Amber Donato is Moravian’s associate director of planning and project management. For every construction project, every garden planting, every adjustment to campus, Donato is behind the scenes ensuring things run smoothly and stay on track.
What does your position usually entail? What department do you work in?
I work in the Facilities Management, Planning, & Construction Department (FMPC). I am basically a project manager. I plan almost every construction project on campus and campus-wide planning. Right now, I’m working on a master plan where we are looking at the campus as a whole to see if we were to grow, where we might be able to do so. Generally, my day-to-day is mostly overseeing projects on our campus, and depending on the time of year, I’m either planning for them or in the thick of them. The summer is our busiest time, so that’s when we get most of them done.
What are some of the unique challenges that come with your position?
There are a lot of different departments that I get to work with: athletics, social and natural sciences, art, rehab sciences, and so many others. They all have individual needs. A lot of times it’s something that I’ve never encountered before, so I have to do a lot of research for that project. All the athletic projects are new to me. I was never an athlete, so a lot of research had to be done.
What are your favorite aspects of working in your position?
My favorite aspect is that every day is different. I get called, “Can you come over and look at XYZ?” or “Can you meet with this group about this project coming up?” I like being able to get out on campus and see what’s going on and that I’m not at my desk all day, every day.
What made you decide to work at Moravian?
Before I worked at Moravian, I worked for a general contractor, managing projects on the construction side of things. I would do a lot of work in higher ed at different campuses and work with, my [now] equivalent, the school’s facilities person.
I thought they had the best job. They get to go to the meetings, work on the projects, and see them from planning all the way to the end. When you’re in construction, you just kind of get it when it’s already designed, and then you build it. I wanted to get into higher ed. It just kind of worked out that Moravian had a job posting and I’ve been here ever since. Actually, April 20 will be my tenth year here.
What’s an interesting fact about yourself that most people don’t know about you?
I am currently serving on the facilities board for ArtsQuest. It’s a volunteer position and we just provide professional advice. They are actually doing a lot of projects right now, including rebuilding the Banana Factory.
What do you do in your free time, or hobbies?
I am a huge reader! I especially love reading WWII historical fiction, it’s my favorite thing. My favorite book from that genre is The Winds of War by Herman Wouk.
Are there any interesting projects or things you are working on, even outside of your career?
I am currently working on the new HUB, which is probably the most challenging project because it was a teardown and rebuild. Over the summer we will be replacing the turf on Mak field. Previously, I had also planned the construction of the Sally building.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
One of the reasons I like working with facilities is because it’s such a broad department. Anything that has to do with the campus environment, for the most part, we have a hand in. We look at ourselves as a service organization in support of you guys. If you [the students] weren’t here, we wouldn’t be here.
Did you plan to work in higher education?
Not really, I was an architecture major at Philadelphia University, now it’s part of Jefferson. I realized that architecture was not for me; it wasn’t what I thought it was. But I loved being involved with the projects and seeing them come to fruition. I switched to construction management. I did a lot of work for higher ed schools, and I loved being a part of a campus community.
