Intuit Dome recently had the privilege of interviewing Quaison “Q” Wiley, a local business professional deeply involved in the construction of the project.
Can you give us some background on where you grew up?
Quaison “Q” Wiley: I was born in Buffalo, New York, and came to California in 1989. I started working at an air conditioning company with my cousin.
How did you start at TEC Constructors & Engineers?
Quaison “Q”: At about age 38-40 I noticed there was a school being built near my house and it was a TEC project. I began as part of the We Build program and I was hired as security for a few months on their project site. I attended UCLA Extension at night after work where I took courses in construction management and safety and I also received my associate’s degree. I then began working with LAUSD on building schools and kept in touch with TEC. In 2012, I started officially with TEC on the LAX-West Gates project.
What do you do at Intuit Dome? What does a typical day look like for you on-site?
Quaison “Q”: I am in charge of general requirements which means that we do any task that needs to be completed or that may have been overlooked. We close scope gaps for the construction team. I manage about 40-50 construction team members. I mostly work with laborers and carpenters and arrive on-site at about 5:30 a.m. I meet with the superintendents to know what the pressing issues are for the week, I make sure that everyone has their Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), and also supervise the crew.
How did you start working on Intuit Dome and when did you start?
Quaison “Q”: We worked at So-Fi Stadium with the joint venture team and we bid for the project. I started at Intuit Dome in April 2021. I helped move everything over from So-Fi to across the street at our project site. I was one of the original workers at Intuit Dome.
What advice do you have for young people who want to get into the construction field?
Quaison “Q”: My advice would be to look inside themselves and see if that is what they want to really do. Learn as much as you can about everything you don’t know. Look to specialize in something that you can learn so you can teach other young people. That is one of the things that I love about my job, is the chance to mentor young people who want to get into construction.
How is this project different from others you have worked on?
Quaison “Q”: When you meet owners like Steve Ballmer who really care about obtaining local hires, and you have the ability to help young people, then that is what you try to do. That is my focus especially on this project, to dedicate the time and energy to the new hires. You don’t always have the opportunity to do that in these big projects, and to work for someone who is focused on the same task, then you definitely want to take advantage of it.
Thank you, Q, taking the time to speak to us and for giving us a glimpse into your world and the remarkable work happening at Intuit Dome.