Meet Anabel Hernandez, Construction Program Manager
Three key pillars — Approachable People, Proven Capabilities, and Global Experience — are the foundation of the TYLin brand and the reason for our success.
From her early days working on the Wacker Drive Reconstruction Project to leading the Chicago Sewer Lining Program, Anabel Hernandez has demonstrated a deep commitment to collaboration and innovation. Inspired by the diverse team members she works alongside, Anabel has helped shape the future of project management at TYLin. Her passion for fostering inclusive teams and creating opportunities for the next generation of engineers shines through in her leadership.
Join us as we explore Anabel’s journey, her insights on diversity in engineering, and how her cultural background enriches the TYLin family.
When did you join TYLin?
I joined TYLin in November 2001 to work as a Doc Tech on the East/West Wacker Drive Reconstruction Project. After the project, Bruce Bushnell was very kind and assisted me with a company relocation to work under one of TYLin’s subcontractors, Singh and Associates. I assisted the TYLin design team with the document production of the Wacker Drive Reconstruction Project. During this time, I continued working in the TYLin office, and it was as if I had never stopped working for TYLin. I was rehired in March 2004, and this year, I celebrated my 20th anniversary with TYLin since my rehiring.
Describe your role and what sector you are in.
I am part of the PM+CM practice and currently perform a program management role on the Sewer Lining Project for the Chicago Department of Water Management.
What are some memorable projects that you have worked on?
My first project with TYLin was the Wacker Drive Reconstruction project. It was the first project I experienced from the demolition phase to full construction. Wacker Drive is a double-decker road in downtown Chicago that is used to access buildings' loading docks on the lower part and move traffic through the downtown area on both the lower and upper roads. This assignment is where I met Joyce Barnes, Ron Crawford, and Dan Anderson, who have inspired my career at TYLin. The other project that is dear to my heart is my current project, the Sewer Lining Program. I started working on this project in 2008 when it was in its early stages. I have assisted with its development and established protocols. I have seen the program flourish from its early stages to what it has currently become.
Can you share a bit about your cultural identity and what this month means to you?
My family migrated to the U.S. in the late 1970s from Mexico City. I didn't have a problem with my cultural identity while I was growing up because I grew up in a predominantly Mexican neighborhood in Chicago. Everyone was just like me, and everyone spoke my language. I learned about cultural differences once I started high school and became aware that I was no longer the majority but rather the minority. I attended a predominantly white, girls’ Catholic high school on the south side of Chicago. My cultural identity was finally challenged because I had to prove that Hispanics were just as good as everyone else in that school. I also had to prove that I was proud of my cultural background, where I came from, my traditions, and my language. September is the Hispanic Heritage Month in the U.S., and this month is important to me because it highlights and celebrates the importance of who we are as an ethnic group. It is a time to celebrate who we are and where we come from around the world. It’s a very colorful month full of festivities, parades, music, and food to showcase how beautiful and rich the Hispanic cultures are.
Have you had any significant Hispanic mentor figures in your career?
No, I have not, but I have worked with Yecenia Perez from D’Escoto for the past 15 years in the Sewer Lining Program. Even though she is not a mentor, I see her as an inspiration. She is a strong and dedicated Hispanic woman who has worked side by side with me and has been an essential part of the development of the Sewer Lining Program.
Can you share your perspective on the diversity within the Hispanic Community?
The Hispanic Community is very extensive. Twenty-one countries speak Spanish, and each country is very diverse in its culture, language, and traditions. I was born in Mexico City and raised in Chicago, so every time I travel to Mexico, I’m a tourist in my own country. I enjoy seeing how different each region of Mexico is and how rich it is in its culture and traditions, so if my little county is so rich and diverse, can you imagine how diverse the Hispanic Community is among the 21 Spanish-speaking countries?
How can we inspire and encourage more Hispanics to consider the engineering industry?
TYLin has developed the BLUEPRINT initiative to help inspire a new generation of young engineers. Joyce Barnes and Ron Crawford have inspired me and other Hispanics in the Chicago office to extend the program, reach out to the Hispanic youngsters within our communities, and start educating them in engineering and construction. I was very excited to see that TYLin also has an office in my own country of Mexico! I can’t wait to start the BLUEPRINT initiative within my community and show off the wonderful projects TYLin engineers are a part of in Mexico, Latin America, and around the world.
How does your cultural background contribute to TYLin's mission of connecting people and places?
Every culture has something different and beautiful to share with the world. As a Mexican, I grew up always having a house filled with family. There was always an uncle, a cousin, or a grandparent living with us. I learned that everyone was different and had different needs and personalities, but everyone was loved for who they were as an individual. We all helped and contributed to the house with our abilities, and that is what made us strong as a family. TYLin is that family now. We all help and contribute with our own abilities and differences. We learn from each other and collaborate to make the TYLin family strong. The young ones need the expertise, mentoring, and wisdom of the older family members, and the older family members need the new abilities of the younger engineers to help innovate and bring new perspectives to their projects. TYLin understands that everyone’s individuality is important, but we work as a family unit to create a strong family within the TYLin family.
What have been the skills/strengths that have helped you succeed most in your career thus far?
The skills and strengths that have helped me to succeed the most in my career have been my work ethic, teamwork, and understanding my team’s needs. As a manager, I know I have to get the work done no matter what it takes. Some tasks may require time outside of work hours to complete or require innovative, outside-the-box problem-solving. Early in the Lining Program, I learned it takes different people with different skills to build a successful program. The strength and success of the Lining Program are its team and comradery. It’s important to understand the personal and professional needs of your team. With the diversity of my team, I need to understand and respect their cultural and religious needs. As a manager, I need to be flexible to support my team’s personal needs and trust that they will respond responsibly at all times to the project’s needs.
What are your professional goals? Where do you see yourself at TYLin in five years?
I’ve seen TYLin transformed right before my eyes since I started my career in the early 2000s. It's an exciting time to be working at TYLin under Matt Cumming’s leadership and with all the brands that have joined TYLin. My education is in architecture. TYLin was only an engineering firm when I started working here. I never thought I would ever have an opportunity to work in the architecture field again, but with all the changes happening at TYLin I see the potential of going back into the architecture field. One of my goals is to work alongside the architecture team and incorporate my project management skills into an architecture project. Another goal I have is to be able to personally visit some of the amazing projects TYLin has worked on internationally.
Five years from now, I see myself as a contracts manager. TYLin’s new PM training is helping me see the big picture and understand what is needed to run a big company.
TYLin’s brand position is "Connecting people, places, and ideas." How do you see this reflected in the work you do every day?
I have spent most of my career in the development of the Sewer Lining Program with the Chicago Water Department. Our team is very diverse, growing from a four-person team to a 25-person team. With that growth came people from different ethnic and professional backgrounds, knowledge, and skills. Their knowledge and skills helped contribute to what the program currently is. The team’s contributions and new ideas have been an essential part of the development of the Chicago Sewer Lining Program.
What is one piece of advice you would give to others about their careers?
The advice I would give to younger engineers starting their careers would be that sometimes career aspirations may deviate from our original targets, but there is always an opportunity to learn, develop new skills, and grow in a different career that is satisfying and rewarding. You never know when you may touch back on the original career path but with a different set of skills. Many young engineers ask for opportunities to grow but neglect that sometimes we create our own opportunities within our projects, which is how we develop our careers.