you tell a person first starting a construction career?

What I tell our workers that we hire onto this project is: Do your job. Be helpful. Step up and work hard. Be part of the solution, not the problem. Do that, and you’re golden.

What is your secret to professionalism and leadership?

In this industry, there is always some kind of problem that needs to be solved so that work can continue. So, when an issue arises, what’s important is that you figure out how to get from where we’re at to where we need to be. It doesn’t do any good to get angry or upset, what’s important is figuring out a way to move forward.

You have been instrumental in hiring women onto the Project. How does that make you feel?

It makes me feel real good. I don't know of any other projects that have been able to hit the marks that we have in hiring women. We interviewed and selected each and every female worker on the Project. That's how we've been able to gain on our overall goal, which is important to the company, and it seems like that goal is achievable if strides keep being made like this.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned?

Teamwork. It’s so important and some people might underestimate it. On a project like this, it’s critical to getting the job done.

What will you miss about working here?

The people. I'll miss all of the people that I see and work with every day. This team is larger than most projects I've worked on. I look forward to seeing pictures of the progress and driving over the bridge when it’s done.

What will you be doing in your retirement?

I have some travel plans with my wife. We'll be spending summers in Alaska and the rest of the time in Texas, spending time with my son and his family.