28 Jul Employee Spotlight – Harlee Annis
We would like to highlight one of our remarkable Project Engineers – Harlee Annis! His positive attitude and willingness to go the extra mile make him a joy to work with, inspiring his colleagues to strive for excellence. Please check out the information below to get to know more about Harlee and his background.
Can you give us a quick background on your career progression?
I served nine years in the U.S. Navy Seabees – the navy’s construction force – as a Safety Manager and Project Manager, where I lead a crew and assisted the build of a small arms training building. I was also appointed to the White House Communications Agency as the Carpentry Shop Manager, where I redesigned the Vice Presidential Podium, lead the design and installation of the new Pentagon briefing room, created Standard Operating Procedures for all fabrication shop assets, and implemented a plan for shop members to enroll in the Navy’s medical surveillance program.
After my military service, I joined UCC as an intern through the DOD Skillbridge program in September 2021. I was an intern for 3 months and then moved into a full-time position as a project engineer in November of 2021.
Tell us a bit about what you like to do outside of work.
Outside of work I like to golf in the summer and snowboard in the winter, and last year I started coaching Pop Warner football as well. We bought a house last year that needs a lot of updating so I have been doing a lot of work on the house. We also are looking to raise animals on our 1 acre.
Tell us about a pivotal moment in your career.
The passing of my father was an extremely important part of my life and career, it was a moment that made me stop and really consider what I value in life. After this is when I committed to getting out of the Navy to ensure I could be the best father and husband for my family.
What’s your favorite part about your job?
My favorite part of my job is the new challenges, every job is different and has its new unique challenges that keep things interesting.
What’s the most exciting project you’ve worked on to date?
Lately I have been involved in the some of the preconstruction work for the Dermody Office Building, this is going to be a very challenging and rewarding project for whoever is a part of it once it gets started.
How did you get into construction as a career path?
I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands, in high school I took any shop class I could woodshop, welding, auto shop. I started going to TMCC for welding once I graduated high school and shortly after that is when I learned about the Navy Seabees and joined as a Builder where I go to do some basic rough carpentry, concrete, masonry and other great opportunities.