Ian McQuoid’s career exemplifies the kind of success that graduates of Sacramento State’s Construction Management program can aspire to. McQuoid, a graduate of the program in 2000, has earned the position of senior vice president and Sacramento business unit leader with McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., a national builder with a local office serving the Sacramento region that has completed multiple projects on the Sac State campus, including the University Union renovation project completed in 2019.
A Sacramento native, McQuoid developed an early interest in construction, working odd jobs on local construction sites while attending Rio Americano High School. “I never minded getting my hands dirty and that mindset carried through my internships with construction companies, a benefit of the Sac State program,” he says. “Those internships provided invaluable experience and helped finance my college education.”
The program’s classes cover engineering, surveying, heavy equipment, material properties, economics, construction law and more. “The courses were challenging. Many of my instructors were construction professionals and executives working in the industry by day and teaching in the evenings — that prepared us well for the real world,” he says.
“I continue to be impressed with the future leaders that the Sac State Construction Management program produces. The program has been a great talent pipeline for McCarthy.”—Ian McQuoid, Senior Vice President, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
Following graduation, McQuoid joined the McCarthy team as an estimator and steadily climbed the ranks to his current role through positions as project engineer, project manager, project director, and vice president of operations.
Sac State’s location in a major metropolitan area offers students access to a multitude of construction companies, from small and local to large and global, providing numerous career opportunities across the region.
McQuoid notes that to this day, Sac State Construction Management students are recognized in the industry for their comprehensive education, solid internship experience and strong work ethic.
“I continue to be impressed with the future leaders that the Sac State Construction Management program produces,” he says. “The program has been a great talent pipeline for McCarthy.”
