Eric Onick has a lot of fans. There are his VPCS colleagues, who appreciate how he can be counted on to step up and lend a hand, always bringing his wonderful sense of humor to his work. There’s also his brother, who still gets a kick out of being mistaken for him. And of course, there are his young children, who are grateful for his wacky pancake recipe innovations. Learn more about all of the above in this Q-and-A with Eric:
Q: What’s your VPCS role?
A: I came on board to help the VPCS Napa Valley Unified team right at the start of last year’s “summer jam,” as we call it. That’s when school lets out and we get very busy working on sites while students and staff are on break. I have a long background as a general contractor, so I’m very involved in the technical side of construction.
Q: What inspired you to shift from general contracting to construction management?
A: I was a contractor for 17 years, running public works projects all over the Bay Area, and I worked with Ray Green and VPCS on one of those projects. I was impressed from the start at how collaborative VPCS was as a partner, and when Ray introduced me to Mark and Mike Van Pelt, it became clear that they ran their company with a real family feel. When it was time for me to make a change, I was excited to join the VPCS family and bring my GC experience to the team. Plus, my degree is in construction management [from Chico State University], so it felt like a natural transition.
Q: Have you always lived in the Bay Area?
A: Yes – I grew up in a little town in west Marin County. After my brother and I came back from college, we bought a place together in northern Marin. We’ve both been there ever since – although we don’t still live in the same house. I don’t think the wives would like that.
Q: It sounds like you and your brother are close.
A: Very. We’re identical twins, so it’s the real deal. We obviously went to the same schools growing up, then we both went to Chico State and majored in construction management. We decided not to work for the same companies after graduation, but we have worked for competitors in the past, which was pretty interesting.
Q: If you’re identical, people must get you confused fairly regularly.
A: Well if you’re around us long enough, you can tell the difference. But … yeah … we often get confused for each other. When we were in middle school, the substitute teachers couldn’t tell us apart so we’d switch desks and we thought it was the funniest thing ever. Then, in college, we’d go everywhere together so we started getting referred to as “the construction management twins.” These days, since we’re both in the Bay Area public works field, people who don’t know we’re twins just assume we change jobs a lot since they think they see us on different projects. And since we live so close to each other, I’ll be at the hardware store or someplace in town and someone I don’t know will wave at me thinking I’m my brother. It’s pretty funny. But we’re used to it.
Q: Speaking of family, tell us about yours.
A: My wife and I have two daughters who are three and nearly seven.
Q: And, from the looks of this picture of you in the apron, you’re the pancake hero in your house.
A: We have a weekly tradition of Pancake Sunday. The idea is that whatever else is going on, we’ll all gather at home on Sunday mornings and have pancakes. My wife and I want our girls to have this little constant in their childhoods, like a core memory. Then, we picture them coming home when they’re grown and we’ll do it even then. It’s a lot of fun. I can get pretty creative with the ingredients. A family favorite is pork brisket pancakes. My Instagram page is just littered with pancake content.
Q: Does your wife help with pancake prep?
A: No, I’m the pancake guy. But she’s a great cook. And she does the mom thing around the clock, while also having a full-time career in tech communications. She does it all and I respect her more than anybody in my entire life. She’s Superwoman.
Q: Sounds like you make a great team.
A: Well, family is huge for both of us. That’s why I’ve transitioned so easily to VPCS, because it’s a family operation and everyone here is committed to doing the right thing. So I guess my core values complement the company’s. They didn’t even have to sell me on joining the team – it was an easy decision because I had seen for myself that the people here really are all about honoring The Van Pelt Way.
The design-build delivery model – in which a single contract covers both the design and construction for a project – is becoming increasingly common in our industry. Design-build does more than just streamline the process. It also enables a collaborative, integrated environment where project teams work more closely together to achieve common goals.
At VPCS, we’re very familiar with the design-build approach. Still, we’re always open to sharpening our skills as part of our commitment to professional development. That’s why we recently sent several of our employees to a three-day workshop (also attended by our partners at Arntz Builders and The Motive Studio [formerly CA+SA Studio]), where instructors from the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) did a deep dive into this methodology. These VPCS team members are all now eligible to pursue certification as Design-Build Professionals®.
