Builders at Heart: Christine Lenardson

This article is part of our series Builders at Heart, where we highlight the passions and backgrounds of the Clark team — the things that shape us — that allow us to tackle challenges head-on, solve complex problems, and build what matters. 

Meet Christine Lenardson, pictured on the left, a senior superintendent for Clark.

Tell us about your background.

I moved from a small town in Maine to a small town in Florida right at the start of high school. I very quickly realized that I wanted college to be a completely new experience. I applied to large universities only and chose UVA. There, I chose to major in mechanical engineering because I've always loved problem-solving and new challenges. Its versatility allowed me to explore different interests without having to change my major.

During my summers for high school and college, I worked as a camp counselor in Canada. I taught canoeing, archery, and hiking but most enjoyed getting the campers excited about their abilities and strengths. This experience was great preparation for becoming a field leader later in my career, and it taught me that leadership experience can be found outside as often as in the office. 

What brought you to Clark? And what has kept you interested?

I was introduced to Clark through the UVA career fair and with the large alumni base from UVA at Clark I was given a tour of the Museum of the Bible. I was new to DC and was very impressed with the projects in the area. I knew I wanted something with variety and challenges and as a mechanical engineer, I knew I wanted to take a path where I could build things in real life. 

My first project was at the ICPH campus in Fairfax for one of Clark’s many Inova projects. My main focus was building B, which included medical offices, a pharmacy, and infusion suites. This first project really kicked off my career in healthcare and focused me on an interest in healthcare construction. 

Tell us about a memorable day at Clark. Or your favorite Clark memory?

I worked on the renovation of the Baltimore Arena, now CFG Bank Arena, where we were able to celebrate subcontractors in a really special way at the end of the project. We were able to have a celebration with every subcontractor, their families, the design team, the mayor and the community. Being able to walk through with our foreman who were putting long hours and watching them show their kids their work was very rewarding. It was a heartwarming reminder to celebrate the people that built the project.

What project are you currently working on?

After recently completing a small cardio clinic renovation for VCU Health System, I am currently back in the Richmond office working heavily on a priority pursuit. The pursuit combines some of my previous healthcare experience with an intense underground and support of excavation scope. I’ve been using the resources I have developed over the last almost 10 years to put together the best plan to build the job, Clark Foundations, VDC and some other Eastern Group Field Leaders to name a few! 

What are you most proud of, either personally or professionally?

Professionally, I am very proud to be involved in delivering world-class health care. It is really rewarding to see this change in skylines and create immediate delivery to communities. Personally, it has brought me great pride in seeing people grow up here, whether peers or mentees. Whether they were my summer associate or a fellow engineer on a project, it is amazing to see how much development can occur here from job to job. I meet regularly with mentees who are participating in FDG and bootcamp and have loved to get to see them develop. I have learned a lot in my time and I still have a lot to learn, but being able to start passing down my knowledge is something I am very proud of. 

What do you like most about working at Clark?

The easiest answer to this is always the people. Day to day, we work hard and do what it takes to get the job done but the best part is that the people here are still excited and driven by the sense of accomplishment that comes with building. No matter what project I have been on at Clark there has always been this drive. Similarly, I have a lot of trust in leadership here. Clark’s leaders support my growth by giving me challenges I have never done before. For example, in 2024, I was able to lead campus recruiting to be a part of finding the next generation of Clark Engineers and talk to students nationwide about my experience. 

What advice would you give someone looking to start a career in construction?

Immerse yourself in it. When you are new to construction, you are not going to be an expert and that is okay, you will have project leaders for that. As you grow, spend as much time with the trades as possible and always ask, “What can I learn from you?” or “How can I help you to be successful?” You will build relationships and knowledge every day with this approach.