Who We Are

Jennifer Dunigan

Managing Director

Jennifer Dunigan is the Managing Director of Halyard LLC – our behind-the-scenes champion who ensures our team members and clients have everything they need to succeed. When the Halyard team has their boots to the ground, Jen is our go-to person for all internal operations, bringing structure and efficiency to our processes. When she’s not managing the company’s finances or enhancing our procedures, she utilizes her 15 years of experience in facilities management to share her expertise on the frontline initiatives of every Halyard project. Jen enjoys every opportunity to venture into the field for a survey or inspection job – as they are a great break from the limits of her laptop and a chance to further build her relationships with our clients.

My Favorite Moment at Halyard So Far:

The day I toured a client’s newly expanded and renovated commercial kitchen and servery.  I love all kitchens and geek out on the back-of-house gadgets, so seeing one with all the latest bells and whistles was exciting.  We’re all familiar with this space in our homes and use it regularly, yet we typically don’t think about what it takes to make it work.  (Plus, on a grand scale like this, it’s so much cooler.)  I think you can learn a lot more about something when you see it come together from start to finish, and working here gives me the opportunity to explore all kinds of work in progress.

The Best Part About Working with My Spouse:

Being married to your business partner can be certainly challenging at times, but there’s such an advantage in having a sense of comfort you don’t typically have when it comes to taking risks. Even though we are very different people with our own unique ideas, we use each other to fill in the gaps, and it’s been fun to do this together. I think I knew it would work when we renovated our house together several years back. He taught me so much along the way, and now, he’s doing the same thing with our business. Thank goodness he’s very patient!  

Why I Love Working at Halyard:

Until now, I’ve been in the corporate world, always needing to do things a certain way. Now I have the opportunity to explore different ideas and offer input in how we implement them.  The best part about our team is that we all work together with complementary skills — really forming a cohesive team, not just a group of individuals. It’s nice to know that all the time you put into your work is not only serving your client, but also yourself. At the end of the day, it feels so much more rewarding.

My Secret to Staying Organized Is...

Spreadsheets, spreadsheets, spreadsheets. They call me the Spreadsheet Queen. I even have one for our family Christmas card list. 

Something Not Many People Know about Me: 

Probably that I have a degree in German. And that’s because I usually don’t tell people out of fear they’ll ask me to speak it now! But I’ve always loved languages, and German was the one that stuck with me through high school and college, where I lived in Augsburg for a semester.

And also that I play piano. When meeting new people, it always seems to surprise them. I’ve been playing since I was 7 years old. Now, it’s definitely a real stress reliever for me, so I try to play once a day.

Three Things I Couldn’t Live Without:

1. Music. I constantly have my earbuds in or music playing. And when I don’t, I’m singing to myself! 
2. Cooking. I love to cook! And it has to be challenging or it doesn’t count. I still haven’t mastered the ability to cook enough for only 2 people. Liking leftovers is a necessity in our house. 
3. Order. I’m one of those people who has to have everything in its place.  Friends love to come over and rearrange my spice drawer.

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W. Barrett Dunigan

RA • LEED AP • Principal

For W. Barrett Dunigan, RA, LEED AP & Principal of Halyard LLC, the best projects are those you may not even know he was involved in—because it’s the client who’s getting the praise. With over 30 years’ experience in project management, architecture, and development, Barrett has seen projects through from inception to operational readiness in industries including hospitality, retail, healthcare, government, real estate, and more. His consulting expertise ignites all of these proficiencies to hone-in on client needs and goals and figure out how best to make an operation work, from redirecting a project in process to seeing it through successfully from the start. 

One Thing That Really Makes Our Team Work:

While our job experiences may vary, we all come from backgrounds in facility, design, and construction, and we tend to think similarly. In a way, we’re connected simply by what we have experienced and learned in our previous roles. Even though we’re each working with different clients and bringing different things to the table, we all agree that the most important aspects of our business are keeping the quality of the work high and continuing to foster great relationships with our clients – to keep them coming back for more. 