Here is some of the feedback our people provided about the workshop:
Minh Dao: “The workshop validated how VPCS is really ahead of the curve, because we’ve already managed so many PreK-12 design-build projects even though it’s a relatively new model for that sector. The fact that we’ve been entrusted by our clients to manage their work using this method is big. Design-build can be difficult and complicated but when done right, there is no better outcome. With DBIA certification, it can help reassure owners and potential design-builders that we understand the process, know how to manage the risks and consistently deliver a great end product. VPCS is always looking forward, and this workshop was proof of that.”
Ray Green: “This workshop really affirmed for me that design-build, which VPCS has been doing for a while now, is really the best practice. And these opportunities for professional development are unmeasurably valuable. They drive home that VPCS is committed to serving our clients with cutting-edge services, while also supporting our own team members with the knowledge to do so. Plus, it’s always great to be in the room with our industry partners sharing stories and perspectives on project scenarios that we’ve all seen but might not have worked on together.”
Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson: “Design-build is growing more and more popular in PreK-12 construction. The focus on collaborative project delivery is really attractive to our clients, and the workshop helped us see design-build through their perspective. We want to make sure our team members are on the leading edge of trends and best practices for this and every delivery method; professional development is a top priority for VPCS. I’m grateful to have incredible team members, both inside and outside of VPCS, who want to continue to learn and hone their skills.”
Brian Cameron: “By understanding how the design-build process works, you can make the process smooth and collaborative for all parties involved – while a lack of familiarity with this method can be a serious detriment. VPCS definitely has a competitive advantage, given our past experience working on design-build projects in addition to how the firm supports our professional development. The workshop was so helpful, as I can apply what I learned directly to a few different active projects I’m currently working on. Sending us to this training is further evidence that VPCS represents the gold standard in this industry.”
Jenny Choi: “The workshop reiterated best practices for the design-build methodology, and explored all the techniques we can use to implement those approaches. It showed us new ways to fold the design-build model into the Van Pelt Way, which focuses on doing whatever it takes to meet our clients’ needs and exceed their expectations. And having some of our partners there was so valuable, as we can always benefit from hearing their perspectives. I love any opportunity to learn and expand my professional knowledge, especially alongside my VPCS colleagues.”
Jennifer Gibb: “We’re always looking for new and better ways to serve our clients and design-build is one of the tools we can utilize to achieve great results for districts and communities. We believe in continuous improvement, and this workshop gave us an even more thorough understanding of how design-build brings opportunities to our clients while promoting collaboration and transparency. It was great having our partners there too, as their perspectives always help us analyze scenarios through every lens. Once again, it all comes down to how our work can boost student achievement. Because it’s all about the kids.”
It’s February, which means it’s time for the annual conference of the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH). This year, our industry will come together February 23-26 at the convention center in beautiful Palm Springs, collectively honoring CASH at its 46th yearly gathering. We’re looking forward to reconnecting with colleagues, clients, partners and friends to exchange ideas, learn new strategies and have some fun – all in service to our shared commitment to improving California’s school facilities. And in the wake of the 2024 election, when important state and local school bond measures passed at the polls, we have a lot to celebrate as well as a lot of work to do!
VPCS is always extremely supportive of the CASH conference and its impact. This year will be no exception. Here are some of the ways we’ll be backing the 2025 event:
Kicking Things Off. VPCS is the proud co-sponsor (with Climatec) of the first-ever “Pre-CASH Bash.” Anyone who’s in town on Sunday, 2/23 is welcome to join us for food, beverages and fun from 5:00 to 7:00 at the Thompson Palm Springs, 414 North Palm Canyon Drive.
Supporting the Golf Tournament. Once again, VPCS will be on hand as a proud sponsor of the 2025 CASH Conference Golf Tournament on Sunday, 2/23. Look for us at the first hole, where we’ll be offering adult refreshments, handing out lots of fun swag and having a blast.
Participating in Educational Sessions. Members of our team will be on the stage at several different sessions.
Vice President of Business Development Jennifer Gibb will sit on the panel at the “New Member, First Time Attendee” session, a fun and interactive discussion designed to orient newcomers to CASH and/or to their school facilities careers. Monday, 2/24 at 10:45.
