In July of 1989, Mainiero, Smith and Associates, Inc. decided the firm was in need of a full-time office assistant who could run prints, make deliveries and otherwise help out the office staff, which was in the middle of a growth spurt. At the time, Sandy Fox was just about to celebrate her 10th year with the firm as the office administrator. She asked if her then 19-year old son, Joe Baiza, could interview for the new position. The rest, as they say, is history!
While specific historical details are closely guarded, reliable sources recall that our insurance carrier decided MSA’s vehicle coverage would only be valid if employees over the age of 21 were allowed to drive. Grounded from driving due to his age, Joe nimbly converted setback into an opportunity. Aided by his excellent penmanship and Paul Sepulveda’s mentoring, Joe learned how to draft. At the time, the firm’s deliverables were almost exclusively hand drawn ink on mylar so the demand for talented drafters was real.
Since that fateful beginning, Joe has advanced through the ranks from hand drafter to VANGO computer-aided designer to his current position as one of the firm’s key Project Managers. In addition to managing his own projects, Joe handles all project scheduling, plan quality control and the supervision of the engineering department’s CAD designers.
Outside of the office, Joe can be found golfing, biking, attending concerts, spending time at the beach and the occasional wine tasting. He has two sons; Ryan, a Palm Desert High School sophomore and Kyle, a 7th grader at Palm Desert Charter School. They spend most of their time together on the basketball court, the football field or taking in a movie.
