Billy Blessie is Wired to Solve Problems

Solving crossword puzzles is one of Billy Blessie’s favorite pastimes, and it provides a clue into why he excels as a Castle Contracting project manager in Omaha.

“I love problem solving,” he says. "Every day is different, just like every crossword puzzle is different. It can be frustrating when you can't figure something out, but when you do, it's awesome.”

Blessie spends about 50% of his time in the office and 50% in the field, where he’s able to engage directly with crews and brainstorm in solving problems. “Whenever we're doing something new, I like to be there to see how it gets done," he says. "That’s the way I learn, and the more knowledge I can gain just furthers my growth and expertise."

As project manager, Blessie oversees budgets, ensures that superintendents have the tools and resources they need, and maintains overall client satisfaction. He explains, “I’m focused on making sure that a project runs as smoothly as possible on a day-to-day basis, knowing that there are going to be challenges throughout the project.”

His current priorities include managing civil contracting activities at the University of Nebraska Medical Center CORE building, a six-story research facility under construction in the EDGE District located just west of the UNMC main campus. He’s also overseen a few jobs at Offutt Air Force Base and is gearing up to start working on a new data center project in Lincoln.

"What I like most about working at Castle that we self-perform almost everything," Blessie notes. "That means we control our own destiny."

Born to Build

Blessie always seemed destined for a career in civil construction. Despite not growing up in a construction family—his dad is a retired nuclear operations manager, and his mom is a teacher—he gravitated toward construction from an early age. "I was the kid at the lake who would be playing in the sand with a bulldozer," he says. “I’ve always thought heavy equipment was the coolest part of construction."

Born and raised in Omaha, Blessie initially pursued a civil engineering degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before realizing he was more interested in the people side of construction. Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in construction management, he completed an internship with a large general contractor and earned a full-time position that brought him to Phoenix and Las Vegas.

Despite having opportunities to work on high-profile civil projects such as the reconstruction of the Tropicana interchange in downtown Vegas, he and his wife decided they wanted to return to Omaha after becoming parents.

When his employer couldn't accommodate the requested transfer back to Omaha, Blessie explored other options and secured a position as assistant project manager with the Omaha office of McCarthy Building Companies in 2022.

A couple of years later, when Castle was looking to add another project manager to its local team, McCarthy Business Unit Leader Kris Montgomery approached Blessie to ask if he’d be interested in the position. “I told him, ‘Heck yeah, sign me up. That’s my bread and butter.’”

Blessie lives in Papillion with his wife, Maggie, and three children: Neil (3), Margot (2) and Leona (2 months). When he’s not changing diapers or hanging out with his older kids at the park, Blessie enjoys fishing with his dad and cheering on the Green Bay Packers.