Gina Semerad: Health engineer Advancing design centered on the human being

Since joining the firm in 2008, Semerad has helped lead a transformative, multi-phase master plan for a major New York City hospital expansion, a project that includes a new energy building and an 830,000-square-foot hospital tower, and continues to support complex renovation and renovation work across the campus.

Semerad has delivered some of the most advanced electrified healthcare facilities in the region, serving as lead HVAC engineer on one of the first outpatient projects in New York City to be designed to comply with Local Law 97.

Now responsible for the design of a 500,000-square-foot multispecialty oncology center on the same campus where her daughter received cancer treatment, Semerad approaches each project through a human-centered lens shaped by personal experience. He has strengthened JB&B’s culture of knowledge sharing through a framework of HVAC subject matter experts and contributes nationally as a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers’ committee for sanitary ventilation. His family’s advocacy has raised more than $500,000 for pediatric cancer research through the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.

How did you get into the industry?

I got into the MEP industry mostly by luck. It wasn’t the focus of my mechanical engineering degree and I had no HVAC background, but I met some people from JBB at a career fair and liked their energy. In the interview, I saw people joking and bouncing ideas off each other, which was a big contrast to other companies where engineers seemed to be expected to work in silos.

For a long time, I thought this was just a temporary stop. I assumed it would just take a few years to learn the technical side of the business and then move on. But my passion took over when I realized how many challenges we still have ahead of us, especially in terms of energy, carbon and infection control. We don’t have all the answers yet, and I realized I had an opportunity to be a helper in finding them. I am now one of the most passionate HVAC engineers you will find.

What is a challenge you have overcome in your career? How did you overcome it?

Early on, there was a lot of unspoken expectation that becoming a senior leader meant you had to participate in a “steak and cigar” culture to build business. I’ve never been the type of person to shine in this environment, and as a young female engineer, I wasn’t exactly invited to these rooms.

I overcame this by focusing on building client trust through extreme diligence and a visible level of care for the work I was doing. I found this approach perfectly aligned with my clients, especially on the institutional side, who care deeply about the long-term outcomes of their designs. By showing that I was as invested in the success of the project as they were, I learned my worth and realized that you don’t need to follow the loudest or traditional path to be a trusted leader.

What is your favorite project and what challenges have you overcome?

I’ve been lucky enough to lead the design of some massive hospital projects, but my favorite wasn’t the most glamorous. Right before COVID hit New York, we started working with a hospital to plan for an emergency overflow. This quickly became a permanent expansion of the emergency department with ventilation designed specifically for respiratory risk.

We had to design and build in weeks what would normally take years. Due to supply chain issues, we didn’t have our typical tools available, so we had to constantly pivot and come up with creative solutions in real time. It was a high-pressure environment, but it was also a time when many of us felt completely helpless. Having the opportunity to help even in this small way, protecting the doctors who were taking all the risks, really helped keep me grounded while the rest felt uncertain.

What is the best part of your job?

There are so many types of problems to solve that there is no time to be bored. I love that our work is naturally collaborative; I’m always learning about other trades during coordination so we can find a team solution instead of treating a problem as a competition. There’s also a lot of satisfaction in researching a complex problem and then creating a path for others to benefit from that knowledge through mentorship or new standards.

How do you balance work and family life?

To be honest, work-life balance is not my forte, but I’ve never been a fan of the traditional narrative because engineering has always felt more like a hobby and a passion than a job. I’m naturally curious about how things work, and that’s an enthusiasm I share with my two sons. Whether we’re exploring how a building’s systems work or going on a family trip, this curiosity is a common thread that runs through my entire life.

Although I’m learning to navigate boundaries, I find balance by being intentional with my time. My husband is incredibly supportive and we are a family of passionate people, whether it’s work, holidays, Lego building or sports. I love being surrounded by this energy. For me, it’s about choosing passion with conscious rest over the idea of ​​perfect balance.

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

Don’t focus on how the leaders around you are achieving things; focus on the results they are achieving. It’s weird to follow someone else’s footsteps exactly, so it’s important to look around and see how many different ways people take their next steps. Most people rely on a combination of mentorship and advice, so find the path that fits your specific strengths rather than following the most obvious.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years and what goals have you set yourself to get there?

I want to be a strong voice in the halls where we are driving progress in public health and carbon reduction. Our industry depends on solutions being replicable, so being technically minded shouldn’t mean treating everything like a science project. I want to be part of the team that blazes a clean, clear path with solutions accessible enough to see real improvements across the industry.