SMMA is pleased to announce Julie Leduc as the firm’s Director of OPM Services.
In this new role, Julie will focus on expanding SMMA’s OPM service group beyond our established K-12 market and into municipal and higher education markets.
Julie brings a diverse professional background in hospitality, construction, and owner’s project management. Her OPM experience includes managing projects for K-12 schools, higher education facilities, municipal buildings, and housing authorities in Massachusetts.
“My personal mantra is know your audience”, says Julie. “Whether you are with your clients, the end user, your coworker, or even your family—know what each person’s needs are, and what they expect from you."
“My goal is to grow the OPM market at SMMA and expand into higher ed and municipal markets by drawing our K-12 experience and the entire architectural and engineering team. Having a deep bench only reinforces our expertise in these areas.”
Julie’s first taste of management came in the hospitality industry, where she owned her own restaurant in Hingham, MA. She then “fell in love with construction” while renovating her restaurant and 200-year-old house. This led to Julie working for a construction company and then a flooring subcontractor.
“I know how both the contracting and subcontracting worlds work, which I feel makes me well rounded as an OPM,” says Julie. “I can look at our projects from all perspectives.
“The role of an OPM is risk management. We can identify an issue, assess the risk, evaluate a plan, implement the solution, and monitor the results. SMMA’s model of having multiple disciplines under one roof is a benefit most other OPM’s don’t have.”
Lorraine Finnegan, Vice President at SMMA, welcomed Julie to the firm. “We are delighted that Julie has joined our team as Director of OPM Services. Our clients will benefit from her eye on risk management and her ability to identify, assess, and implement a plan for solutions to complex problems. Backed by our amazing team of architects and engineers, we are very excited to see where Julie will take us.”
Julie joins SMMA from Hill International, a construction management firm where she served as OPM for several K-12, higher education, and municipal construction projects.
