29-year-old Gary Fogarty loves the work he does as a construction manager, overseeing projects based on a budget and schedule. But, believe it or not, this was not Gary’s original dream job! Gary was planning to go into law enforcement after high school, but he started working for a company that re-models homes. He says he learned quickly about the opportunities available in the construction industry and decided to pursue a degree in Construction Management Technology at Wake Tech.

Gary began taking classes in 2010 and graduated two years later. Within a week, he was hired by an energy services company to manage construction projects! Gary says instructors at Wake Tech helped him build the skills he needed for success. “They have such a deep knowledge of the industry,” Gary says. “It was easy to learn the tools of the trade!”

Gary’s job requires a hard hat AND hard work, for which he recently received national recognition. Gary was selected from hundreds of other nominees to win the Hard Hat Hero award, sponsored by Procore Technologies, Inc., in partnership with the mikeroweWorks Foundation. The award is designed to highlight a construction professional who goes above and beyond, professionally and within the community. He was nominated by his wife who called him “the hardest working person I know.”

Gary is humble about his success and says he’s thankful he decided to change his career path. “If I had not come to Wake Tech, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”