Joe Masello
Project Manager
Facility Services Department
I started as an electrical systems worker at Lincoln Lab in May 2005. The Lab found my resume online and contacted me about the job. I'd never heard of Lincoln Laboratory, and my first impression was that I didn't want to travel so far since I live in New Hampshire. But once the representative from HR [Human Resources] told me about the Lab's mission and what the job entailed, I said, "When do you want me there?"
Most of my career here I've been assigned to the ML [Microelectronics Lab], and I love it there. The facility is a high-pressure environment. Because of the nature of the work there, we have to keep the ML continuously running. A few years ago, we had to change the motor control center, a critical and complex system. The challenge was to shut down a building that is not meant to be shut down. We had to be creative to keep the building "live" while the system was being worked on, transferring to emergency power, and using temporary circuits. The more complex the problem, the more I find the job interesting.
When I think of what the Lab means to me, two things come to mind: pride and opportunity. I have a real sense of pride in the Lab's mission. It's a noble mission, to make the country safe. Because I respect the importance of what the scientists do, my goal is to keep everything working while not disrupting the mission or compromising safety.
Having recently been promoted to a project manager, I appreciate that Lincoln Laboratory offers opportunities to grow. There have been so many different aspects of my trade that I have worked on—building management systems, fire alarm systems, and security systems. Working on different systems and problems allowed me to become better at my trade. My new responsibilities are to schedule, organize, and execute projects in the Microelectronics Lab. I will be working with engineers, contractors, and facility trades people to provide facility and building systems upgrades to meet the needs of the Lab's researchers. Improving energy efficiency is also a large part of what we do.
At Lincoln Lab, you are encouraged to learn, and to further your education. Through new employee training, the Lab ensures you're prepared for any task, and more training is always available. Two years after I came here, I was encouraged to enroll in college. The tuition assistance program was vital to my decision to go back to school. This year, I'll earn an associate's degree from Wentworth Institute [of Technology] in building construction, and I plan to pursue a four-year degree in project management. It is hard to juggle work and school, and I owe a lot to my wife, Christine, for supporting my decision to commit to this goal. The Lab also helps make it easier for people to work towards advancement. It's really up to the person to make the most of these opportunities.
What makes Lincoln special are the people. As an example of how special, just two weeks after I started working here, I lost my father. The support and sympathy I received from near-total strangers was really something. It didn't take long to find out these were good people and friends.
Another story shows the generosity of Lincoln people. When my son was in the seventh grade, he was assigned a project on spacecraft. He asked, "Dad, there must be something where you work that ties into this assignment?" We went online to investigate and found the Chandra imaging system that was developed in the building I work in. When I told the building manager in ML that I was heading to the Lab's library for information on Chandra, he said to wait until he came back. He returned with a gentleman that he introduced as one of the people who worked on the Chandra imaging system. This man spent some time telling me about the Chandra project from the beginning of its development, to the launch, and to the issues it had in space. I was so impressed by this. My son got an A on his project, and on the next Son's Day, saw the Chandra exhibit at the Lab.
I feel fortunate to work here and proud to contribute to the mission.
I am Joe Masello. I am Lincoln Laboratory.