Executive Vice President Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson will be one of three panelists at “New(ish) to Facilities Leadership? Here’s a Guide.” Kelli and her fellow presenters will introduce facilities leadership basics, offering insider tips for those who have come to the role without formal training. This is the third year this extremely popular session will be on the conference agenda. Monday, 2/24 at 3:45.
Jennifer Gibb will moderate an important and topical session titled, “Innovating Early Childhood Education (ECE): How Districts Can Create Transformative Pre-K-to-K Facilities.” Joining her on stage will be three panelists, including a representative of Lemon Grove Unified School District, where VPCS has been hard at work bringing the new Early Childhood Education Center to life. Tuesday, 2/25 at 8:30.
Jennifer Gibb will also share the stage as a panelist at “A Whole New World: Maintaining Building Program Support Post-Election.” The session will explore how to maintain momentum in the wake of election season, when many bonds have passed and new board and facilities team leaders are stepping into place in school districts. Wednesday, 2/26 at 10:30.
Co-hosting Mixers. Join us at one or both of the evening get-togethers we’re helping throw early in the week. On Monday, 2/24 from 7:00-11:00 p.m., we’ll be at High Bar at the Rowan (100 W. Tahquitz Canyon Way). RSVP for our Monday mixer here. On Tuesday, 2/25, we’ll be back at it, this time at Lulu’s Bistro (200 S. Palm Canyon Drive) starting at 5:30. RSVP for our Tuesday mixer here.
Sponsoring the CASH Professional Headshot Photo Booth. On Tuesday, 2/25, CASH attendees are invited to sit for free high-end professional portraits that can be used for career advancement or simply to update online profiles. VPCS is proud to make this first-time CASH conference service available to all registrants at no charge. Digital files will be available on the spot and no appointment is necessary.
Cheering On Our Newest SFLA Graduate. On Monday afternoon, we’ll be in the audience at the CASH School Facilities Leadership Academy (SFLA) graduation ceremony, whooping it up for Jenny Choi, VPCS’s most recent graduate of the program. Jenny will be the sixth of our employees to complete this rigorous year-long training. Jennifer Kerr will join the SFLA cohort that begins the program this year.
Having a Blast at the VPCS Exhibit Booth. CASH conference attendees always love hanging out at the VPCS booth, where there’s never a shortage of fun, conversation and goodies. This year, we’ll have Skee-Ball, device charging stations, lots of our famous swag and more. Find us at spot #1215.
Nicholas Olsen is one of the newer members of Team VPCS, having joined us in October of 2024. And we’re so happy to have him, as he brings valuable facilities management experience from the district side. But Nick is so much more than a construction and program manager (CM/PM). He’s also a newlywed, a busy dad AND a switch-hitter (on the baseball field). We sat down with him to hear more.
Q: What VPCS team have you been assigned to?
A: I’m in the Redwood City School District. We’re the program and construction managers for Measure S, which is a $298 million bond that passed in 2022. I really like getting involved in bond programs from the planning phase, which is something I’ve done when I’ve been on staff at other districts. In fact, before I joined VPCS, I was a one-person facilities and construction department at one of the districts where I worked. So I know how to wear a lot of hats, which comes in handy in this line of work.
Q: How has your experience on the district side informed the work that you’re doing now representing owners as a CM/PM?
A: It means I understand both perspectives; I know how school districts operate and what their priorities typically are. And VPCS really does live up to its promise, which is something Mark [Van Pelt] says all the time: our job sites are schools where construction is taking place, not construction sites where school is taking place. School operations always come first.
Q: Did you always know you wanted to be a construction/program manager?
A: I actually started college in the architecture program. But one of the first required courses was construction management, and that class got me started on this path. I switched my major and here I am! I like to look at every project from both the design and constructability side.
Q: Shifting gears here, but starting your new VPCS job wasn’t even the biggest news of the past year for you, right?
A: That’s right. I also got married last May – just a few months before I started the job. My wife and I had a beautiful celebration in Puerto Vallarta, which is a place she’s gone to with her family for many years, so the location is pretty special to us. And our kids were part of the ceremony – I have two from my first marriage and my wife and I have a two-year-old together – and they all walked down the aisle together holding hands. It was pretty great. And now we have another one on the way, due in March.
