KCA MEMBER PROFILES

Howard Bernstein President, KCA President, Penn Installations

Why did you get into construction? I worked roofing jobs in Arizona as a kid. It was better money than my friends made doing retail work. It was hard work, but there was merit in doing the hard work and seeing jobs completed as part of a team of others working just as hard. Although I am now an office nerd, that same sense of teamwork stands out when “we” do something special at Penn Installations. Many of my coworkers in the roofing trade were decades older than me. If they could do the hard work, surely, I could rise to the challenge.

What was your first job? Lots of roofing jobs as mentioned above. My first “real” job was with United Parcel Service in their Tempe, Arizona hub, assuring that each of you received your items in an era that preceded Amazon. They truly ran a tight ship and, again, everyone beside you in the hub was held to a high standard. Any time I wanted to walk out, a brother or sister was next to me working just as hard or harder. Sometimes we could do a double shift at 3:00 a.m., and a different group of people would be there but equally hardworking. I would want to impress upon the a.m. people how bad-ass my p.m. crew was as the Lucky Charms digested in my youthful belly. They truly recruited well and demanded the best of their people. I learned much that I keep with me today in being a part of that family.

Where were you born and raised? My wife and I were born in Tucson, Arizona. We were born in the same hospital (St Joseph’s) a couple weeks apart. We met in high school years later, and I thought she looked familiar. We are still married today, the last time I checked.

What is something someone would be surprised to know about you? I completed an Ironman Triathlon and have a picture at the finish line of a man many years my senior who “beat” me but over the course of that day, I found humility and peace in recognizing that we need not fight people running the same race. I hold true to that in construction – KCA has given me the voice to speak to competitors and develop friendships among competitors. Yes, I would like to beat you, 80-year-old guy at Ironman, but we are all in this together. As construction professionals, we are clearly better at working together through groups such as KCA and having the capacity to network and learn from one another. I believe I could beat him today, but that is not the point. He must be 95 by now, but I know we would support one another’s journey--only to have him beat me again! Argh!!

Do you have someone whom you consider to be your hero or role model?

I am definitely a sports guy and love the athleticism of my basketball and football heroes but am far more inspired every day by the men and women whom I work with that show a capacity to care, hold me accountable, and make us better every day. The rare occasions that I get in the field and see people who have the skill and want to contribute to something bigger are always great inspiration. Those that have the desire but lack the skill should know that skill can (continued)