Meet Maricela Gomez

What made you passionate about working in this industry?

What drives me daily is uplifting communities and people and seeing them gain access to opportunities and a better quality of life. Equity is about ensuring we all have access to clean drinking water, medical facilities, education and getting where we need to go safely and reliably. 

Working on programs like BuildLACCD, I see the results of good public policy morphing into projects that improve the community’s quality of life. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work on transformative policies and see them implemented, such as providing affordable housing to a teacher so she could live closer to work or keeping thousands of Hollywood’s below-the-line workers working in California.

In your opinion, how can we encourage further cooperation between different stakeholders?

When we listen, we learn, then we can collaborate. To find success, we must find common ground. There must be a common goal, whether it’s access to drinking water, housing, transportation or medical facilities. My approach is to always listen to the diverse stakeholders in our communities and respect one another’s voices. Then, I can weave those threads that we have in common to find compromise and build consensus.

What is one of the biggest challenges you see in the role you’re taking on here at Jacobs?

The biggest challenge with working on a mature program like BuildLACCD is to keep it motivated, fresh and innovative. The work we are doing now differs from what they did in the early years. The program is starting a new chapter as it leads the nation in providing comprehensive, holistic student support services, including affordable housing and technology to address aging infrastructure. I’m excited about being part of a team that brings in fresh ideas that build upon the 20+ year success of this program.

Our biggest challenge in the building and infrastructure industry is time. We’re seeing changes to our environment and climate, making timing critical. We must be responsible stewards of our environment and community, working diligently and safely while building resilience for tomorrow and beyond. To also be good stewards, we must partner with our clients, building consensus and collaboration. Projects no longer stop at the construction fence; I see my role as including the whole community on the project journey. 

As a California native, how do you engage with the community outside of the office?

I have served on various boards and organizations focused on working with underserved and underrepresented communities throughout my career. One example would be Heidi Duckler Dance. She is a Los Angeles native like me and choreographs dances utilizing the built environment. Instead of performing in traditional spaces, they dance on rooftops or parks. Then, all their proceeds go toward dance instruction in low-income schools. I was also a dancer growing up, and organizations like hers are a fantastic way to provide outlets and opportunities.

What excites you about the future of working on programs like this one for #OurJacobs?

It’s  the most exciting time to be in buildings and infrastructure in the U.S. The private and public sectors are aligned to ensure we’re ready for the next 100 years. Federal, local and state dollars are now available to improve our communities, transforming how we live, work and play. Jacobs is at the forefront of making these critical changes a reality. I’m excited to work for a company like Jacobs because we are innovative, forward-thinking and living up to our motto of challenging today and reinventing tomorrow.