Profile: Mike Faia

The College’s campus has gone through many physical changes during recent years, and Construction Management Director Mike Faia has been part of the team that has overseen all of the large construction and renovation projects. When he started at Emerson in 2004, his first project was the Piano Row construction. Following close behind were the Rotch Field and Colonial Building renovations, and the Paramount Center and Emerson Los Angeles projects.

His latest project in the works is the 2 Boylston Place building, which is currently under construction and is scheduled to finish up in August 2017. The Capital Project team is also starting to gear up for the Little Building renovation, which is slated to begin in May 2017.

Faia is responsible for overseeing the complete building process, from working with other Emerson team members to create contracts for the design teams and general contractors, and working with Government and Community Relations to assist with city approvals and permitting to managing the budgets and closing out the project for occupancy. He also works closely with the Facilities Department to manage the “renewal program,” ensuring that the College’s physical structures are up to date, including building facades, roofs, major mechanical equipment, elevators, and Fire Life Safety systems.

Before arriving at Emerson, Faia was the director of operations at RM Bradley, a property management company located in the State Transportation Building. He started his career as an iron worker and did that for 16 years before switching to the construction and facilities management field.

He enjoys working at Emerson because, as he said, “It’s not a job…it’s more of a community.” He finds his colleagues to be a fun, diverse group of people and is looking forward to participating in growing the Emerson campus and community in the years to come.

Faia grew up in Malden, Massachusetts, and has lived in Leominster, Massachusetts, for more than 10 years. He lives with his wife, Kristen, and one of their four children who is still at home. In his spare time, he likes to maintain flower and vegetable gardens on his property. He is also a wine enthusiast and enjoys adding to his collection. His favorite winter pastime is skiing with his family, especially at Killington Mountain. He and his son Michael are looking forward to trying some new ski areas this winter season, starting with Jay Peak in Vermont.

Nancy Howell (Creative Services)