Meet Jesse Ortiz

Jesse has been a member of JPI’s Western Construction team since 2016, and currently serves as Superintendent II on the CenterPoint project in Placentia, California. Though he began his stint in multifamily construction with JPI, his construction experience is extensive and varied – from concrete pouring to painting, he has worked in almost every area of the multifamily construction process.  

For Jesse, the biggest difference doing construction work in a managerial role, rather than as a subcontractor, is in the responsibility he feels toward his projects: “being a Superintendent is in the verifying, the scheduling, and the management – that’s a large difference compared to just showing up and doing the work.” 

As Superintendent II, Jesse is part of a massive project management team that oversees the entire construction site and process. His day-to-day work consists mainly of preparation: preparing schedules, preparing the job site for subcontractors, and even preparing for the next projects to come. But preparation is little without maintenance and execution – so how does the project management team juggle so many moving parts?  

“The way we play it now,” said Jesse, “it’s a very collaborative approach. We gather often and walk the job sites together – asking for each other’s opinions and reaching out to one another for help when we need it.” 

JPI’s construction teams are tasked with uniquely exciting, yet challenging responsibility: building something spectacular from the ground up. But leaders like Jesse inspire the creation of community in more ways than one – not only are construction teams building communities through physical residences, but also through their relationships with one another.  

“The difference in working on-site is that you can really see people for who they are; there’s a sense of friendship,” Jesse said. “Seeing these personalities come together and work together, you really come to appreciate what you’re doing.” 

Q&A WITH JESSE 

Q: If you could instantly become an expert in something, what would it be?  

A: Scheduling.  

Q: What random topic are you an expert in?  

A: Gardening! I love working in my garden; I’m currently growing some herbs and tomatoes.  

Q: What piece of advice would you share with your younger self?  

A: I would say, “even though you don’t care about finances, they are very important!” Preparation is everything, and I would make myself start preparing sooner.