Why It’s So Great to Work Here:

Our goal is to make sure everyone in the company is being heard — no matter what aspect of the work. We’re a small company, so I make sure every employee has input — not just on the day-to-day tasks, but also where we are going and how we get there. Our philosophy is that two heads are always better than one, so we value our team’s input to make sure we aren’t missing something that could be a deal-changer. We also remind our employees they need that time to themselves and family, and we’re always here to help make that a reality, because without them, we wouldn’t be who we are.

Why I Love What I Do:

It’s hard to imagine doing anything else. I’ve always loved taking a project from start to finish and knowing I had a hand in it. I basically grew up with a hammer in my hand — when I was little, my grandfather would let me hammer nails into a board, and take them out, just to do it again. It was so simple, but it helped me understand what went into the construction of things at a very young age. The more I pursued my passion for design, the more I missed having a hand in the finished product. So creating a career that meshed having the ability to design something with knowing how it was built was in a way meant to be.

Quote I Live By: 

“Win or learn.” 

Favorite Word in the English Language: 

My wife says English is my second language, Math is my first. 

Something You May Not Know About Me: 

I love designing and managing projects, but I also love to build. I’ve designed several things in our family’s house and did the work myself.  I like to constantly think outside the business side of things and look for opportunities in real estate and design because it challenges both the creative side of my brain and the numbers/practical side.

A Few Clients You May Know: 

Comcast Technology Center in Philadelphia, PA; Bristol Myers Squibb Nassau Park in Princeton, PA & Module A Renovation in Lawrenceville, NJ; Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Ambulatory Care Facility in Philadelphia, PA; Merck Southwest Utilities Plant in West Point, PA, Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia, PA

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Tara Gankiewicz

Senior Project Manager

Tara Gankiewicz is a Senior Project Manager with 20 years of experience in managing and documenting construction projects and budgets. She has experience on prestigious and complicated projects in the pharmaceutical R&D and manufacturing, commercial office, and general building fit-out zones. Tara is an expert in budget planning and change management, schedule management, and logistics planning that complement her skills in procurement and communication. She is meticulous and thorough, producing results in planning, budgeting, execution, and close-out. Tara’s experience as a project manager for several major pharmaceutical companies, along with her project budget and change controls experience, reinforce her ability to steer and execute the planning, budgeting, procuring and implementation of a project of any size.

Typical Day for a Project Manager:

In my experience, there is no such thing as a typical day, which is one of the reasons I love this industry.  I can say that the ability to pivot quickly is a character requirement across industry sectors. But what is typical for each of my days is my priority hierarchy.  I make sure the clients’ needs are met first and foremost by giving precedent to all quality control and safety-related items.  If we aren’t doing things safely, then why do them at all?  Anything worth doing is worth doing well.

Why I Joined Halyard:

I met Barrett while working as a construction manager on a large parking lot expansion. I appreciated his involvement and attention to detail in every step of the project from pre-mobilization and safety meetings through close-out; he asked tough questions that required difficult conversations. On a challenging project, we found common ground: protecting the owner and making sure all parties were satisfied with the final product — and that’s exactly what drew me to Halyard. This team understands that what we do is customer service, and we make sure our customers feel protected and comfortable by establishing trust through transparency and open communication.

Favorite Type of Project to Manage:

Definitely life sciences and healthcare. For the last decade, I’ve focused solely on pharmaceutical R & D and manufacturing because it fulfills that greater sense of purpose for me. Your “end-user” is actually a patient — someone who needs the hospital you are helping to build or requires the drugs that will be manufactured at your job site. It feels good knowing the work you do is helping other people feel better and live healthier.

Why I Love What I Do:

No two days look alike. Your work environment is dynamic, ever-changing, so you never head into the office knowing you’ll be bored.  Creative thought and critical thinking are required daily, and I love how our work is tangible. You can look out the window and see the product of your efforts.

My Secret to Staying Organized Is...

