Sagrado Sparks, McCarthy Building Companies | WWD Young Pros

June 15, 2023
Sagrado Sparks, vice president of operations for McCarthy Building Companies, said the nuance, intricacies and value to the community has propelled his passion for constructing water and wastewater plants across the country.

With a civil engineering background, Sagrado Sparks' first construction project was a wastewater treatment plant, and he has stuck with the industry ever since. The complexity of the projects and the value they provide their communities are both qualities that he said secured his interest in the industry for the long term.

Sparks, vice president of operations for McCarthy Building Companies, shares his career history, how he explains his job to those outside the industry, and why connection with nature is an important value that drives his personal and professional advancement.

Additional resources

Timestamps

  • Why water and career history | 0:55
  • The power of always learning something new | 2:45
  • Explaining his job to the layperson | 3:34
  • Hobbies and decompression | 5:00
  • Building a connection with the wilderness | 6:10
  • A memorable and prideful project | 6:46
  • The influence of the next generation | 8:58
  • A message on hiring and retention | 9:56
  • Outro | 12:43

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About the Author

Bob Crossen

Bob Crossen is the editorial director for the Endeavor Business Media Water Group, which publishes WaterWorld, Wastewater Digest and Stormwater Solutions. Crossen graduated from Illinois State University in Dec. 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in German and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. He worked for Campbell Publications, a weekly newspaper company in rural Illinois outside St. Louis for four years as a reporter and regional editor. 

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