After our visit with W.E. O’Neil, we were invited to have dinner at the home of former W.E. O’Neil CEO, Rich Erickson. Mr. Erickson, who played quarterback for the University of Illinois during his undergraduate career, founded the California office of WEO back in 1985, became CEO in 2003, and now works in a leadership development and networking role with the company.

His house quickly became a networking hub of its own, with GLCM students getting the chance to interact with WEO employees and UIUC alumni working in various roles related to the construction industry, such as project management, real estate development, and construction law, to name a few.

After getting to know everyone, we all sat down to enjoy some very extravagant paella, which was prepared right on the back deck. It doubled as the night’s entertainment in between conversations, plus it tasted phenomenal!

Being able to spend some time with UIUC alumni who are established in their careers was very encouraging, as it allowed us to see the continued passion they have for their alma mater. It was a reminder that graduating from such a great school inducts us into a community of very talented and driven individuals that care deeply about the university and the young professionals that it creates!

Blog by Wesley Parish