Q: Congratulations! Is your wife connected to education also?
A: Yes, she’s been a Spanish language teacher for about 20 years and now works for the Virtual Academy, which is part of Pleasanton Unified. In fact, VPCS is working on a new building where her program will be based. And my older kids have always gone to school in that district and it’s where I used to work as director of facilities and construction, so we’re very connected there.
Q: So do you raise your kids bilingually?
A: Yes and no. Everyone else in the household speaks Spanish. My wife first got interested in the language when her family started traveling to Mexico when she was a kid, and now she teaches it. My older kids went to a Spanish immersion program when they were in elementary school, so they’re pretty fluent. And I have to assume that our toddler and the new baby will pick it up too. I’m sort of the outlier. They could all talk about me in Spanish and I wouldn’t know what they were saying!
Q: Well, you have other skills.
A: I guess that’s true. One fun fact about me is that I’m ambidextrous – mostly in baseball. I started playing when I was about four years old and have always been able to play on both sides, even though I’m a natural lefty. In baseball, it’s more valuable to be left-handed, so I got a lot more practice on that side. Still, I pitched with both arms and hit from both sides of the plate.
Q: Very impressive. Do you still play?
A: No, not since my twenties. I guess once I started having kids, my focus shifted. But then I started coaching my older kids, which was fun. I’ve coached baseball, softball, soccer and basketball – pretty much anything my kids wanted to play I would coach. And I guess the two little ones will have no choice but to get involved in sports, and my wife and I will end up coaching them too! She was also an athlete in school, although she played soccer so that might be what these next two will play.
Q: Sounds like a great way to share time with your kids.
A: Absolutely. I loved coaching my older kids and I look forward to getting back into it with my younger two. These days, though, we don’t have any extra time. We’re mostly just running the kids around and then we’ll be back in baby mode starting in March. But that’s one of the reasons why I wanted to join VPCS. This is such a family-friendly place to work. Plus, I get to help build schools, which I just love to do.
As the end-of-the-year holidays approach and we prepare to wrap up another trip around the sun, we want to pause and reflect on both the past and the future. This year has been a busy one at VPCS, as we’ve continued to expand our reach and bring our signature service to even more PreK-12 school districts throughout California. We’ve also added to our in-house team, welcoming several new talented professionals to our employee roster – the best in the business.
We’re excited for all that’s coming our way in 2025, including any opportunity to draw from and lean into The Van Pelt Way. This company ethos of ours guides us as we support our district clients and the communities we jointly serve.
We wish one and all and joyful holiday season and a wonderful new year.
It’s the gratitude season, which always reminds us to take a moment and reflect on all that we’re thankful for. At VPCS, we never take for granted how lucky we are to work with such wonderful people – that includes the good folks here at our own company as well as those who serve our client districts and those who work for our partner organizations. It’s a great time of year to acknowledge our blessings and focus on some of our goals for the new year. Here’s how a few of our staff members put that thankfulness into words:
Jennifer Gibb: Gratitude is a practice I prioritize every day. I am blessed to have such abundance – family, friends and colleagues, along with the trusted partner relationships that VPCS has been building for nearly 30 years. I am grateful to play a role in that legacy each day. I feel lucky to be a mom, a friend, a colleague and a partner in this industry. Our clients and vendor partners make our work not only possible but deeply rewarding. Their collaboration and dedication make our projects smoother and more successful, and I am continually appreciative of their support and the strong connections we share.
Ashley Del Rio: I am incredibly grateful for my wonderful VPCS team – for their support, collaboration and effort. I am especially thankful for all the opportunities I’ve had in my first year here and I look forward to further expanding my skills. I am also beyond thankful for my amazing husband and our two wonderful boys. I am excited to discover what lies ahead, both professionally and personally.
Angie Ramich: I am grateful for a healthy, positive working environment where we are blessed with wonderful clients, co-workers, peers and partners. And, of course, my family – my three adult daughters and my partner, Rick. (I’m even grateful for his horrible Dad jokes.) In the new year, I’m looking forward to reading more books, making more quilts, enjoying time with friends and family and seeing my girls continue to live their best lives.
