{"id":2423,"date":"2021-03-11T01:57:49","date_gmt":"2021-03-11T05:57:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/pr\/?p=2423"},"modified":"2021-09-23T01:58:28","modified_gmt":"2021-09-23T05:58:28","slug":"the-road-to-success-is-under-construction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwwcp.umes.edu\/pr\/the-road-to-success-is-under-construction\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThe road to success is under construction\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\u201cOn-site with Cheryl McKissack Daniel\u201d yields gems for UMES students and community<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Thursday, March 11, 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like many parts of life over this past year, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s 2020 Women’s History Month event was adjusted to be a virtual celebration of Black History Month and Women’s History Month for 2021. On March 4th, the campus community met on UMES’ Instagram platform for \u201cOn-site with Cheryl McKissack Daniel,\u201d a live conversation with the President & CEO of McKissack & McKissack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheryl McKissack Daniel<\/strong>, a Nashville, Tenn. native, earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Howard University and represents the fifth generation of her family’s century-old business (founded in 1905). The 45-minute conversation featuring the leader of \u201cthe oldest minority and woman-owned design and construction firm in the nation\u201d was light-hearted, encouraging and filled with the love found in the community of historically Black colleges and universities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel shared some of her family history, starting with her enslaved Ashanti ancestor who was taught the trade of making bricks and later freed. \u201cA twisted version of diversity, if you think about it,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not initially interested in a career in architecture, Daniel shared how her \u201ccourse was pretty much charted\u201d by her parents saying, \u201dMy father gave us trains. He never gave us dolls. He gave us drafting equipment. He knew what he was doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn weekends, we would be in his office tracing documents and walking constructions sites, just learning the lay of the land at a very early age 10, 11, 12. By the time I was ready to go to college, I wanted to be an engineer, but my father wanted my twin sister and (me) to be architects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Family Business<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(L to R) Tahja Cropper & Cheryl McKissack Daniel in conversation via Instagram.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Her career goal was to work in New York City. She prepared for that before going into her family business by working at large firms that didn’t bear her last name and provided an excellent training ground, which included Turner Construction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGoing into my family business was my mom calling up my boss and telling my boss ‘Cheryl is quitting today’,\u201d she said bursting with laughter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c’She doesn’t know it yet, but I’m going to let her know when I hang up with you. She needs to leave by Friday because she needs to be in Nashville by Saturday so she can start work with me on Monday.’\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI could not believe my mother did that, but she did,\u201d she said. Looking back on it she describes this decision as \u201ca little pushy\u201d and \u201cone of the best decisions I allowed my mother to make.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe taught me a lot. She is my #1 mentor,\u201d she said about her mother who has a master’s degree in psychology and was running the family business in the early 1980s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this time, Daniel learned many lessons that she applies to business today including not judging a book by its cover related to a specific presentation experience early in her career. \u201cI learned that I will speak to anyone at any time about what I’m thinking and the value proposition that I’m bringing to the table.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing stops me from giving my elevator pitch to anyone. I don’t care who they are,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel opened her New York firm in 1991 and later bought the family firm in 2000. McKissack & McKissack<\/a> provides construction management, program management and consulting services for various project types throughout the East Coast and the United States. The firm’s focus is in the infrastructure, transit, healthcare and education sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Achieving Success & Building Wealth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noting her commitment to HBCUs, she referenced an upcoming campaign from the New York Building Congress, an organization that focuses on providing \u201ca unique forum to advance an industry-wide agenda focusing on economic and infrastructure investment, job creation and professional exchange. These goals require the dedicated involvement and cooperation of the contractors, architects, engineers, unions, real estate managers, developers and owners who comprise the building community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe’re going to be coming to your university and other HBCUs to get Black and Brown people interested in our field. We’re going to offer internships and we are going to try to get you to come to New York,\u201d she said regarding diversity in the industry as her company is 50% minority. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chief Executive Officer had the following advice for the audience: <\/p>\n\n\n\n