From Washington to Texas: Stephanie Merwin Helps Build the Future of Data Centers

Four years ago, McKinstry presented Stephanie Merwin with an exciting opportunity. Should the Washington native take on a senior project management role with our Data Center Innovations team in Austin, Texas, or continue working in Pasco managing a warehouse project? She chose to head south, becoming one of the first construction employees on site when McKinstry broke ground on a large Texas data center project in October 2022. 

“I love to challenge and push myself to try new things and get myself out of my comfort zone; that’s where I’ve seen the most personal growth and success,” said Stephanie. “I try to live life full of ‘oh wells’ instead of ‘what ifs.’” 

Today, Stephanie is confident she made the right choice and is grateful for the team and community she’s found in Austin. Since she arrived, McKinstry has obtained its mechanical license in Texas, built local field labor, added a local staff team and opened a fabrication shop in Hutto. 

“It turned out to be a great opportunity and learning experience that’s just kept me here and wanting to do and learn more,” said Stephanie.

Austin’s culture and experiences also resonate with Stephanie.

“If you go downtown, no matter what day of the week it is, you always find music everywhere, which is so much fun,” she said. “And for how hot it is, it’s such an outdoor city, especially with the park downtown and the river. There are always people outside enjoying the sunshine.”  

Curiosity Drives Innovation

Managing data center projects wasn’t on Stephanie’s mind when she graduated with her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Seattle University, but she’s grown to love the constant learning opportunities that come with the work. The fast-paced nature of the industry and the close collaboration between design and construction teams mean every project offers new challenges and new ways to improve. 

“I appreciate how our engineers adjust their designs in such a short period of time and how they take our feedback from the construction side and implement it in a cycle of continuous improvement,” said Stephanie. “I learn something new every day from different people: the field, the engineers, detailers and my peers. It’s such a collaborative effort focused on problem solving and I love that!” 

That partnership and culture of continuous improvement are especially important in the data center industry, where technology and client needs continue to evolve rapidly. 

Success in Many Fields

Stephanie credits an accumulation of experiences, including time spent as a Division I softball player, with helping shape her approach to project management and leadership.

“Playing softball on that level taught me excellent time management skills,” said Stephanie. “In a fast-paced environment with data centers, especially, this has helped me to focus on what’s important, decide which tasks to delegate and keep my time manageable.

“But I think an even bigger part of it is learning to work with a large team and with different types of people who have different skills and knowledge than I do and to tailor my approach to be able to help the whole team find success,” she continued.

Stephanie sees her primary role as making the lives of field leaders and team members easier by proactively identifying and addressing potential problems before they escalate. She emphasizes the importance of listening to field leaders, learning from their expertise and anticipating their needs to support their success and job satisfaction.

Along with inspiring a culture of curiosity and learning, Stephanie likes to keep things fun.

“McKinstry’s Put People First value is big for us here, especially growing a new team and trying to establish ourselves in this market in Austin,” Stephanie said. “It’s competitive and it’s fast and it’s busy. I think what sets us apart is how we treat people; we care about you and your growth professionally and personally. That’s something that we take pride in.” 

For Stephanie, the opportunity to learn, take on new challenges and help others succeed continues to make the work rewarding, and she’s excited to see what comes next.