Daniel Stevens: I’m grateful for the mentorship and employee development I receive at VPCS. I’m also grateful for my family. In the new year, I’m looking forward to beginning construction work in one of our districts.
Christine Scheffer: I’m grateful for our staff and their dedication to VPCS. I’m also thankful for my family (both the four-legged and two-legged kinds), our safety, our health and the love we share. I’m looking forward to learning new things that I can apply at work and at home so I can continue to create a great work/life balance.
Jake Jurgenson: I am grateful to work with all the incredible people here at VPCS, each of whom puts in such impressive effort. The fact that we like hanging out with one another is icing on the cake! Of course, I’m also very thankful for my family – immediate, extended, distant or friends-as-family. They all motivate me, inspire me, frustrate me and make me laugh. In the new year, I’m looking forward to more RV trips with the family, and my son moving up to high school!
Louann Carlomagno: As a lifelong learner, I’m grateful for the understanding I’ve gained at VPCS about how best to serve school districts from a facilities perspective. And, as always, I’m thankful for my parents, who taught me how to be the very best person I can be. While both have passed away, their memory lives on in the actions I take and the person I have become. Looking ahead to 2025, I’m excited to travel with my husband, Brian, while celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary!
Jonette Johnson: As I come up on my one-year anniversary with VPCS, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with some pretty amazing people. I am also grateful for the time I have with my family and friends. Time goes by so quickly and it is easy to forget that we are not always guaranteed more time. In 2025, I am looking forward to continuing to learn more in my position along with spending time with my family and friends.
Felicia Silveira: I am thankful for my colleagues, who make every day a fun adventure filled with laughter! I’m also celebrating my first year of being married to my partner of seven years! And I’m grateful for the health of my doggy, who has connected me with some of my closest friends through many trips to the dog park. In the coming year, I’m looking forward to getting outside more, checking out some new camping spots, learning new recipes and practicing my DIY skills around the house.
Nick Olsen: I am new to VPCS and am grateful to join a company that’s so family-oriented. I’m also thankful for my wife and three (soon to be four) kids, and our amazing extended family who are always so loving and helpful. I’m looking forward to making great new memories at work and at home.
Melanie Griffiths: I started a new role this year that places me in the main office interacting with everyone and all the teams. I am so grateful for such amazing co-workers and their support during the transition to this new role! It has been just a great experience so far. My family and friends are what I am most grateful for outside of work. Each day brings something new.
Eric Onick: I am grateful to be working for amazing clients alongside all my hard-working VPCS colleagues. “The Van Pelt Way” is not just a slogan. It’s a testament to the pride and compassion we bring to every facet of our work. I’m truly grateful to be able to be part of such a great organization! I am also grateful for my amazing wife, wonderful kids and loving family. It’s a blessing to have the life that I do.
Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson: I’m grateful for challenges. That might sound strange, but every time we face a challenge, we get the opportunity to work with our colleagues and clients to find solutions. Challenges seem insurmountable when you are facing them alone but once you ask for help or collaboration, you realize that none of us are alone. I’m also incredibly grateful for my kids and husband, who exemplify the motto of “work hard and be kind.”
It’s no secret that public schools are generally underfunded. That’s true around the country and it’s true right here in California. PreK-12 and community college districts throughout our state are always on the lookout for new funding sources to improve the educational opportunities they offer students and to maximize the positive impact they make on communities.
This November, California voters will get the chance to weigh in on Proposition 2, a statewide measure that, if passed, would issue $10 billion in bonds to pay for school facilities improvements. Of that amount, $8.5 billion would be allocated to PreK-12 schools and the remaining $1.5 billion to community colleges.
Here are just a few reasons why we strongly support Proposition 2:
It focuses on facilities. Public schools’ built environments are often the last thing to get funded by districts’ general budgets. Alongside local matching funds, Prop 2 would help modernize existing buildings and construct new ones where needed. That means updating and upgrading the structures – with new roofs, lighting, HVAC systems, technologies, etc. – that house our state’s learners, ranging in age from 3 to 24+ years old.