I believe if your surroundings are organized, your brain is organized then your work will be organized. I can probably attribute that mindset to my years in engineering school — and being a Virgo! When I was younger my dad told me ‘anything worth doing is worth doing well,’ and that stuck with me. But he’s also made fun of me for having all my soup cans organized by brand and flavor.

Where You Can Find Me After Work: 

I love to read and watch documentaries, and I’m obsessed with anything on Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, Cleopatra. I recommend a series called Lost Treasure of Egypt on Nat Geo.  I also love a museum; the Victoria & Albert in London is my absolute favorite.  I’m recently on a Peloton kick like the rest of the world and have plans to start skiing again after a 10-year break.  Thanks to COVID-19, I am apparently a baker now too, which my family appreciates — but I don’t.

Something You May Not Know About Me:

I really like the Boston Red Sox. I really dislike frogs.

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al fazzini

Senior Project Manager

Throughout an illustrious 45-year career in construction management, Al Fazzini has developed a uniquely diverse portfolio of skills that have made him an invaluable partner to owners. As a former Registered Professional Engineer in six states, Al elevates his project management and business development expertise with distinct experience in civil engineering and land development. His innate, detail-oriented mentality and high-level communication skills allow him to bring unparalleled value and insight to the strategic planning and decision-making process of every project.

How Would You Describe What You Really Do:

As project managers, we’re in the business of disruption management. Construction is a very disruptive thing, and there are so many decisions that need to be made along the way. It’s our job to help the owners and teams navigate through the changes that can happen quickly and guide them through the decision-making process to ensure a successful project. 

My Favorite Type of Project:

I don’t think I can pinpoint just one! I’ve worked extensively in the healthcare and education sectors, but have also done projects in industrial, hospitality, retail, and entertainment. I’ve been involved on skyscraper, museum, and sports arena projects, as well as renovations and fitouts.
Each has its unique challenges, and I’ve enjoyed all of them. We tend to love to talk about the big, recognizable projects, but the small ones are just as important!

My Secret to Managing A Successful Project:

You have to be as informed as possible. That means exploring all the areas of a project, so you can make the most educated decisions possible along the way. From the design community to the owners to the user groups — it’s critical to take the time to sit down with each of them and ask good, open-ended questions, so they can really give you a meaningful explanation.

What Inspires Me Professionally/Personally:

For me, it’s about getting a job done well — no matter what I’m doing. And of course, my wife, Pat, and the family we’ve built together inspires me. We have two sons and twin daughters, so their interests and the lives they’ve created for themselves are what’s near and dear to us.
They’ve given us seven wonderful grandchildren, and we love being able to witness their families develop and grow.

What A Typical Weekend Looks Like for Me: 

Fishing is my favorite pastime. I like to surf fish and go deep sea or freshwater fishing. I started as a kid on the Wissahickon Creek but Cape Hatteras, Jersey Shore, Florida, and Lake Texoma are my usual destinations now. I also do a lot of my own home renovation projects. I’ve rebuilt our bathrooms and kitchen and will pop over to paint and do repairs at the kids’ houses. All my children live within ten minutes, so it’s easy!

As you might surmise, I spend a lot of time attending all the youth sporting events that my grandkids have going on — soccer, basketball, Little League. And I love to cook. I make a fantastic pizza.

One Meal I Would Never Get Sick Of:

The Feast of the Seven Fishes! It’s an Italian-American tradition on Christmas Eve in which we have an awesome spread of seafood, each of which is symbolic of something. For example, Octopus represents wealth, Mussels for strength, Shrimp for humility, Scallops for faith, etc. My
father was born on Christmas Eve so it has always been a big tradition in my family!

My Favorite Quote:

I have a couple that I would keep in my office over the years, but my most guiding light is “It’s never wrong to do the right thing.” It resonates with how I was raised and how I approach everything in my life. A couple of others are Teddy Roosevelt’s Man in the Arena quote and Calvin Coolidge's “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence” quote. I highly recommend looking them up!

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