Sergio Rodriguez, PE has spent 23 years designing the systems that keep buildings running, and being bilingual has opened doors for him along the way. A Sacramento, California-based senior project manager in our Architecture, Building and Engineering (ABE) group, he brings unique insight and perspective to projects across the country.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked Sergio about how his career has evolved over more than two decades and what his heritage means to him on and off the jobsite.
Q&A with Sergio Rodriguez
You grew up stepping between Mexican and American culture. Has being bilingual opened doors with clients, crews, or colleagues?
Being bilingual has been one of the biggest assets to my career. Early on, my mentor turned a difficult meeting over to me with a client in Los Cabos, and when I started speaking Spanish, the contractors’ jaws dropped. The whole relationship changed for the better, and we were able to succeed as a team. More recently in Puerto Rico, speaking Spanish with the facilities team helped us coordinate a tricky scissor-lift delivery, building trust and setting the project up for success.
What’s the biggest shift in how you approach a project now compared to when you started?
When I first started out as a mechanical engineer, I looked at everything in a silo. If I was asked to design a chiller, that’s all I focused on. Now, as a senior project manager, I look at the big picture: how a chiller ties into the overall design, how contractors build that design, and how owners will feel using the design. I think of design not only as a system but also as total cost of ownership with the user experience in mind, from inception to operation.
Working in varied sectors like aviation, healthcare, and higher education, what keeps you excited about moving between such different types of structures?
Every sector has its own protocols and needs, but if you find the common thread, projects succeed and relationships strengthen. At the end of the day, every designer and client wants to take pride in the facility they helped design, build, and operate.
What recent project stands out to you?
One project that’s stuck with me is doing facility condition assessments for our aviation client’s building and hangar portfolio across Dallas, Palm Beach, Bedford, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Many owners are solely focused on the challenge of keeping their buildings functioning with little planning for the future. We help them build capital improvement plans that address the total cost of ownership and maintenance. It’s rewarding to help them look ahead and plan for what’s next.
As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, what does your heritage mean to you in your life and work, and what would you tell a young Latino engineer just starting out in this industry?
My heritage gives me more confidence. It’s the third-largest native language in the world. As a Spanish speaker, I can connect with people wherever I go, on the jobsite or on vacation. Taking my family to Mexico and watching my daughter’s eyes light up as she bonded with her heritage meant so much to me. My advice to a young Latino engineer is to be proud of where you come from, stay open to every perspective, and appreciate the incredible places it takes you.