It addresses deferred maintenance. Just like homes, schools need regular upkeep to stay in good condition. Many of California’s school facilities have been standing for decades … some for more than a century. Districts can address small issues as they arise, tightening a dripping faucet here or slapping on a coat of paint there. But larger capital improvements require more significant influxes of cash, which is what bond measures like Prop 2 are designed to provide.
It supports student achievement. Improving school facilities is a way to bolster student performance, as it provides safer, more nurturing educational spaces. Bonds help raise the quality of school facilities so that they match the quality of school programs.
It replenishes depleted bond dollars. In 2016, California passed Proposition 51, which made much-needed matching funds available to public educational districts. The good news is that voters in our state understood the importance of school funding in 2016 and Prop 51 money was put to very good use. The bad news is that eight years have passed and our schools need a new funding source to continue improvements.
It complements and strengthens local bonds. Since public school districts need to match state funds with local funds, there are many local bond measures also being voted on in November. Throughout California, there are 267 unique school funding measures on local ballots, including 252 PreK-12 bond measures (totaling $39.3 billion) and 15 community college district measures (totaling $10.6 billion). Of those, ten VPCS client districts are hoping for voters’ yes votes:
East Side Union High School District: Parcel Tax Measure N ($49/parcel)
Lemon Grove School District: Bond Measures EE and CC ($30 million each)
Milpitas Unified School District: Bond Measure Q ($2.2 million)
Napa Valley Unified School District: Bond Measure B ($230 million)
Paradise Unified School District: Bond Measure G ($43 million)
Piner-Olivet Union School District: Bond Measure K ($29.5 million)
Plumas Lake Elementary School District: Bond Measures D, E and F ($18 million each)
Shaffer Elementary School District: Bond Measure W ($2 million)
Windsor Unified School District: Bond Measure V ($122.5 million)
Wright Elementary School District: Bond Measure X ($29.2 million)
It strengthens communities. Strong public schools with vibrant facilities and campuses are at the heart of strong communities. Supporting school bonds is another way to support the places where we live and work; a way to invest in the present as well as the future.
Please join us in voting YES for Proposition 2 and YES on your local school bonds during this election season.
At VPCS, we continue to enjoy steady, carefully managed growth as we approach our thirtieth year in business. Just a decade ago, we had ten active clients. Today, we’re supporting nearly 25 PreK-12 districts throughout California and boast an employee roster of more than 50 talented professionals. Those numbers will only increase as we maintain our strategic momentum.
We recently made some personnel adjustments on our leadership team to accommodate this expansion. First, Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson and Eric Van Pelt both now hold the title of executive vice president, continuing to collaboratively guide the company towards its future. We could not be in better hands.
Additionally, these valuable team members have been promoted:
Christine Scheffer to Vice President of Operations. One of our first-ever employees, Christine Scheffer has worn a lot of VPCS hats over the years. The bulk of her responsibilities now focus on HR and finance, which are key functions as we continue to add to our employee roster. “Our company culture has become so well defined in recent years,” said Christine. “Now that we have more than 50 employees, it changes things – not only with regard to how we adhere to California employment laws, but it means that more of our people can specialize. When we were a smaller operation, our people wore a lot of hats. Now we can focus on specific roles, which helps us do an even better job for our clients.” Christine has recently added some credentials next to her name, having secured PHRca (Professional in Human Resources – California) and SHRM-CP (Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional) certifications. “Studying for these certifications has given me important new tools that help ensure we’re complying with state regulations now that we’ve grown to the 50+ size,” she said. Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson sums up how valuable Christine is to the company by saying, “Christine is our unsung hero. She does things every day that support every single person in this company.”
Jennifer Gibb to Vice President of Business Development. In her time with VPCS, Jennifer Gibb has made an indelible mark on our business, helping to broaden our reach into new districts and new regions throughout California. “I’m really proud of how successful we’ve been in recent years to bring our specific brand of customer service – what we call the Van Pelt Way – to so many new communities around the state,” said Jennifer. “As we continue to grow, and grow thoughtfully, I’m looking forward to helping our executive leadership meet this company’s expanding goals. Plus, we’re always mindful about supporting our own employees as we add to the roster, managing growth in a way that supports our clients and personnel equally.” Kelli Jurgenson noted that Jennifer possesses particularly valuable relationship-building skills, both within VPCS and in the industry, which makes her especially good at her job. “Having someone who is so future-minded be involved in the discussion about the company’s strategic trajectory is going to be so important going forward,” said Kelli.
