Pub. 3 2020-21 Issue 2

38 What’s your story? Where are you from, and where did you grow up? I’m actually from Payson, Utah and my grandparents raised me. I had a troubled youth, got in with the wrong friends, and went to prison for 15 months. I got out six years ago and began working a year later for Staker Parson. I thought prison was going to hold me back. Everyone did, but then I realized that I was the only one holding me back. What is your educational background? I am a high school graduate with a little bit of college. After high school, I started going to school for business management, but I don’t have enough patience to sit in the classroom. It’s hard for me to sit and be patient. I thrive where I’m at because there are always new challenges, and I can use my smarts to do things, but I’m not trapped in a classroom and forced to listen to someone give a speech. What about your work background? I started at a young age working in a movie theater for my grandparents. Also, I worked at a gas station and the state hospital for two years as a psych tech, which was interesting and fun all at the same time. It kept you on your toes for sure. After that, I worked for Staker Parson from 2008 to the end of the season 2012. When I got out of prison in 2015, I applied at Staker Parson, but they said “no” at first. They wanted to see whether I had changed. I worked at Goff Construction, got off parole and applied at Staker Parson again in 2016. I tell people all the time that I am the epitome of change in a lot of ways. I like to see that women are starting to show up in the construction industry. When I was at Staker Parson the first time, there were four of us. That changed during the years since 2012. Now there are several of us doing all different parts of the work: foreman, paver, roller operators and traffic control (flaggers). How did you get involved with UAPA? I actually got involved through the Utah branch of Women of Asphalt. I have been a part of WofA for two years. UAPA reached out to our Utah chapter and asked us to be part of it. I went to an event, and I saw Jeff Collard and Keri Dumont there. I know Jeff Collard from Staker Parson, and Kerri Dumont is a liaison between WofA and UAPA. I am just new to UAPA, but you have to start somewhere. I thought UAPA was just something the higher-ups did. But it’s a good networking opportunity for everybody. Now that I know that, I am telling other people about it. How did COVID-19 affect the asphalt industry? COVID-19 was a challenge. You had to wear masks and work with 300-degree asphalt. Other than that, it only affected relationships in the office. You couldn’t go in and talk to someone in person; you had to talk by phone. Other than that, it didn’t have a huge impact on us. How has your UAPA membership benefited you? The networking that goes on at UAPA meetings is of great benefit to everyone. That was an eye-opener. When I learn about things I haven’t seen before, it helps with my job. What other people learn from me helps other people with their jobs. Talking to other people and learning from them gives me a good perspective about the entire industry, which is nice. You’re a paving foreman! What’s the story behind that? I started as a roller operator and a laborer. After I did that, I took my hiatus. Then I came back as a lead roller operator. I worked on a custom crew and a highway crew. Several foremen along the way taught me about how to measure and what you do when trucking. My foreman was let go, and I took his spot because they needed someone who knew the crew. Next season, they had hired a couple of people, and I went back to lead roller. But I wanted to learn, and I knew I wanted to be a foreman. They taught me more things, MEET HALEY ISAACSON Staker Parson Materials and Construction Women of Asphalt Leadership Team