Team Member Spotlight: Carlos Cuellar, Superintendent at FORMA

Some careers are chosen. Some are inherited in the best possible sense.
For Carlos Cuellar, construction was always close at hand, carried by his father, present from childhood, and eventually claimed as his own. “Construction has been in my family for generations,” Carlos says. “I followed in my father’s footsteps, which was the best decision I ever made.”

Carlos grew up in White Plains, New York, and has called Oakland home for the past 34 years. As a superintendent at FORMA, a role he’s held for a year and a half, following seven-plus years in field management, his days are exactly what you’d expect from someone built for the work: walking sites, tracking subcontractors and the on-site team, keeping every task on schedule and at the highest possible standard. He describes the reality plainly: “I’m pretty sure every superintendent can relate to this: ‘We put out fires at least once a day.'” It’s the kind of line that lands differently when said with calm authority rather than complaint.

What FORMA has given him professionally, he can articulate specifically: sharper attention to detail, greater confidence speaking in front of groups, and stronger management of teams and subcontractors at the highest level. He’d describe the culture in three words:  innovative, supportive, and ambitious, and what he values most is the standard itself: “Building at a higher level and being more detail-oriented.” For Carlos, that’s not a mission statement. It’s the daily expectation.

Outside the jobsite, Carlos is spending as much time as possible with his two daughters, both of whom are heading to college soon, often on the volleyball court three times a week. Coworkers who know him as steady and professional might be surprised to hear: “When it comes to sports, I’m very competitive.” And then there’s the garage project — a truck he fully restored himself over four years, every piece done by hand. The second one is already underway.

At FORMA, Carlos brings generational knowledge, seven-plus years of field management, and a builder’s instinct for what it takes to get a job done right.

How long have you been a superintendent at FORMA? What are your daily responsibilities?

• Superintendent for a year and a half; 7+ years in management roles overall
• Walks sites daily; tracks subcontractors and on-site team; keeps projects on schedule and fully resourced

What do you enjoy most about working for FORMA?

• Building at a higher level; heightened detail orientation

How have you grown professionally since starting?

• More detail-oriented, more confident in group settings, stronger team and subcontractor management

Describe the FORMA “vibe” in three words.

• Innovative, supportive, ambitious

Just for Fun

• Restoring project trucks at home — first took four years, done entirely by hand; second in progress
• Plays volleyball ~3x/week with his daughters
• Favorite place traveled: Oregon
• Bay Area inspiration: San Francisco’s small, hidden niches