“My internship over 20 years ago was a strong first step toward the position I now hold.”

CHA’s Partner-in-Charge of governmental, commercial, and institutional building design, Tom O’Brien, has over 24 years of experience in his field… and all of it has been with CHA. Since he started with us as an intern in 1980, his career has progressed to the point where he now manages large, complex projects requiring extensive coordination among engineers, architects, construction managers, and contractors.

Tom started building his own “practice” at CHA early on in his career. His can-do attitude toward client service allowed him to build solid relationships with numerous clients, architects, and contractors. This created many opportunities to participate in and manage challenging projects over the years, including a 17,000-seat municipal sports and entertainment arena, research laboratories for colleges and Fortune 500 companies, and numerous municipal and county justice facilities. Tom traces his success all the way back to his roots as an intern.

"My experience as an intern at CHA introduced me to many aspects of engineering and construction,” said Tom. “CHA showed a real interest in my career development. In the beginning, they brought me on for summers, winter and spring breaks, and even some long weekends, which went a long way toward making ends meet while at school. Perhaps most importantly, it exposed me to the business of consulting, allowed me to demonstrate my abilities, and was a strong first step toward the challenging and rewarding position I now hold more than twenty years later.”