For the past few months, it’s been our distinct pleasure to welcome three young interns to the VPCS ranks, all up-and-coming professionals we’ve been proud to involve in our work. But our 2024 interns are not the only ones who have learned from the experience; we’ve also gained an enormous amount from them. “Talking with our interns about what they’re studying in school really helps VPCS understand what’s being taught – and, in some cases, what’s not being taught – in the programs training the next generation,” said Vice President Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson. “It gives us a better understanding of how to prepare our youngest employees for success.”
We chatted with our three 2024 interns – Olivia Schultz, Christopher Escalona-Barragan and Gabe Cabezas – to hear how they’ve spent their summers.
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Olivia Schultz
A rising junior in the undergraduate architecture program at the University of Tennessee, Olivia pursued her VPCS internship to learn more about the structural side of the built environment. “I decided to do this instead of an architecture internship because I’ve been learning a lot in school about design choices, but I realized I wanted to understand more about how buildings are actually built,” she said.
Olivia worked on a variety of projects as part of VPCS’s Napa Valley USD assignment. “It’s been so interesting going to job sites and assessing what’s needed, then looking at the design plans to see what solutions the architects are proposing,” she said. She was also involved in both ends of the moving process, helping pack up classrooms at the start of the summer and then moving things into newly renovated spaces in time for the start of the school year. “When it comes to understanding what VPCS does on a school site, I’ve gotten to see the before and after, which is really cool,” Olivia reported.
Olivia plans to add an extra year to her studies and graduate with degrees in both landscape and traditional architecture. In both contexts, she is drawn to the idea of sustainable design. “I’m really interested in the idea of making buildings – including schools – that last longer,” Olivia said. Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson thinks Olivia’s a natural. “Her assistance in the design of a new office space for district maintenance staff was very helpful to our team,” noted Kelli.
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Christopher Escalona-Barragan
A 2024 high school graduate, Chris also worked with the Napa Valley USD team, which is especially meaningful because it’s the district he grew up in. “I got connected to VPCS through a mentorship program at Vintage High School that matched students and graduates with local companies offering different internships,” said Chris. “I’ve really liked working here because it’s given me a lot of behind-the-scenes knowledge about what actually goes on when something’s getting built.”
Throughout the summer, Chris shadowed other team members just to observe and help however he could. “They gave me work to do and I just got it done,” he reported. Kelli, who also oversaw Chris’ efforts, agrees that he’s a great team player. “He has such a positive attitude and is always willing to pitch in,” she said.
Chris has a bit of industry experience working construction at his uncles’ Napa winery, although this has been his first exposure to construction management. The internship was well timed, since he is beginning a CM program at Santa Rosa Junior College this fall. “I’m definitely drawn to the ‘numbers’ side of this business; that’s more up my alley,” said Chris. “And I’m learning that there’s a lot of paperwork involved in construction management, which can be a lot of hard work. But it’s fun seeing it all pay off at the end of the project. That’s a good feeling.”
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Gabe Cabezas
Gabe has been part of the extended VPCS family for most of his life, as his father, Cesar Cabezas, has worked for the company for more than 20 years. “The whole time I was growing up, it’s almost been my calling to work here,” said Gabe. “I’ve always listened to what my dad has said about what he does for a living and it piqued my interest from an early age.”
His assignments this summer confirmed that he wants to end up in this industry when he starts his career. He’s spent the summer supporting the Pleasanton USD team and says he’s learned so much from everyone he’s worked with. “It was something different every day from going on site walks to organizing work files in the office,” he explained. “I really loved it.”
With his internship wrapped up, Gabe is returning to Jessup University, where he’s studying business with a focus on project and construction management. “This internship has been so helpful to get that first-hand experience to go with what I’m learning at school,” he said. “I hope to come back and work here full-time some day. The Van Pelts are just amazing people.”
