Workforce Spotlight: Daniel “Danny” Mendoza
Daniel “Danny” Mendoza grew up in Chicago’s Bridgeport community. He worked security and warehouse jobs after high school, but then construction caught his eye. In particular, Danny took an interest in how different colored bricks and stone made buildings stand out.
Danny got his official introduction to masonry in a Job Corps building trades program 20 years ago. Today, he’s a marble mason for Cleveland Marble, the subcontractor installing granite panels on the facade of the Obama Presidential Center. In this role, he is responsible for setting stones from the mast climbers and leading one of the setting crews — a job that requires not not only skill, but nerve. While working on the Center, Danny traverses heights of up to 225 feet.
Lakeside Alliance spoke with Danny about what makes the stone installation at the Center unique, what it means to him to be a part of the Obama Presidential Center project and more.
What work do you perform on the Obama Presidential Center project?
I lead one of the setting crews with Cleveland Marble. My crew is myself, the setter, and Ron, an apprentice bricklayer. Before the facade is installed, we have to go up onto machines and clean out embeds to get everything ready for the waterproofers. Once the waterproofing is done, we go back up to caulk and put in stick pins that will hold the installation. Then we start placing the stone. Ron and I are a team and we always communicate because safety is our top priority.
What about the stone installation on the Center is unique?
To me, what’s unique is that every course has its own load bearing, so you never put one piece on top of another piece. Because we’re going up so high, you don’t want any weight sitting on the bottom course. It would be too heavy and it would collapse. Another thing is that the design of the building angles out, and then at the halfway point it angles in, so it’s a little more challenging to set the stone and make sure it goes into our clips the way we want it.
For somebody new to this work, you’d look at it and think, “I don’t know what to do.” You have to focus on training people to do this in the right way. You don’t want to just throw anybody up there that doesn’t have any experience because it can be a dangerous job. But to me, this is the best part of construction because that’s the outside of the building. That’s the appearance.
Do you get used to working so high up?
When you first start, you get a little bit of the jitters. But once you’re there a couple days, it all goes away. We’ve been up to the top of the Museum building already. It’s a great view!
What does it mean to you to be a part of this project?
I am proud of my work. Any job I do, I show my kids, “Hey, I did that.” My parents come to visit for vacation and they’ll ask, “What building are you working on now?” So I get to teach them and show them, and then they take pictures to show everybody back in Mexico. To me, the Center is a big source of pride because it’s one of the bigger buildings in the neighborhood. It’s going to stand out so nicely and you have it right on the lakefront.
What is your greatest hope for the outcome of the Obama Presidential Center?
For the community to come around and use it as a gathering space. There will be a lot of open space for people to walk around, and the kids can go to the library and the park. I like how much of it is hands-on!