Kim Zwald is an Assistant Project Manager at Mortenson. She recently completed the Russel Science Center, a new chemistry and biology building at Cornell College, and is now renovating the school’s West Science Hall into classroom space for the physics, math, computer science, and engineering departments. 

Kim has overseen everything from concrete, enclosures, lab casework, and interiors on the projects for Cornell College. “There are so many moving parts on a renovation,” said Kim. “I love the fact that I get to solve a new challenge every day and it has been so rewarding to see the end product come together in a way that creates much needed usable teaching space for Cornell.”

She first became interested in engineering because of her father Glenn, who is the Bridge Engineer for the City of Saint Paul. “I always loved hearing about his bridge projects at the dinner table but knew I didn’t want to sit behind a computer and design.” She chose the University of Wisconsin – Madison for the Civil Engineering program and quickly found the construction management path, focusing all her classes and internships on the project management side of the degree.

Her husband Andrew’s family has an organic pick your own berry farm and corn maze in River Falls, Wisconsin called White Pine Berry Farm. In the summer and fall, they spend every extra moment they have picking berries, helping customers, and making jam. “Nothing beats a strawberry straight from the vine that is warm from the sun…It is like tasting your very own ray of sunshine!”

Kim and Andrew also volunteer for their local church by teaching Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University every spring. “We took the class when we were in college and have followed his principals since,” said Kim. “We have taught the class for the past four years and love hearing about the progress our past students have made!”