Melanie Jefferies: COO leads sustainable and equitable development while improving profitability and performance

Over the past five years, Jefferies launched Milhouse Development, expanding Milhouse from engineering and construction to a vertically integrated AEC company. Selected by the City of Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development as a co-developer of the Missing Middle Housing Initiative, her team is delivering 12 units for sale on the city’s South Side, helping transform vacant lots into underinvested neighborhoods. This work diversifies revenue, increases company value and advances equitable revitalization

She is an active civic leader who invests her time in strengthening the AEC and Chicago real estate sectors. He serves on the boards of City Year Chicago, Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, and Milhouse Charities to help build pipelines of diverse engineering talent and deliver housing solutions.

What is a challenge you have overcome in your career?

One of the biggest challenges of my career has been navigating generational and gender expectations as a second-generation leader in a male-saturated industry. I wouldn’t say I’m completely over it, because it’s still a constant part of my experience. Earning respect based on results rather than lineage has required constant focus and a commitment to let my work speak for itself.

This experience has shaped how I lead today. It has made me more intentional about building teams that value different perspectives and creating opportunities for others who may not see a clear path. While the challenge still exists, it has also been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career. It has pushed me to grow, to redefine what leadership can look like, and to help the next generation of diverse talent be represented in this industry.

What has been your favorite or most interesting project you have worked on and why?

As Director of Operations, Engineering Services, I am involved in many projects, often from the very beginning, when strategy and collaboration begin to take shape. Some of the most interesting have been large and complex efforts, such as Bally’s Casino, where we partnered with eight other companies to deliver as one team. Projects like this challenge us to align different expertise and priorities, and it’s rewarding to see how collaboration on this scale can create something that defines a city.

Some of our smaller initiatives have been of equal complexity and significance. One that stands out is 40 Acres Fresh, a new community-minded grocer on Chicago’s West Side with a mission to provide healthy food options to residents of neighborhoods with historically limited access to grocery stores. It reminds me that meaningful development is not only measured in size or budget, but in the depth it serves the people around it. These projects reinforce why we do this work and how engineering can be a real force for community change.

What’s the best career advice you’ve been given?

The best advice I’ve ever received is to celebrate the small victories along the way. In this industry, it’s easy to get caught up in meeting deadlines and hitting important milestones so we can overlook real-time progress. Taking time to pause, celebrate life in the midst of work, and recognize these small moments of success helps you stay connected to the purpose of work. It reminds you that growth and success don’t always come in leaps and bounds, but through constant effort and teamwork over time.

This mindset has helped me stay motivated and balanced, especially during the most demanding phases of a project. It’s also shaped how I lead, because I try to model that same appreciation within my teams. Recognizing a teammate’s contribution and being an empathetic leader keeps morale strong and reinforces that everyone’s effort matters. Over the years, I’ve found that real success comes from those moments of progress that build toward something bigger and learning to find fulfillment in the process, rather than just the end result.

What is your career advice for other young professionals in the industry?

The best advice I can give to people just starting out in the industry is to learn the business side early. It is important to understand the steps behind a project, not just how they are built. At some point in your career, you’ll move from focusing on technical work to leading people and shaping strategy. The sooner you begin to develop this broader perspective, the more prepared you will be for leadership. Take the time to learn how a project makes money, how to read a P&L statement, and how to build strong relationships with customers and partners. Technical ability will open doors for you, but understanding the business is what allows you to make a lasting impact. It’s the difference between being a capable contributor and becoming someone who can drive growth and lead an organization forward.

What is the best part of your job?

The best part of my job is the opportunity to empower communities while continuing my family’s legacy of engineering. Every day brings something new, and this variety makes work exciting and meaningful. I take great pride in what I do and see it as a privilege to carry forward the vision my family started and expand its impact in new ways.