Steve Spangler, Construction Administrator, is a big eater with an even bigger heart. He can often be seen walking around the office with a carton of ice cream in hand and a big smile on his face.

 

 

 

 

 

Tell me about yourself.
Growing up in Greenfield, I had an uncle and a grandpa who built homes, so I began working with them framing houses in middle school. Though I worked as a fry cook at an MCL while I was in high school, I went back to framing shortly thereafter. I joined the Carpenters Union in 1978, and my first job was building the second bank of Coke Ovens for Citizens Gas in the late 70s. Its all come full circle now, as I am on the team constructing the new Community Justice Center on that same site. I also worked on the concrete crew of the original Hoosier Dome and was part of the team that attached the fabric roof. I worked as a contractor and clerk-of-the-works for years, and then I joined Schmidt Associates full-time in 2000.

What do you do in your free time?
I grew up around farms, and my aunt and uncle had horses. As a young adult, I lived away from the farm life in Castleton. When I married my wife, Debbie, in 1983, I moved back to the country and started raising kids. When my daughter turned 10 in the early 90s, she wanted a horse. We bought a couple Arabian Horses to show in 4-H, and we’ve had horses ever since. I now have six horses keeping me busy—Reagan, Molly, Ghost, Victoria, Butter Bee, and Wendy. When I am not at work, I spend my time with family, working with the horses, putting up hay, or working on farm equipment.

My wife, Debbie, and I live in a log home we designed and built in 2002. Life on our farm keeps us very busy.

Tell me about your family.
My wife and I have three daughters, one son, two granddaughters, and two grandsons. One of our daughters and four-year-old grandson live with us, and my four-year-old granddaughter comes to stay with us four days a week. They keep us busy all the time!

Along with the horses, we have two dogs—Murphy (a rescued mutt) and Tinkerbell (a Cairn terrier).

Do you have a favorite book?
Right now, I am learning about horse hooves. I am going to two clinics to learn about hoof management, so I really need to get the books for the clinics before I go.

What’s one thing not everyone knows about you?
In my 20s, I modeled clothes at fashion shows in a night club near Keystone at the Crossing.

It sounds like you are always on the go?
I had always planned that after the kids moved out, I would have tons of time to fix my equipment and ride horses every day. But the truth is, we are busier now than we have ever been it seems like. The days, weeks, and months just fly by. I plan to retire at 65, but I don’t think I will ever slow down.

If you ever have questions about the construction process or horses, give Steve a ring!

 

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