Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Affiliations
Timeline
PUBLICATION
Hi, I’m

Rhea Cristine Bautista

Summary

Strategic and community-driven capital planning leader with nearly a decade of experience managing large-scale public facility projects for the City of Detroit. Proven success in delivering over $180M in capital construction and renovation initiatives, leading cross-functional teams, and aligning departmental priorities with citywide strategic goals. Dedicated to advancing efficient, sustainable, and inclusive public infrastructure through planning and collaborative design.

Overview

11
years of professional experience

Work History

City of Detroit | Construction and Demolition Department | Facilities Capital Unit

Capital Planning Manager
01.2020 - Current

Job overview

  • Oversee a capital construction portfolio valued at more than $160 million, managing ongoing and upcoming projects from planning through completion.
  • Develop and execute strategic capital improvement objectives across 120+ city-owned facilities, aligning initiatives with departmental priorities to advance the City’s long-term capital agenda.
  • Manage a team of five professionals within the Capital Unit, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and excellence in project delivery.
  • Build and maintain strong partnerships with departmental leaders to identify, prioritize, and implement capital needs and investment strategies.
  • Spearhead multi-year capital master planning and develop annual capital budget recommendations, ensuring alignment with the City’s fiscal goals and infrastructure priorities.

City of Detroit | General Services Department | Facilities Capital Unit

Construction Project Coordinator
10.2018 - 01.2020

Job overview

• Managed and supervised multiple high-profile capital projects as the City’s owner’s representative, ensuring successful delivery within scope, schedule, and budget.
• Led cross-functional coordination meetings with architects,contractors, and city officials to ensure design integrity, regulatory compliance, and construction quality.
• Evaluated and implemented cost-effective design and construction solutions, optimizing project efficiency while maintaining performance and quality standards.

City of Detroit | General Services Department | Facilities Planning Group

Assistant Architect
08.2016 - 10.2018

Job overview

Collaborated with departmental leaders to develop and design operational plans that enhance efficiency and optimize program functionality.
Directed and managed multiple construction projects, ensuring seamless coordination among contractors, consultants, and City departments to achieve successful project delivery.
Developed detailed scopes of work for RFPs and RFQs, and led pre-bid meetings in coordination with the Office of Contracting and Procurement to ensure clear project expectations and competitive solicitations

Neighborhood Service Organization: Homeless Recovery Services

Community Involvement Coordinator | Jesuit Volunteer
08.2015 - 08.2016

Job overview

  • Cultivated daily relationships with individuals who have experienced homelessness, and are on a journey of recovery from substance abuse and/or mental disability.
  • Supported consumer engagement with the Hope Village Initiative and the broader Detroit community by coordinating social and educational programs serving over 155 residents.
  • Etablished partnerships with local organizations and schools, collaborating with NSO and recruiting volunteers to expand community outreach and program impact.

University of San Francisco | Architecture and Community Design

Student+Research Assistant
06.2014 - 05.2015

Job overview

  • Orchestrated project management for the majority of Community Design Outreach’s initiatives, coordinating meetings and assigning tasks effectively.
  • Assisted the director in various multidisciplinary projects both locally and internationally, with a focus on serving underserved communities.

Education

University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA

Bachelor of Arts from Architecture and Community Design

University Overview

  • Minors: Public Service & Community Engagement and Philippines Studies
  • Study Abroad: Spring Hill College Italy Center, Bologna, Italy | Spring 2013

Skills

  • Budget & Financial Oversight
  • Design-Build Delivery
  • Cross-Departmental Collaboration
  • AutoCAD proficiency
  • Visual communication design
  • Adobe InDesign proficiency

Accomplishments

  • Michigan Battle of the Buildings 2024 - 1st place
  • City of Detroit Police Training's renovation cut their energy usage by over 33.67%.

Affiliations

  • Challenge Detroit Finalist | 2016 - 2017
  • Jesuit Volunteer Corps | August 2015 - August 2016
  • Detroit Soup Volunteer Coordinator | Sept. 2015 - August 2016
  • Bill Gates Millennium Scholar | August 2010 - May 2015
  • Habitat for Humanity Volunteer | June 2013 - May 2015

Timeline

Capital Planning Manager

City of Detroit | Construction and Demolition Department | Facilities Capital Unit
01.2020 - Current

Construction Project Coordinator

City of Detroit | General Services Department | Facilities Capital Unit
10.2018 - 01.2020

Assistant Architect

City of Detroit | General Services Department | Facilities Planning Group
08.2016 - 10.2018

Community Involvement Coordinator | Jesuit Volunteer

Neighborhood Service Organization: Homeless Recovery Services
08.2015 - 08.2016

Student+Research Assistant

University of San Francisco | Architecture and Community Design
06.2014 - 05.2015

University of San Francisco

Bachelor of Arts from Architecture and Community Design

PUBLICATION

Expanding Hope in Payatas | University of San Francisco Architecture and Community Design Honors Thesis | May 2015 | https://repository.usfca.edu/honors/2/

  • This thesis provides a critical look into the conditions, limitations, strengths, and hopes in an informal settlement called Payatas in Manila, Philippines, with recommendations of measures to support and strengthen the community, by building upon the community’s positive elements to develop social impact.


Rhea Cristine Bautista