Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes the achievements and contributions of Hispanic American champions who have inspired others to achieve success.  This week, we’d like you to meet one of ULI Arizona’s young Rising Stars:  Jena Esquivel, Marketing Coordinator at Willmeng Construction.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your career.
I am a 3^rd generation Mexican-American born and raised in Arizona. I graduated college with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from the Art Institute of Phoenix and made my way into the marketing profession at Harley-Davidson of Scottsdale while I was taking night classes in college.   Five years later in 2017, I joined the A/E/C industry gaining experience at the award-winning architecture firm Studio Ma where I joined NOMA Arizona and am now the marketing director for the chapter. In early 2021, I started working for Willmeng Construction where I joined ULI after receiving a membership scholarship and currently participate in the ULI 2D Committee as a liaison for the Communications Committee.

What is the biggest challenge you have overcome?
My father passed away in August 2019 which was the first major death in my life.  My initial, numb reaction was to immediately begin grief counseling which paved the way for me to address many things beyond the loss of my father and start the healing process. The tools and behaviors I’ve learned from my grief counselor are life-lasting and led me to where I am now – happy and healthy achieving more than I thought possible.

Why are you a member of ULI?
I first heard about the DEI Membership Scholarship opportunity through Sara Yehia from the ULI DEI Committee, who encouraged members from NOMA Arizona to apply. I also learned that the company I worked at is very involved in the organization and I wanted to learn more about the industry while making connections and getting involved. Serving my local community and building my network to influence the built environment around me is important and the programs that ULI offers seemed like a great way to make this happen.

Connect with Jena on LinkedIn at:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jena-esquivel/