Meet the East Dallas Resident Building Healthcare in DFW

Photography by Shelby Tauber

NOTo Another member of Shella Chainaranont’s family is a builder, not to mention working in the construction industry. It has been interesting for the Chainaranont family to see Shella continue on a path less traveled.

“In Asian culture, there is a preconceived idea that you have to be a doctor otherwise you won’t succeed. I chose something almost completely opposite,” says Chainaranont.

She doesn’t work in the health sector, but she builds hospitals.

Chainaranont, a Dallas-based project manager for Beck, grew up in North Dallas before moving home to Lower Greenville. The 33-year-old has 11 years of experience managing and working on large healthcare construction projects throughout the DFW Metroplex.

There have been many inspiring people in his life, but a large part of his inspiration comes from his grandfather, a former Vietnam War pilot who emigrated to America to start a new life in the 1980s.

“The one I admire the most is my grandfather because he was incredibly supportive and did so much for his family. He passed away in 2016,” she says.

Although Chainaranont may appear as an odd person in her family who is neither a doctor nor an engineer, she has built a successful career by following her passion.

Some of his work includes a 110,000 square foot expansion of the Naveen Jindal School of Management building at the University of Texas at Dallas, improvements to the emergency department at Charlton Methodist Medical Center as well as several hospitals and laboratories in Mansfield.

In addition to his projects, Chainaranont is a member of the American Institute of Constructors, the American Society for Healthcare Engineering, the Lean Construction Institute and the TEXO Young Constructors Council.

What in your life led you to choose this career path?

I earned a bachelor’s degree in construction science at Texas A&M, but I actually started studying architecture because I thought I loved the art. A few weeks into my first year, I quickly realized that I didn’t know how to draw and that it was very subjective. I had to take a class called Materials and Methods, which focused on construction, and I enjoyed it. I really enjoyed learning how things are put together in this class and that’s how I have been since I was young, always playing with toys and building things like legos or woodworking around the house with my grandfather. I have a knack for choosing hobbies that require me to put something together, so I gravitated toward construction and have enjoyed this meaningful work ever since. My work in healthcare always keeps me on my toes.

Can you tell us about your work and your role as project manager?

I have been working in construction for about 11 years. I specialize primarily in healthcare projects, whether it be renovations, ground-up work or expansions. I oversee and manage the entire process from the second we receive the drawings, coordinating with the design team and establishing pricing, developing proposals to get them scheduled, and then hiring subcontractors to implement the project until it is completed and delivered to the client.

Most of your projects are in Dallas. Can you tell us about some of the work you have done in DFW and what is your biggest accomplishment?

My most recent project, Methodist Charlton Medical Center, was quite challenging because we needed to expand its emergency department. Their existing emergency department is the second busiest in DFW, after Parkland Hospital. We built 64 exam rooms, two x-ray rooms, six psychiatric rooms, five trauma/critical care rooms, eight triage rooms and one CT scan room. We also added a new underground parking garage, a new helipad, and built a new remote plant to supply the entire campus with electricity and cooling. It was definitely the most challenging, but the project received an Award of Merit for our ability to find the right solution for the building and our commitment to minority contractors.

How do you deal with being a female project manager in a male-dominated field?

Before starting at Beck, I had a few internships at other companies where I was always the only woman in the construction industry, but I don’t know if that’s a reflection of the industry. At the time, we were definitely in the minority, but that has grown and will continue to grow as more and more women are moving into the industry because of the opportunities it offers. Of course, the industry is male-dominated and can be intimidating at first, but over time it gets easier and you feel less alone as many women have excelled in the field.

Aside from your role as project manager, what do you like to do in your free time?

I like to go to White Rock Lake quite often. Before, I only walked my dog ​​there and now, I go there to have fun and visit the parks. I also often volunteer with Dallas ISD through P-Tech, but I am also involved with the TEXO Young Constructors Council, which gives back to students and volunteers in various school districts. Additionally, I serve on the Steering Committee of the TEXO YCC, the Texas Region of the Associated General Contractors of America, as well as being a member of the AGC National Construction Leadership Council.

What would you say to your younger self and what would you say to other young women going into construction?

Don’t be intimidated. You’d be surprised how much you already know and how much you can learn. Every woman I have mentored or worked with has always been incredibly bright, very meticulous, and always knows their facts and plans. It’s really easy to succeed in this career path as long as you don’t get too intimidated and are confident in yourself and your understanding of construction.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.