Woven in the Fabric
ANDREA BUKACEK ‘03 RETURNS HOME IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE
— By Brendan J. O’Brien Andrea Bukacek ’03 knows a thing or two about building. And success. And building success. As President of the Bukacek Construction Group, a proud Prairie alumna and current parent (her daughter Aubrey is a member of the Class of 2032), she’ll be the first to tell you about the importance of a strong foundation. Earlier this fall, Bukacek visited campus to meet with the Early School, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade classes. She shared details of the job and answered questions about how many bricks (over 40,000) and how much concrete (over 140,000 pounds poured at the time of her visit) it took to make the new building. “Prairie is woven into the fabric of my life,” says Bukacek. “It’s an honor, as both an alumna and current parent, to be a part of this next chapter of growth. I take a lot of pride in knowing the legacy of the Leipold Johnson Early Childhood Center will help further Prairie’s mission for generations to come.” In the spring of 2019, after a successful banking career, Bukacek bought the company her grandfather founded in 1963. The move received across-the-board consent from the Bukacek employees who had owned the company ever since Andrea’s father retired in the early 2000s. Last February, she was one of the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 award winners. As the first female CEO at one of the most well-known and respected construction firms in the area – and as an active volunteer and member of the TPS community – she not only remains involved with her alma mater, but checks all the role model boxes. “It was so awesome that Andrea visited campus to meet with the kids,” says Susan Holum, Head of Primary School. “The students have really loved watching the work happen outside the windows. And everyone felt really important that they walked away with their own replica hard hat.” Science tells us these young minds, and these formative years, are exactly that: really important. A time of learning to use your imagination. Learning to form relationships. Learning to discover new interests.
Now, all of it will happen inside a new building that has gone up under the watchful eye of an aluma who understands the role Prairie can play in a young person’s life.
