The year 1983 was noteworthy for many reasons. Michael Jackson dropped the album Thriller. Sally Ride became the first woman in space. Microsoft released Word. And Teresa Lewis first reported to work at Benham, where she was directed upstairs to the company’s typing pool.
“I remember everyone was just so nice and friendly,” she said of her first day of work. “As I started working there longer, it became more and more apparent that I was going to be here for a long time.”
It’s now 40 years and counting.
Well before she was halfway into her tenure with Benham, which was acquired by Haskell in 2016, Lewis had climbed the administrative assistant ranks and was ready for a new challenge. Following a colleague’s advice, she attended night school and earned the credentials to move into estimating.
Over the years, she has been involved in scores of projects. She works primarily on Federal jobs – she’s estimated military hangars from Alaska to Pennsylvania to Florida – but occasionally branches out Benham’s markets and takes on projects like the construction of Oklahoma City’s arena and, later, the upgrades to make it a suitable home for the NBA Thunder.
She says she enjoys what she does, appreciates the supportive work environment and has built strong relationships. She can’t imagine doing anything else.
“It’s the people. I have good friends. I have a connection,” she says. “It’s a good place to work.”
Dedication to her job, commitment to the industry and allegiance to Benham are simply part of her DNA. So is anything to do with construction.
“Everyone in my family works for the same place,” she said. “My brother started working at an electrical contracting company 37 years ago. My dad worked for the same company for probably 37 years before and then went on to buy his own paint store. So, it is just something that has kind of been instilled.”
Lewis’s daughter Sydney has been with her company for nine years now.
As for the future, she’s not sure whether or not she’ll make it to her Golden Anniversary. However, when Lewis does retire, she’s hoping to spend more time tooling around on her standup paddleboard, a gift from the company in honor of her 35th anniversary.
“I love using my paddle board,” she said. “It’s one of the best gifts ever.”
In recognition of her 40 years of service, she received a gift card, which she intends to put toward an Alaskan cruise next summer.
Already an avid volunteer, Lewis said she’d also like to volunteer full-time in retirement.
Her selfless acts, such as being a bell ringer for the Salvation Army, working with Habitat for Humanity, and serving the local food bank, the Ronald McDonald House and her church, have not gone unnoticed.
Last year, Lewis received Haskell’s Living the Values Award for embodying Haskell’s core values of Team, Excellence and Trust. It’s clear that she also represents dedication, allegiance and commitment.
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