Wentworth Degree Sparks Sky-High Success for Project Management Grad
Billy Weinstein (far left) is now a project manager at McDonald Electric Corp.
With his heart set on becoming an electrician, Billy Weinstein had a career path all figured out. His brother is an electrician. His father, his grandfather, and his great-grandfather are all retired electricians.
But then an opportunity from Wentworth Institute of Technology ignited a new spark in him, merging his interests, and changing the course of his career altogether.
“I was a third-year electrician apprentice when Wentworth representatives came to our union hall at International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (Local 103) and gave us a speech about how we could pursue our degrees through our company’s partnership with the university,” Weinstein recalled. “And I saw a door that was open, and I went for it.”
Taking part-time courses while continuing to work full-time, Weinstein earned an associate degree in engineering technology from Wentworth in 2017, and a bachelor’s degree in project management from the university in 2019.
Now a project manager at McDonald Electric Corp., Weinstein has been with the company for more than half a decade, and sees his hard work culminate in recognizable, widescale projects, including the citizenM building in Boston’s Back Bay.
“At first, after school, I was in the electricity field working for a different company—working my way up from apprentice to journeyman to foreman to general foreman—and I had an opportunity come about to move over to McDonald Electric and work my way into an office role as a project manager,” said Weinstein. “I didn't want to say no to any opportunity. So, I just kind of jumped in with both feet and said, ‘Yeah, absolutely. I'd love to try it.’ And I've stayed in that role, as a project manager, since I graduated in 2019.”
Whether managing budgets, schedules, or teams on-site, Weinstein has had a hand in the completion of many atmospheric spaces around the city, including the Boston Bruins’ practice space, where he lent his talents as an electrician. His industry knowledge, from on-the-job training, as well as from his education at Wentworth, has equipped him with unique expertise that he excitedly employs in his role as project manager.
“The coolest thing about what I do is being able to share it with my family. I find myself pointing out the projects I’ve worked on, kind of saying, ‘I built that building, I built that building,” he laughed, acknowledging his passion for the projects.
“My grandfather is 98 years old, and he’ll still call me and say, ‘How’s work going?’ It’s great to be able to maintain that connection with him and my family,” he said.
Working as a project manager for an electric company was not initially what Weinstein had in mind for his career, though he now believes it has become the perfect convergence of the skills and knowledge he has developed throughout the course of his studies and industry experience.
“I would like to continue to grow into my role, and just, honestly, be the best project manager I can. I keep getting some really cool projects thrown my way,” Weinstein said.
He’s currently working on a 34-story, high-rise building project near Huntington Avenue, and a theater project in Cambridge. He’s grateful to have had the opportunity to advance his education through Wentworth’s project management program, and eager to learn more as he becomes more experienced.
“I would like to successfully deliver those projects and be able to look back and say, ‘What were my mistakes? What did I do well, and how can I carry that over into my next project?’” he reflected.
When he thinks about the journey that led him to his career, Weinstein attributes much of his success to his education and the university’s partnerships with industry leaders.
“If it wasn’t for Wentworth coming to our union hall and having that conversation that day, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” he said.
