Capitalizing On Public and Private Sector Design Experience

Ming-Yi Wong enjoying her detail at Golden Gate National Recreation Area in the cultural resources division in San Francisco, CA.

Meet Ming-Yi, Project Specialist

What is your name and job title? Ming-Yi Wong, Project Specialist in Design & Construction for the Denver Service Center (DSC).

What experience and education do you have? I am a licensed architect in the State of Hawaii and I have a Master of Architecture, a graduate certificate in Historic Preservation, and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture. I have worked for the National Park Service (NPS) for almost three years. Prior to NPS, I worked for a private architecture firm that specialized in historic preservation and the majority of my projects were institutional and government.

What is a typical day like? My work is immersed in various forms of communication and managing it. That includes being adept at moving all the processes forward, from all the follow-up or initiating emails, to ensuring that the concerns from all levels are addressed as well as the multitude of interactions within our own DSC team. One technique that helps me manage all of my day-to-day responsibilities is to step away from my desk occasionally and enjoy a coffee break.

What career advice would you give to someone who wants to follow a similar path? For a college graduate, I would recommend going out to find opportunities to work in the field of historic preservation (such as NPS internships/programs, or non-profit preservation organizations), get licensed and come join NPS! I think it is important at the DSC level to get the different viewpoints of private versus public sector design work. This is key because in our role at Design & Construction, we work closely with private architecture and engineering firms as well as construction contractors.

What is one of the bigger projects you are working on and what about that project might surprise people? I am enjoying the depth and variety of DSC's portfolio. Being at DSC is providing me a broader and higher understanding of the National Park Service. Specifically how we interface with regions, with the park and with other NPS offices.