HFC welcomes new Construction and Project Coordinator
Tanusree Coomar is the latest person to join the ranks of HFC as the College’s new Construction and Project Coordinator.
Her responsibilities include overseeing all facility construction and improvement projects at the College. She is also responsible for the management and oversight of building use, stewardship, operation, and general administration of College facilities. In this position, Coomar reports to HFC Director of Facilities Reuben Brukley.
“My first week at HFC has been a dream,” said Coomar, after starting in mid-March. “Never in my life in the United States have so many people have taken the time to actually learn to pronounce my name and call me by my actual name, which is ‘Tanusree’ (it comes from the Sanskrit words, ‘Tanu’ – which means ‘physique’ – and ‘sree,’ which means ‘beauty’). I am beyond humbled by the respect and the welcome I got from everyone I have met so far. Mr. Brukley, who has been the trendsetter in calling me ‘Tanusree’ from the first day of the interview and with whom I have spent most of my time touring the facilities and meeting people at the College, has been just amazing, extremely kind, and welcoming to me.”
Fascinated by seeing the construction industry in Gujarat
A native of India, Coomar immigrated to the U.S. in 1998. She currently lives in Monroe with her husband and two children. Coomar has worked in the construction industry for nearly 10 years.
Coomar has an associate degree in construction management from Monroe County Community College. She has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in Gujarat, India, as well as a bachelor’s degree in construction management from Eastern Michigan University.
Currently, Coomar is enrolled in the graduate program in civil engineering with a focus in environmental engineering at Ohio University in Athens, OH. In addition to her degrees, she has a certification in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Safety Program. She recently earned her Michigan real estate license. Coomar speaks fluent Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, and English.
“I grew up in a subdivision in Gujarat, India, where there were a lot of old houses and empty lots being converted into mansions right in front of my eyes. I would often see the engineers in the hard hats with their blueprints in their hands conversing with the field crews. The idea of making those abstract lines on a paper into something so concrete, so tangible, so real, always intrigued me and enticed me,” said Coomar. “It was an extremely tough discussion with my parents, because constructiont has historically been described as a non-traditional occupation for women. I feel blessed that in the end they let me prevail. When I see the results of my team’s hard work and contributions to the construction industry in the form of completed projects that I was able to be a part of, I get this tremendous sense of pride.”
Diversity of duties attracted her to HFC
When considering HFC, “I liked the idea of being able to apply my experience of dealing with construction contracts, estimates, specifications, shop drawings, job mix design, site supervision, and so much more – all at the same time!” she said. “What really attracted me to compete for this position was when I found out during the initial interview about the vast number of big projects HFC is getting ready to take on. When I found out about the upcoming new construction of the Technology Building and the Energy Learning Center (ELC), I got very excited about this position. It was amazing to know that the Technology Building is going to be a total of 24,000 square feet. This will create multidisciplinary labs, renovated automotive labs, and business and entrepreneurial collaboration spaces.”
According to Coomar, what makes the ELC Project even more unique is it includes the creation of a new energy center of about 7,000 square feet at the southern arc of the Technology Building, which, in turn, will include a flexible mix of heating supply components serving the entire campus, such as combined heat and power generation, high-efficiency boilers, and thermal storage.
“In addition, a project that is even more interesting to me, which will also be taught within the ELC, is the upgrading of the cooling supply and the installation of 500 KW of solar photovoltaic generation on rooftops and parking structures,” said Coomar. “I was convinced this position will give me a learning opportunity like none other, and will provide me an opportunity to be a part of a transformational team that will shape the future of the College and the community.”