Over VPCS’s nearly 30-year history, our clients have come to expect a certain something – a level of service, an attention to detail, a human touch – that they might not find anywhere else. Our colleagues and partners have known us for decades by this same reputation. To those of us on the inside, we call this certain something by its name: the Van Pelt Way. Our co-founders, Mark Van Pelt and Mike Van Pelt, are justifiably proud of this company philosophy and how it has helped distinguish us in our industry. They’re also pleased that our deep bench of future VPCS leaders embraces it just as fervently. Here are a few of Mark and Mike’s thoughts on the subject:
Q: How would you describe the Van Pelt Way?
Mark: It’s actually defined in a manual we give to every new employee. In that document, we say that the Van Pelt Way is our “foundational ethos – rooted in integrity, transparency, professionalism and service” – and it’s what sets our company apart. We like to think of it as our secret sauce.
Mike: It’s about doing whatever it takes, which is often about relieving issues for clients in ways that our competitors wouldn’t necessarily think of as part of their duties or contract. It’s when we step up and say, “We’ll take care of it.”
Mark: That’s right. “Whatever it takes” has become our motto.
Q: How did the Van Pelt Way come to be?
Mark: Mike and I have always had this kind of work ethic and we’ve both just developed it over the years. Once we started VPCS, we realized that we had an advantage over our competitors because we came from the general contracting world. That means we don’t just know how to manage construction, but we also know how to build buildings. So that’s part of how the Van Pelt Way emerged because we can step in to handle a wider variety of problems that come up on projects.
Mike: Exactly. In the early days of our company, we realized that clients sometimes struggled with issues during the construction process. And we saw so many of our competitors saying, “Just let ’em struggle.” They didn’t want to go outside the parameters of their contracts. But we knew that if our clients were successful, then we’d be successful. It just became part of our routine to do whatever we could to support our clients’ success. Now it’s second nature for everyone on our team.
Q: Can you share a couple of examples of how you’ve gone above and beyond in service to a client?
Mike: There are hundreds of them. One that always come to mind for me is the time when construction caused a traffic routing pattern at an elementary school to change right before the start of the school year. Parents had been using the same drop-off pattern for decades and we knew the new parking lot and site work might be confusing on the first day of school. So a bunch of us from the VPCS team grabbed flags and put on vests and helped direct traffic. Nowhere in our contract did it say we had to do anything like that, but it just seemed like an easy way to help the district.
Mark: I’ve got another first-day-of-school story. We’d finished a new classroom building at an elementary school and in the early morning hours on that first day, a drain line backed up and flooded the playground. The district called its maintenance team to come deal with it but they weren’t going to be there for hours, which meant possibly delaying the first day of the year at that school. So our project team ran to Home Depot very early in the morning and bought a bunch of brooms and other equipment and cleaned the whole thing up before the start of the school day. It was like it never happened. No other CM or PM in this business would do that.
Mike: How about the time when I went with a client to a rock quarry an hour’s drive from his district to help him pick out a piece of stone that he wanted to use for the front office desk at the new school we were building for him? There I was, picking out rocks because that’s what my client asked me to do. That district ended up with a beautiful desk!
Mark: Or the time when a client from a small district was going on vacation and asked me to sit at her desk while she was gone. She didn’t mean do my PM work from her office at district headquarters; she meant do my job and do her job. Because she didn’t just oversee the facilities department – she was also in charge of food service, transportation, custodial services and a million other things. It was actually a blast; I loved it. And we had that client for more than a decade after that, so it’s the kind of stuff that pays off.
Q: How have you managed to honor the small company ethos as the company has grown?
Mark: We’re really careful about training new people so they understand how we do things; we also have regular all-hands meetings where the whole team comes together to share ideas and stories about how to do the job while also delivering great service. Looking ahead to when Kelli [Van Pelt Jurgenson] and Eric [Van Pelt] take the reins, they’ll continue to cultivate the Van Pelt Way too, and they’ll be surrounded by others we’ve brought on board who are just as committed to it. It’s important that we keep this part of our DNA because that’s what sets us apart and makes us successful.
Mike: It’s true. It’s the only way Mark and I have ever worked; it’s the only way we’ve ever done things since we started VPCS; it’s the only way Kelli and Eric have ever seen things being done. And as new employees come on board, it doesn’t take them long to figure out that we run things differently than other companies. The Van Pelt Way is pretty built in around here.
